New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-10
Adee Observes
F'iftietfa Year
AS a Diplomat
President Congratulates the
Second Assistant to Score.
tary Colby, Who Became
Member of Corps i'm 1870
Tutored Many Officials
Was Retained by All Par
ties Because of His Vast
knowledge of Details

From The Trieune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Sept. 9.~-Alvey
Augustus Adee, Second Assistant Sec
! rotary Of State continuously since
: August s, 1885, and q member of the
American Diplomatic Corps since Sep
tember 8, 1870, set aside the cares and
worries Of q diplomatist's life so-day
to accept the congratulations of the
President Of the United States, lesser
public officials and scores of associates
- In the State Department.
It was his fiftieth anniversary az an
. of1icial of the American foreign Office,
! Scores Of visitors called to pay their
respects to this veteran official, who
mas served continuously under every
res :n OF the United States begin
President Wilson convened h;s
greetings, in a letter which reached
:, MT. Adee's Office by special messenger
e TINS morning. Secretary of State
Colby similarly congratulated his as
sistant in letter of greeting. William
Jennings Bryan phoned his congratu-
iations during the morning and later
called to extend personal fluctuations,
Greetings Arrive by Cable
BY cable came greetings from every
american embassy and legation abroad.
while ex-Secretaries Of State and other
FORMER associates of Mr.. Adee tele-
graphed or mailed their congratula-
saons. HIS immediate associates in the
ONCE o. the Second Assistant Secre-
tary Of State had his desk banked with
roses before his arrival and before
noon huge bouquet came as the per-
-sonal token of Secretary Colby.
Mr.. Adee entered the diplomatic
service on September 8, 1870, when he
was appointed secretary of the legation
at Madrid. He was made Second AS
sistaft Secretary of State on August 6,
or, who was Mr.. Adee's only predecessor
In the Office, which was created by Pres
ident Andrew Jackson.
Mr.. Adee is an encyclopedia OF dip
lomatic lore, ranging from the order
OF precedence at state dinners to the
preliminaries of a declaration of war.
He is an authority on thousand de-
tails which would take weeks to dig
up. for he has phenomenal memory
Tor names, dates and incidents.
His Party q Mystery
The Foreign Office has retained this
officer Of commanding rank, no matter
what political complexion the Admins
tration happened to be. It is doubtful
If any one in Washington could tell
what political party he is partial to-,
or whether he was ever affiliated, even
indirectly, with any Certainly none
OF the numerous chiefs under whom
he has worked in his present RESPONSE
BILE capacity has taken the trouble to
investigate.
Mr.. Adee has been the tutor of Sec
rotary of State after Secretary of
State, many of whom have come to the
department teeming with plans and
policies, but most of whom were ignor-
ant Of diplomatic methods.
Until his age made it inadvisable for
him to continue bicycling, MIR. Adee
used no other form Of conveyance
While other officials of corresponding
dignity were dependent upon carriages
and later automobiles, this short, wiry
man, in suit of rough tweeds and q
brownish felt cap, could be seen ..,edal-
ang about the streets of the capital
daily. In. his tours of France and Bel
GUM, Mr.. Adee has perhaps covered
every notable thoroughfare of these
two nations. His vacation each wear
was spent abroad, where each day, un-
less prevented by rain, he travelled an
average of sixty miles.
Has Taste for Shakespeare
~ do not ride bicycle because I
prefer it to other vehicles" he told
q friend one day, "but because il
furnishes me both mental and physical
exercise. / ride slowly and methodl-
cally. As I pedal along thorough
fare take special pains to observe
closely all things which come within
my. vision: I study the forms Of archi-
lecture, the people, their dress, Gus
toms and habits, and by this close
scrutiny manage to improve mentally
81 we'll IS physically"
Shared with his bicycling hobby has
been taste for Shakespeare.
Until the European war broke out,
Sne venerable Official each year made a
bicycle tour of France and Belgium
Mr.: Adee has never married. He
was born in Astoria, N. Y, November
n, 1912. His early education was pro.
cured through private tutor, and
later he received a degree at Yale.
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