Milford chronicle., 1921-02-04
UNCLE TED'S
BEDTIME STORIES
OUR HOUsELEss DIPLOMATS

Uncle Ted and the two children
were resting after a wild orgy of pop
corn balls and hickory nuts. Ruth wa
smeared from Dan to Bersheeba will
molasses and Jack had Dashed hi
thumb while reducing a particular!
hard shagbark to subsection. Tit
logs in the fireplace cracked anC
glowed and the wind outside moaneC
fitfully Of Democratic graveyards an(
broken promises. 1t was an hour fol
inspection, reflection, and dissection
When up spoke Jack:
"'Uncle Ted, I read in the paper to-
day that Congress was talking ovel
the offer of J. Piermont Morgan of his
London residence as a permanent
home for the American Ambassador
Doesn't Uncle Sam provide homes fol-
his ambassador" eyes, saw that ar
ticle myself" chimed in Ruth, "and it
said there were some men in Con-
gress who objected to our Govern
ment receiving a house from Mr.. Nor
gan. Why was that, when Congress is
working hard to economiZe?"
"Now, children, you have opened up
good point for discussion" replied
Uncle Ted, "and if Ruth will remove
from her features that linked sweet
ness long drawn out while Jack lets
me give first aid to his thumb, I will
talk about the way our foreign officials
are housed in foreign lands" In two
minutes Ruth returned with the peach
blow revealed in her cheeks to find
Jack sporting an iOdined digit, and
Uncle Ted began:
"In the old days we were awfully
proud of our democratic institutions
and our humble style of living, and
we didn't want our representative to
foreign countries to be paid very much
for fear they would get stuck UP and
want to remain abroad. We had the
pioneers distaste for all modern i'm
provements' and believed our foreign
officials should take pot-luck in their
living. The snuff-colored suit of Ben
iamin Franklin was considered good
enough for any diplomatic function,
and for that matter we would accept
the suit today if we could get the
Franklin brand of diplomacy along
with it, but the men of today who
know as much as Benjamin did can
make more money in private life than
they can as ambassadors, and they
know that if they accept such Office
they will, like DR.. David Jayne Hill,
go broke in trying to meet their nee
essary expenses. Being new coun-
try we had not accumulated many Of
fetal documents in our foreign dwell
lings. But after over century of
dealings with foreign coun-
tries our embassies, legations, and
have become congested
with archives and we are in bad
way for some means of housing them
because our people have not yet de-
cided that a nation of our resources |
and Importance should own it's fore |
ign houses. Turkey refused during |
The war to be responsible for our rec
Ords at Constantinople because of un-
safe housing. This suggests one rea-
son why we should have our own
houses.
another reason suggests itself in
he experience of DR.. Maurice F. Ea-
gan, who was for some time our Min
ster to Denmark. During the war he
vas housed in building also occu-
bed by German of very pro-Prus-
jian intentions. He could not be got
en- rio or, and the legation could not
De moved because there were no va
amt buildings. DR.. Pagan had very
rying time with his German landlord
because the German insisted on hoist
ng the German flag on certain holi-
lays like the Kaiser's birthday, above
he American flag. But Dr. Eagan
vas able to make the German desist
fter great deal of squabbling.
"There is third reason which has
o do with what is known as the prin-
iple of extra-territoriality a long
1ord which means the immunity
rhich under certain circumstances
lembers of a foreign state enjoy in
foreign land, and which also applies
} their dwellings. But no matter how
ich an American may be, no matter
ow splendid may be the edifice he
ents, the house is looked upon in