Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-07-08

of the gift of ]. p. Morgan. the United States
acquired an embassy in London. 1t was one
of Mr.. Morgan's houses. The salary allowed
to the American ambassador to the Court OF
st. James would not be nearly sufficient to pay
the rent alone for this house.
Diplomacy as a Profession.
England and France do not look to men
who have made themselves valuable to political
parties and who have the large means, II
nothing else. to pay for accepting the honor
are trained as diplomats just as they are trained
as naval officers or military experts. They have
before them the certainty that If they have
brains mad ability enough they will go on UT
the ladder and gain the honor and emoluments
of the finest diplomatic posts.
In Washington nearly every embassy and
legation of all the nations of the world rep
resented here are owned by those governments
In the cases of the more important nations,
these establishments are in keeping with the
dignity and position of their countries, and their
representatives here are not forced to pay
rental for them. The salaries paid to foreign
representatives in Washington, particularly. OF
the big powers. are so large that they can live
on them easily. and their governments. as a
rule, also provide a large fund for them for the
entertainment of American officials and the
other members of the diplomatic corps here.
In times past men have been appointed to
diplomatic posts whose behavior has gone far
toward making the United States a joke in the
have been sent. A great deal of publicity was
given a few years ago to an official 1nvest1ga-
ton into the behavior Of the American envoy
to a small but very punctilious nation. Among
other things it was testified that this gentleman
brought shame and humiliation upon his coun-
try and made himself ridiculous by making a
practice of sitting, in the cool of the evening.
with his bare feet protruding from one OF the
windows of the American legation. 1t was
necessary to supplant this man with another
who made a practice Of wearing orthodox foot
gear until bedtime.
He Couldn't Speak English.
AT one time a man was appointed to repre-
sent the United States at one OF the Latin
American countries who proved little more than
a source of amusement to the officials of the
foreign office of that capital. and to the diplo-
mats of other nations stationed there. rms
man had acquired considerable wealth., but
entirely lacked education. When it was finally
borne in upon the proper officials in Washing
ton that this man not only could not speak
Spanish or French-the language of diplomacy
but that he was continually mangling his own
tongue, he was relieved and his place was filled
by a man who at least had some slight Ia
with English grammar
The position and influence of one American
envoy was continually impaired by the actions
Of his wife. This manthimself was a diplomat
of real ability. but his prestige was hurt when
his wife engaged in a hair-pulllng match with
a milliner on one Of the principal streets OF the
capital where he was stationed. On another
occasion, at a formal dinner party. some trivial
incident upset this same woman, Whereupon|
she left the table and was seen no more that
night by her guests.
Often the State Department Is at fault IN
making it impossible for America to be properly
represented abroad. 1t is history that one man
was sent abroad as American minister whose
popular nickname among those who knew him
"Numbskull." On another occasion a man
was sent to a European country whose very
hurt him. In the language of the streets
of the nation to which he was sent it had an
Objectionable meaning. The State Department
aware of this through protests from the
country itself, but insisted on this man oelns
accepted.
There are incidents innumerable whereby,
the operation of the system In vogue,
The United States has been made a joke because
Of its failure to have a service OF trained
diplomats. Often, it is true, the men who rep
resent this nation abroad acquit themselves
al m ira hlv and hiring nothing but credit upon
themselves and their country, but there is far
assurance of this in the American Diplo-
Corps than in that of any comparable
nation.
The importance of excellent diplomatic rep
resentation cannot be exaggerated. Iroupies
of the most serious nature may be averted by
trained, able man, where another might noun
der along to such an extent that his nation
result 0s A. ,sm a notabl ln s esample a'd It is Beyond % d
imagination to calculate the tremendous good
done to the United States by Benjamin Franklin
As American envoy to France when this coun-
try was a fedgling nation, urgently in need OF
the friendship and regard of the older and more
countries, Franklin single-handed won
this esteem for his government.
Cost of a Missing Word.
A single instance will serve to show the great
Importance Of diplomatic work of the highest
Canal which resulted in the agreement between
and the United States regarding snip
tolls, known as the Hay-Pauncefote treaty, q
single word gave rise later to all OF the troubles
have filled the newspapers.
The treaty as it was drawn by Lord Paunce-
tote, representing Great Britain, and Secreary
Of State Hay, provided that "all nations" should
pay tolls at the same rate. Later, when it was
planted to let American ships pass through the
canal at less cost than foreign vessels. England
vigorously, calling attention to the
of the treaty to which the United
States had subscribed. The State Department
pointed out that this wording meant all nations
other than the United States. Then England
that if this had been meant, surely the
treaty would have set it forth and this word
other" would have been included in the treaty.
The best legal minds of the United States, IN
md out of the State Department, finally were
'orced to accept the British contention as