Evening journal., 1915-01-26
New News Of Yesterday
The First Rich American
Minister TO England
By Holland.

Chamcey NJ. Depew said to me, short
ly after President Mckinley had nom
mated John Hay as Ambassador at the
Court of st. James, that Immediately
after AlcKinleys election the Republi-
can organization of New York State
unanimously and earnestly recommend
ed the appointment II Depcw to the
post OF Ambassador TO the Court of St.
James and this recommendation was
taken personally to Mckinley by Lieut.
Gov SaNton, who represented the or
ganization. SaNton learned from Nc
Ninley that political consideration COM
PEELED the appointment of another than
Dcpcw. and il became known few
weeks later that these considerations
We're strong enough to persuade the
President elect to nominate John Hay
for that post.
"Financialy, | am much better of
than ! would be it ! were serving as
Ambassador to the British court said
Senator Dcpcw. at would have cost me
about $500 600 to serve four years as
Ambassador 10 offset this I would re-
ceive yearly salary of Sl7 800. should
have been Obliged to give up various re-
munerative offices and ] presume that
the house which / would have rented in
London would have absorbed practi-
cally my entire salary
{ asked the Senator if the renting Of
very expensive houses by our ambassa-
dors was not a recent development OF
our diplomatic service. I'm reply Sena-
tor Dcpcw said;
81 suppose almost everybody thinks
So and believes that this was the reason
why, for important missions, men who
possess considerable wealth, were ap.
pointed. Really the example was set
nearly fifty years ago For more than
fifty years our representatives at tho
various courts Of the civilized nations
were for the most part men of small
means. They lived modestly and Occa
sionally were able To save something
from their salaries. This modest styl,
of living was one of the reasons why SC
many people in Europe were accustomed
, to look upon the United States with O
sort of tolerance. cOndcsccnsion anC
something like pity.
"Ahbott Lawrence OF Massachusetts,
was the American minister who opened
the eyes OF the English people to the
ability of an American to maintain him
self as minister in situation that com
pared favorably with the manner of lif'
Of other ambassadors and ministers Alb
bott Lawrence j. forgotten now. yet i
was he and his brother Amos who estab
lished the great cotton mills ON the Mer
rimac river and for whom the city o
Lawrence was named. He came vcr!
near being President of the Unite,
States. lie lacked only six votes of Sc
curing the nomination of Nice-Presidcn
on the ticket with Zachary Taylor. Ha'
he been nominated he. instead of Mil
lard Fillmore, would have succeeded Iay
lor President Taylor had a warm per
sonal friendship for Abbott Lawrenc,
and one Of the first appointments d
made was that of Lawrence as Minis
ter to the Court of st. James. At tina
time the post had not been raised I
, ambassadorial dignity.
"Alr. Lawrence. shortly after he al
rived in London. rented one of the fin
! est London rc-idences 1t belonged
, one of the most aristocratic of III
English peers lie paid for it in yearl
rentals sum exactly equivalent to h
, salary. Everybody in England was a.
tonishcd when it became known tla
the American Minister had hired
house. one of the finest in London, d
: yearly rental which took his entil
salary to meet. He entertained in
| manner worthy of the house, and he Wa
the first of American Ministers to mah
lavish use Of his wealth in maintainin
his official home in London. That wa
, nearly fifty years ago"