The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-03-25

/ diplomatic victories in Paris. They
assert that the American repre-
sentative abroad should be content
with IN austere simplicity Of life.
This point of view was represented
in the hearings on the Rogers bill
by Representative Huddleston.
1T seems to me-" said this apos-
tie Of homely democracy, "our pol
icy should be to provide quarters
and provide that the officials occupy
them, and il we want them to stay
in an apartment house, SO be it. &.
II he does not like the quality
Of the goods, he can pour it back
| in the jug. My own feeling,
may say, is against this competi-
ton and this extrav2gance-this
un-American magnificence. should
think an apartment is plenty good
enough"
Mr.. Polk replied to this:
IF the British ambassador came
here and lived at a hotel we would
consider that he was showing con-
tempt for the United States" he
| said. And Representative SABBATH
added:
"The people Of foreign nations
Judge q country by its representa-
tives and how they conduct them
selves and how they live. An
American representative in one OF
those countries who lives in some
old shack will leave mighty poor
impression on the business man and
on the community, and the people
will not have as much respect for
him as they will have for repre-
sentative of Montenegro. if he has
the right kind of dignified place"
There seems to be something in
it Even in this home Of homely
democracy, we seem to see certain
evidences that men try to impress
each other by appearances. In fact,
it is doubtful if there is any coun-
try in the world where more money
is spent on appearances. Whether
it should be so or not, both men
and nations are judged largely by
the appearances they make, and
| surely Americans should not be
lacking in an appreciation of that
fact. Nowhere on earth has the art
of bluffing been carried to higher
perfection than IN the United States.
When it comes to putting on dog,
we put on more to the square inch
than any other people on earth and
carry it better. 1t is in this land of
homely simplicity that the celluloid
collar, which may be cleaned with
rubber, the necktie which sets on
the collar button, and the stiff shirt
which is all front and no back, we're
invented. 1t is the American stem
ographer who wears French heels
and a fur coat while living on pic
kles, crackers and matrimonial
hopes. 1t is the American clerk
drawing $25 a week who buys a
large touring car on the installment
plan and goes out to conquer an
impressed and astonished world.
And yet we allow our politicians
themselves the greatest buffers in
a land of bluff, to make cheap CAPT
tai by declaiming against dignified
pay and housing for our diplomats
on the ground that it is un-Amer,
lean to appreciate the value Of q
good front
To get back to the matter of EN-.
bassies, it is not mainly a question
of whether we should or should moi
keep up certain appearances. The
fact is that we must do so-custon
and circumstances make it obliga-
tory. Our ambassador in Great
Britain, for example, gets $17,50(
a year, all told. The British am.
bassador in Washington, in addition
to more than 100000 in salary and
expenses, gets the use of a resi-
dence worth more than 100000
Now our ambassador in Grea,
Britain cannot possibly pay the rem
on suitable house with his salary
much less the expenses of living
and entertaining. Hence the we'll
known fact that our ambassador
to Great Britain must always be &
rich man. He must be chosen fol
his money rather than for his
brains. He may have brains, too
but money is necessarily the frs
consideration. And the worst of 1
is that a man without means VIII,
has spent his life in the diplomat,
service, cannot possibly work up tt
these important posts. They ar,
bound to fall to millionaires, usual
ly with no diplomatic experience
Thus the net effect of our homel,
democratic policy Of paying small
diplomatic salaries has been t
make the most important posts {
monopoly for wealthy amateurs
And instead Of controlling magnif
cence and display, it has made tn,
ambassadors style of living entire
ly a matter of personal taste ant
fortune, with some famous and an
palling results,
The United States government
owns but seven embassies and con
sular and legation buildings, ant
they are all in Asia and Latin
America except one. Besides leav
ing its diplomats to find their owl
homes, it pays them fro ma half Il
homes, it pays them from a half t.
tives Of the same countries il
Washington receive.