The Washington herald., 1920-03-21

the President. nor can 1t be regard
ed as a consequence thereof. 1t
originated, as an entirely new de-
parture in Americas official life,
when Woodrow Wilson commenced
his first term as President, now
seven years ago. His predecessors
kept to a great extent open house.
The foreign ambassadors and the
principal European ministers pleni-
potentiary. were always welcome
there. and during the regime of
Theodore Roosevelt were wont to
join him in daily games of tennis
on the courts of the Executive Man
sion. The relations of America with
the foreign powers benefited con-
siderably by this cordiality.
The fact that the envoys who
have come to this country since the
President was taken ill-there are
about a dozen such-are not func-
tioning officially, it was thought
would diminish the amount of en-
tertaining done in compliment to
the newcomers, but il didn't in the
least. They performed their diplo-
matte duties. both official and So
cfal, just as though they had pre-
sented their credentials, and were
entertained as much as IL such had
happened. In fact. the Diplomatic
Corps has held the center of the
social stage the greater part of the
winter: certainly since New Year
they have been the center of all of
the formal entertaining. Every eve
ming for weeks now there have been
several large dinner parties on the
social calendars, and always some
of them have been given by or for
some diplomat or both.
II the President Is going to re-
ceive these ENJOYS of other nations
shortly-and the new British Am
bassador, Sir Auckland Geddes, is
going to leave England the tenth
of April-it sounds very much as
though the waiting list will be
eliminated by the time he reaches
these shores and he will be received
Immediately. I have heard that.
like Viscount Reading and Viscount
Grey. Sir Auckland is coming on the
understanding that his tenure of
office should be regarded in the
light of temporary mission. and
that in due course he will be relieved
here in order to take up~the presi-
dency of McGill University in Can
ada, to which he was appointed
some time ago. and which is to be
kept open for him in the meanwhile.
Though. to the contrary. l have
heard that he resigned from the
presidency of the university when
he accepted the appointment to come
over here.
WASHINGTON EMBASSY
IMPORTANT TO ENGLAND.
The Washington embassy is re-
garded today by Great Britain as
the most important mission Of her
diplomatic service, the emoluments
of its incumbent amounting to $780,
900 a year. plus the use and main
tenance Of a handsomely furnished
residence in Connecticut avenue.
being just double those of Lord
Derby. her envoy in Paris. The
embassy here is being completely
overhauled-a member of the en-
bassy staff speaking of il used the
word 'rebuilt"-to make it usable
for the five young children who will
accompany Lord and Lady Geddes to
Washington. four boys and one girl.
1t is a big, cold. forbidding looking
building (usually spoken of as typi-
cally Brtish) that would dampen the
spirits, / should think, of even
DuI l1duy NeOOeS mas Senl
over detailed instructions to make
the house and grounds suitable for
the children. SO perhaps it will
soon assume gayer atmosphere.
Certainly the sight and sound of
children, five of them, will awaken
the big old house.
Little Betty Spring Rice was the
last child to habit the embassy.
She is one of the pleasantest of tho
many pleasant memories. of the
Spring Rices. She used to spend
many hours in the embassy gar
dens. often with a trowel digging
away for dear life" The Read
ings and Lord Grey didn't bring
any children to the embassy. But
the Readings did have quite a bit
of overhauling done to the en-