Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-07-06
Our MuzzLED AMBASSADOR

he is hair the envoy that he should
be. he so maslss his thoughts that only
his Chief at Washington and AL
mighty God know his real views
Truly. he uses language to conceal
thought.
What, then, of muzzled represen-
tative. who Is not capable OF speak
ing for his fiagg
our ambassador extraordinary to
Great Britain, one George Harvey,
regiment, violated that first law which
governs envoys wheis he indscreetly
spoke at the Pilgrims dinner. In fact.
Harvey made such a iaclasasof him
self that both President IlarfIing and
Secretary of state Hughes felt im-
PEELED TO state publicly the Adminis-
tration's views OF Americas World
War participatlon--whioh varies from
the selfish reasons advanced by Harvey.
Although the President, for good
and sufficient reasons. which many
men understand. did not recall his
firebrand from the Court OF st.
James's, Il seems that he did slip the
diplomatic muzzie over his snoot. Re-
suit; Harvey cancelled three speak
ing dates Immediately, which he had
accepted previously with much an
ticipatory eiee.
But that is not all. A few days
ago a celebration was held at Sui.
grave Manor, the English home OF
the Washington family, and shortly
afterward statue OF George wash
ington was presented 10 Great Brit
ain by the state OF Virginia, and the
Minister for Foreign Affairs officially
accepted II In Trafalgar Square. where
it now stands near that Of Nelson.
Naturally one would expect that on
both occasions the American Ambas-
sador would be the principal guest Of
honor and speaker TO boot. But was
our brave George at either one? lie
most certainly was not. II appears
that pressing engagements else
where kept him from being present.
Now what engagements could have
been more pressing? If ever it was
the duty of our ambassador TO talk
that hands-across- -the-sca stun, II
was when the statue Of the man who
deprived Great Britain Of her greatest
colony was accepted by His Mssesty's
government
Because George Washington was a
Virginia gentleman. and fighter. and
George Harvey Is New I1nglander who
boasted once of the Stacker blood in
his veins. il may be that the state
Department thought that the latter
might again spin his BostoneSe beans
Of concentrated spleen II permitted
TO talk. and.therefore ordered his vile
.ongue in cold storage for the time
being.
1t is true that this man made a
short. cautcrized speech at the annual
Independence Day dinner Of the
American Society Of London on Mon
day--hut what pitiful speech ii wasi
One did not have 10 read between the
lines to know that our~representative
was both hobhled, curbed and muz-
zled. All OF the vivacity which one
expects on such an occasion was
missing--his sounding words were
merely is a tinisling cymbal. and a
cracked and broken cymbal at that
But surely an ambassador is ex-
pected TO speak more often than once
in six times, especially when the other
Eve are occasions of great moment
In the country to which he is ac-
credited!
Are we to be represented abroad
by mummy-even a mummy such
as the Hon George? For the next
three years and nine months are the
curtains TO be drawn close at the
American Embassy. and are all visit
ors to pass within and return without
quietly, because of the fear of awaken
ing the dead one7
II George Harvey cannot be trusted
to speak freely in public. he should be
recalled. When great celebrations are
held, such as the acceptance of the
Washington monument. and our am
bassador is absent, the occasions must
be as If Hamlet was presented minus
the rather weH-known and necessary
ghost. Better to have Harvey un-
leashed on this side. than to have
him chained in his kennel abroad.
Soon the rubberneck wagons viii pass
the American Embassy, and the spiel
ers will shout:
Turn your 'eads to the right.