The Monticellonian., 1917-10-12
TOT Ike conduct Wien face 10
with death.
Air Service Attracts Them.

| Army OnlcerS nave noted one curious
thing. Every time that there Is print
ed detailed account of a particularly
interesting fight above the front in
France, the number of Americans who
aspire to service in the aviation corps
increases. There is a lure about the
air service which some people per-
haps will find it hard to understand.
but it exists and there is seemingly no
| room left for doubt that America can
secure as many volunteers as 1t wishes
for the literally high service of fight
| ing in flying machines.
1t is not permitted to tell, even If
one should happen TO know, how many
aviators America already has sent to
France, but it can be said that already
some of Uncle Sans nephews who
have not been connected with the
French aviation service, as some of
/ their fellow countrymen have, already
are being trained to undergo their first
ordea! of battle. 1t is a real ordeal
! and the fact that it is known to be
such makes the Washington officials
particularly gratlhed that so many
| young Americans seem to prefer a
| branch of the service in which they
are to give battle with no foundation
of earth under their feet"
Statistics of casualties compiled by
the French and British governments
go to show that the aviation corps is
not the most dangerous branch of the
service 1t is understood that more
infantrymen and engineers are killed
| or wounded than aviators, with of
course due regard to the difference in
numbers of men in the three branches
of the service.
Neutral Diplomats Uneasy.
Ambassadors and ministers acered-
tied TO Washington by neutral coun-
tries are having unpleasant days of it.
The recent disclosures of correspon-
dence from Argentine and Mexico
transmitted for Germany by neutral
diplomats have had their effect in this
city. Every representative of neu-
trail country here feels that he is I'M
der suspicion, whether he is or not,
and the whole thing makes for diseom-
fort
1t probably is hard for persons liv-
ing away from the sphere of Washing
ton life TO understand thoroughly just
what it means to have suspicion stalk
ing through the streets and sitting at
some of the dinner boards in war
time capital. Washington essentially
is a social place and as its society
largely is of the official kind, the sus-
pected and the suspicious must meet if
not daily at least weekly in a social
way.
1t would be altogether wrong to say
It Is certain that the state department
suspects the neutral diplomats of any
acts which would violate their obliga-
lions to America as hostess country,
but the feeling elsewhere throughout
the city is one of suspicion, and this
fact cannot well be discounted. 1t is
known that the state department keeps
a searching eve out for diplomatic vic
lations of neutrality.
Makes Them Uncomfortable.
It Is easy enough to see, therefore,
how uncomfortable some of the diplo-
mats representing neutral countries
must be In these harsh days. 1t
should be taken for granted that none
of them Is guilty of having done the
things which it has been proved one
or two of their brethren serving in
other countries did in behalf of Amer
ica's enemy, but so long as misdeeds
are done here and there, just so long.
of course, it must be expected that
suspicion even of the innocent will be
kept alive.
The hardest experiences which fall
to the lot of some of these neutral dip
lomats come when they are paying
social calls. wsieh in effect are calls
of official duty, In the afternoons, or
attending dinners given by members
of the residential society or by officials
of the government living here tenn
porarily.
Since August, 1914, Washington Of
fetal or residential hosts never have
invited to the same gathering the dip
lomats from any two of the warning
countries. Therefore there never was
any danger that at an afternoon tea or
at n dinner Germany's ambassador
would meet the British ambassador ;
or that the ambassador from Austria
would meet the ambassador from
lItaly; or that any other awkward
meetings of like kind woulftake place.
It always has been the custom, how
ever. to invite neutral diplomats to
functions attended by representatives
of either the allied countries or the
central powers. This custom has TO
be kept up because, as war does not
exist between the United States and
neutral countries nor between the al
lies and the same countries, it is
supposed that the representatives of
all can meet and be cordial one to an
other.
Today the difficulty lies in the fact
that the representatives of one neutral
country in other lands have been
shown to have been dealing with the
enemy in a diplomatic way. When
the mission of a neutral country in Ar
gentine consented to do something for
| Germany that it ought not to have
done. it hurt not only itself but its
brother missions in every country in
the world. The act of one man cast
suspicion on the diplomatic lives OF
dozens of other men.