El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-01-10
COL. HOUSE 8 BIC
TASK IN EUROPE
Bad Situation in American
Embassies; Jealousy and
Incompetence.

a special to the New York World
from Washington says: If Col. House
succeeds in his forthcoming mission
greatest Of all living diplomats. in
the opinion Of the inner circle. which
is fully acquainted with the long list
Of assignments which president Viii
son has given him
When Col House arrives in London
he viii be expected to impress ambas-
sador Walter Hines Page with the fact
that he is not the superior American
representative and that his functions
do not overlap into any Of the other
countries which have American am
bassadors
Page Too Jealous.
The administration has reasons for
believing that Mr.. Pages overanxiety
to represent the United States has led
him at times into the position of Civ
ing advice to other American ambassa-
doris. who have promptly resented his
attentions Washington has been in
formed that the embassy at London
at times has even attempted to act as
censor over diplomatic correspondence
which was addressed to American rep
resentatives at other points
It has been reported to Washington
that there is a three cornered feud on
Gerard at Berlin and Page at London.
Col House will be expected to use his
tact and settle this inside row.
Petty quarrels have arisen between
the ambassadors on questions OF au-
thority. These have been magnified
until a feeling of unfriendliness has
grown between some Of them,
Ambassador Gerard at Berlin has
not sent information asked for by am
bassador Page fast enough to suit him,
and vice versa Several weeks ago
Mrs. Penfield at Vienna desired GER
tain articles shipped from England
in a manner that did not please the
ambassador at Vienna The London
embassy appeared to doubt the pro-
priety OF shipping the articles through
the British blockade
Ambassador Gerard at Berlin desired
some clothes for his own use Ambas-
sador Page did not take the matter
up fast enough to suit him. Small irri-
tations OF this sort have become al
most daily occurrences and coupled
with jeaIOusieS have resulted in a gen
eral soreness among the embassies
If Col. House gets as far as -Petro-
grad he viii be expected to tell am
bassador Marye to handle his mail
more expeditiously.
In addition to these assignments
Col House will be expected to caution
ali ambassadors that they should not
show any feelings which they may
have, whether. they be in favor OF the
allies or the central powers
In addition to the other complaints
there have been reports indicating that
some Of the ambassadors have been en-
tirely too pro-ally in their sympathies
to suit the German government
Col Houses principal mission viii
take him to Berlin, where he VIII at
tempt to ascertain why the Lusitania
case never has been settled and why
ambassador Gerard has never reported
to this government on the interview
he had with the kaiser approximately
two months ago.
The conviction has been growing
steadily in Washington recently that
ambassador Gerard is not taken seri-
ously by the foreign office.
The administration is at a loss to
ascertain why Germany is still IN
acquainted with the American view
point .ls
Incidentally Col House will attempt
to find out the general political atmos-
phere about Berlin. The administra-
ton has been conscious for some time
that the government and people OF
Germany are extremely opposed to the
present administration of the United
States. but they bear no unkind feeling
toward the people Of this country
generally.