New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-07
Entered at TIE Pcs,once at New Ycrs ~ Second Class
Mai Matter.
The French Ambassador Writes a
Book.
Book.

Elsewhere on this page is reprinted the
comment Of Mr.. William Dean Howells,
best qualified of all critics on our side Of
the water, upon the new volume Of the
French Ambassador To that comment, so
far as the volume itself is concerned, no
wise man would seek to add, and from it no
American would willingly subtract, but the
publication of the volume supplies an OPP
portunity for saying the thing that so
many Americans have felt in recent
months concerning the French Ambassa-
dor.
NJ Jusserand himself would be the first
to concede that his has not been a difficult
mission in any ordinary sense of the word.
He would be the first to bear witness how
many and how moving have been the evil
dences that have come to him of the depth
and breadth of American affection for the
French Republic, and of how profund was
the sympathy and the admiration of Amer
lea for a great nation touching the high
est point in its wonderful history.
But the most successful single detail in
all NJ. Jusserand's service at Washington
has been that he has never under any cir
cumstances attempted to capitalize this
sentiment or this sympathy in any fashion
that might awaken bitterness in America
or make Americans willing or unwilling
critics or opponents of their own govern
ment. One may well fancy Count Won
Bernstorff chafng inwardly at the realiza-
ton of what he could have done with NJ.
Jusserand's opportunities and with M.
Jusserand's credit in the bank of Ameri-
can sympathy.
But no such selfish thought has ever
actuated the French Ambassador. He has
at all times thought of the preservation
for all time Of a friendship which might,
perhaps, be usefully exploited at the mo-
ment. but would inevitably weaken with
exploitation. Always, under all circum-
stances, the French Ambassador has kept
before his eyes the nobler mission of main
tanning, not exploiting, American friend
ship and American sympathy.
And the result is unmistakable. If
American admiration and affection for
France have always been the strongest Of
our foreign sympathies, there never has
been a time when they are so unmistak-
able and so potent all over the country.
To NJ. Jusserand. too, is due no little credit
for this. His whole thought, his whole
energy, his whole effort has been directed
toward preventing anything that might IN
lure, forwarding anything that might help,
not the transitory interest of his nation,
but the permanent interest that his nation
and ours must have in the survival OF
relation which began in our own Revolu-
ton and contributed nightly to our hber-
alton.
More than one American who has gone
to France bearing letters from the French
Ambassador has gone warned in advance
of the duty to avoid anything that might
do injury to American self-respect. Not
a few Americans recall the real grief OF
the French Ambassador when a careless
dispatch of an American correspondent
repeated words not in the least expressive
wound American patriotic feeling.
No ambassador who has come to our
shores in all our history has more scrupu-
lously refrained from even the semblance
Of intrigue, Of interference, of meddling
with American affairs or American poll
tics. And it is not too much to say that
no ambassador has ever come to this coun-
try who has displayed greater respect, al
lection, understanding of the best IN
America and Americans than NJ. Jusse-
rand.
All this is disclosed in his book, as 1t
has been disclosed in countless other places
and ways. 1t is book that every Amer
lean should read it is a book that deals
mminously and accurately with things that
are too little known and too frequently for
gotten. But what is best about the book
is the thing that is best about its author;
II is the expression of friendship for our
own country in which there is neither
selfshness nor self-seeking.
No one will imagine that NJ. Jusserand
has been less faithful or less useful Am
bassador of France because he has re-
manned a friend Of America in all his re
1ations. personal and official Rather those
who. as Americans, care most for France
will congratulate that nation on the good
fortune that gave her the present ambas-
sador in a moment Of world war.