The Washington herald., 1920-03-02
In the Linelight
BY George Perry .Morri!

Robert Bacon's memory ID to be
kept vividly before Parisians by the
provision his wife Is making for
endowment of free wards in the
new American hospital at Neuilly.
Long before the war opened he had
won his place in the hearts Of the
French, in part by his superior
equipment for the post Of Ambas-
sador and in part by his charming
and chivalric qualities as q man.
When the war opened he threw
himself into the fray long before
the United States did; and he wore
himself down and out by his labors
in a variety Of fields. He was the
type OF man who. when found,
should never be allowed to leave
the diplomatic service, come what
changes there may in administra-
tion. To the best traditions of the
older diplomacy he added the ideals
of the new. and wherever he went.
whether to South America or to
Europe, he was at once appraised
as a patriot who also was q cos
mopolitan and a democrat with the
manner of a patrician.
II Sir Auckland Geddes comes to
Washington as British Ambassador
he will have as mistress of his
home a Scotch lady, American born,
who grew up on Staten Island.
N. Y; then went to Nova Scotia to
| finish her education and, returning
home, was married in New York
City, to an assistant professor in
Edinburgh University. There her
husband had early won fame as an
anatomist of distinction. Lady Ged-
4 des, as she Is now-Miss Isabella
Ross, as she then was-is the moth
er Of five children, and they will
liven up the embassy considerably
Secretary Lane in his valedictory
/ rightly pleads for more planning in
connection with governmental ac'
tivities. "Tis we'll that the note has
been struck. Fortunately there are
other government officials, in most
cases men who first drew govern
ment checks during the war, who
agree with him. They are busy
planning for an industrial mobili-
zation Of the country, should the
war come again, by which all the
knowledge gained during 1888 is
to be used. The Council of National
Defense has been conspicuou,
| among these long-visioned agencies
| and under Herbert Shenton, who
| has been selected to take the place
of Grosvenor r. Clarkson, IT will
continue to collect data, coordinate
| il and perfect the mobilization plan
With William Kent's retirement
from the Tariff Commission Board
IL loses a live wire. He is unpre'
dictable in his words, plans or votes
on any governmental body to which
| he happens to be named. For the
| drudgery of such posts he Is no'
cut out. His sphere is in the open
"a prophet without the law" say
ing what he pleases, conspirins
against what civic foes he thinks
he must. and financing the radical
attacks of lesser men upon evils
that he damns. He went through
/ Yale University an iconoclast, dar'
/ ing to challenge the dominating
thought Of William Sumner and to
pour contempt on Yale's and New
Haven's fossilization From that time
to this he has been an lshmaelite
with his keen brain. tart tongue
long purse and unwaning combat
| iveness at the service of the peo'
| pie. His next fight Is to win the
| Senatorial election in California and
| follow Senator Phelan. He may
fail, but his opponents will have
run for their money.