The Harrison times., 1916-04-29
YOUNGER ONES IN ARMIES
Elderly Foreigners at Capital Are
Forced to Toll Day and Night for
Their Manifold Duties Are Burden
some and Exacting.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

tary of state and the secretary Of war.
In making this answer there would be
an ignoring of the hard labor claims
of the ambassadors and the members
of their stats who represent belliger-
ent countries today in the capital OF
the United States
The president, because of foreign,
Mexican and legislative troubles,
works virtually all day and sometimes
pretty well into the night. The secre-
tary of state, because of threatenings
from across the water and from Mex
ico, is compelled perhaps more fire.
quently than the president to extend
his hours into the dark time. The
secretary of war is a new man in Of.
fee and his work is particularly trying
because he has lot to learn and on
top of what might be called his school.
ing has been imposed the necessity of
looking after the welfare of our army
In Mexico and along the border.
This work of the American officials
is hard and driving, but it is neither
harder nor more driving perhaps than
that which daily must be undertaken
by the ambassadors and other diplo-
mats in America representing the war.
ring powers abroad. Russians. Eng
lishmen, Frenchmen, Germans and the
rest over the water are serving their
governments in the trenches, but while
their work may be the more dangerous
1t cannot be any more taxing than that
which falls to the daily lot of the diplo-
matte representatives of these coun-
tries in this capital of the United
States.
Hard Work for Elderly Men.
1t has been said that the work of the
foreign soldiers abroad may be more
dangerous than that of their civilians
now in this country in official capaci-
ties, but it may be that this statement
in itself is a trife overdrawn. Some
Of the ambassadors and their staff Of
ficers are getting along in life and as
many Of them work 16 hours a day the
heavy burden of the labor makes them
run the danger of actually being
worked to death.
When the war broke out nearly all
of the younger men attached to the
embassies in Washington Immediately
started home to join the colors. With
the exception of one or two foreign of,
fees in Washington the STATS are COM
posed Of men who have been sent over
here because they had become inca
pacitated for service in the trenches.
When one meets noticeably tired
looking man in Washington the nat
ural inference Is that he is a diplomat
representing one Of the warning coun-
tries. This recently has been written
concerning the work of the foreigners
in Washington
"In not one Of the embassies Of the
belligerents in this town is such an
order known as lights out. From am
bassador to doorman the foreigners
toll away until exhaustion comes and
forces them to bed. The belligerent
foreign governments ought to send
Red Cross detachments to their EN-.
bassies in Washington.
Their Manifold Duties.
II might be thought that even in war
times the ambassadors Of the powers
which are engaged in war would be oc-
cupied only with duties connected with
the state department of this govern
ment, Diplomacy, as 1t is generally
understood, forms only small part OF
the daily work Of a Jusserand, Won
Bernstorff, or a Spring.Rice. These
men are made the sympathetic recipi.
ents of every plea in behalf Of their
countries They are obliged to give ad-
vice and support to hundreds upon
hundreds of organizations all over the
United States which are engaged in
work in behalf Of the destitute or the
wounded in the countries which the
ambassadors represent.
Diplomatic correspondence is but a
tritling matter Of the day when com.
pared to the scores upon scores of let.
ters which must be answered from
here, there and everywhere concerning
ways and means Of doing something to
aid the stricken in the countries at
war. The absence Of the younger men
has increased the burden of the elder
men who today are doing the work
that formerly was done by their assist.
ants, and who have their own work in
addition. To this must be added the
labor Of various kinds of which the
peace days knew nothing.
Birds Interest Lawmakers.
Spring makes the staid lawmakers
OF Capitol hill turn their fancies lightly
to other things than legislation. The
beauties of nature, bird songs and 9th.
er pulsings Of the spring season move
them out of their winter moods.
Recently Thomas r. Marshall, vice
president of the United States, told
how, one spring morning, he heard the
"woodpecker pecking and the bluebird
cheerily singing" and how the sounds
Of the season made their appeal to
him. In connection with this, he told