New-York tribune., 1919-08-15
The New British Ambassador

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America will extend warm welcome
to Sir Edward Grey (many prefer to
perpetuate the name under which he
first won the favor of the world) as the
new British Ambassador. He will be
cordially received as a man, as a public
man, and as particular type of Eng
lishman.
What sort he is in the several re-
spects can perhaps be indicated. in no
better way than in quoting a passage
from the famous Lichnowsky memoran-
bassador at London discussed his diplo-
matte antagonist. Lichnowsky painted
the following agreeable picture:
Sprung from an old north Of England
family Of land owners from whom the
statesman Earl Grey is also descended,
he [Sir Edward Grey] joined the left
wing of his party and sympathized with
the Socialists and pacifsts. He can be
called Socialist in the ideal sense, for
he applied his theories even in private
life, which is characterized by great
simplicity and unpretentiousness, al
though he is possessed of considerable
means. All display is foreign to him.
He has small residence in London, and
never gave dinners, except officially, at
the Foreign Office on the Kings birth
day. If, exceptionally, he asked few
guests to his house, it was a simple din
ner or luncheon in a small circle, with
parlor maids for servants.
THE weekends he spent regularly in
the country, like his colleagues, but not
at large country house parties. He lives
mostly in his cottage in the New Forest,
taking long walks, and is passionatcly
fond of nature and ornithology. Or he
journeyed to his property in the north and
tanned squirrels. In his youth he was
noted cricket and tennis player His
chief sport now is salmon and trout fish
ing in the Scotch lakes with Lord Glen
conner, Mr. Asquith's brother-in-law
Once, when spending his weekend with
Lord Glenconner, he came thirty miles on
bicycle and returned in the same way
His simple, upright manner insured him
the esteem even of his opponents, who
were more easily to be found in home
than in foreign political circles
"Lies and intrigue were foreign to his
nature. His wife, whom he loved and
from whom he was never separated died
as the result of an accident to the car
riage driven by him. AS is known, one
brother was killed by lion.
Wordsworth was his favorite poet,
and he could quote him by the hour. His
British calm did not lack sense of
humor. When, breakfasting with us
and the children, he heard their con-
versation, he would say, 4 cannot help
admiring the way they talk German and
laughed at his joke. This is the man
who was called The Liar Grey and the
Originator of the World War;"
America has long been aware of two
species of Englishmcn-the liberal and
brave kind and the illiberal and in
sular kind. Our Revolutionary fore
fathers admired Chatham and Burke
and Fox almost as much as they disliked
Lord North. Later they were attracted
bJ Bright and Golden and repelled by
the Tories Still later Gladstone, AS
quith, Lloyd George and Bryce were pre-
ferred to their political rivals. 1t has
seemed at times as if two distinct rivers
flowed side by side in British life, their
waters little commingling
Sir Edward Grey is an ambassador of
the Bryce type and will not be satisfied
with being merely credited to our govern
ment-he will be the spokesman of one
democracy to another. No one in British
public life is better fitted to perform
the task to which he is assigned-the
great business Of bringing together in
good will the two peoples
whose harmony is not only essential to
both of them, but in whose good rela-
tions the whole world is vitality inter-
asted.
BY selecting as the new ambassador
so notable a parsonage, one who was
the chief director of British foreign
policy for decade and a half and who
left office because he was so great an
dealist that he was unwilling to bear
the blame of striking a blow at Bulgaria
before she struck, the British govern
ment shows how great is it's desire to
strengthen the ties already uniting the
two countries-to build a bridge of
friendship over which all the generations
to come will walk in never-brolen peace.
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The Pygmies' Revenge