The Washington herald., 1921-01-15
Envoy to Court of st.
James Reported An
gered by Sights.
FAILED TO OBTAIN
EAR OF PRESIDENT
III Feeling Increased by
Colby's Mesopotamian
Note, Reports Say.
by FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

~ NNGOH4hAC NAhbAhhh W AAS-
Another member of the Wilson
administration-its chief diplomatic
representative abroad-is about to
desert It in a hufr. He is John W.
Davis, OF West Virginia, intimate
friend of Robert Lansing and
American Ambassador to the Court
Of St James since NaXember. 1918.
1t is customary for our diplomatic
officials stationed at foreign posts
to tender their resignation to in
coming administrations of opposite
political faith. technically to take
effect on March 4, but usually they
remain on duty for several months
afterwards until successors are in
stalled Davis is not going to wait.
He intends to return to the United
States in February, leaving the first
secretary of his embassy. J. But
Ter Wright, in charge.
Causes for Pique.
Two specific causes are assigned
in Washington for Ambassador
Davis petulance. One was his Bit
ter disappointment over his failure
to be received by the President
when in the United States last
autumn. The other cause is of more
recent occurrence. Davis took Of
fense at the action of the State
Department, It is understood, in
presenting the stern Colby note of
November 25, on the Mesopotamia
oil grab" to the British Fofeign
ONCE over the Ambassadors
head"
Previous correspondence on the
oil and other questions at issue
with Great Britain were communi-
Gated through Davis. 1t was he,
not the Secretary of State himself,
who had the honor" to address
His Majesty's Government" - ~
Used 10 Garry Messages.
On the occasion of the last note
to Lord Curzon. the British foreign
secretary, Colby virtually used An
bassador Davis merely as a messen-
ger boy. The communication was
addressed straight from Colby to
Curzon. Davis did not come into
it. Following so closely upon his
inability to gain the Presidents
ear at the White House, it would
appear that the Ambassador decided
to stand on his dignity.
Davis came home at the end of
last summer for the first time
since his despatch to England near
II two years previous. He had
made up his mind at that time to
leave the diplomatic service in case
Of the Democratic party's defeat in
November and engage in law prac-
tice at New York. Arrangements
to that end were completed before
he sailed and within a few weeks,
together with Frank L. Polk, for
mer undersecretary of State, he
will join the firm Of Stetson, Jen-
nings and Russell
Not Active in Politics.
Davis also was interested in
looking into the real dimensions OF
his ephemeral but at one time
promising Presidential boom at the
San Francisco convention. He was
supposed to have taken an active
part in the Cox Roosevelt campaign
while here, but apparently visual
king it as loves labor lost was not
particularly active.
bassador called at the White House
and had luncheon one day with Mrs
Wilson, another Ambassador, Ro-
land s. Morris, being present on
the same occasion. But although he
probably presumed the President
would be much interested in talk
ing to his diplomatic representative
to Great Britain and Ireland at so
stirring a juncture in international
affairs, Davis did not gain the
Executive presence. His friends
know that he was undisguisedly
sore over that circumstance.
May BE Inheritance.
II may be that Davis has in
herited some of the anti-Lansing
sentiment that still infests certain
sections of the State Department
and the White House. He virtually
was a personal appointee of Rob-
ert Lansing during the latter's Sec
retaryship Of State. Presumably
his official mind often went along
no more willingly with the Presi-
dents than Lansing's did. 1t also
may be anti-Lansing prejudice that
is responsible for charges said to
be made in the State Department
that Davis succumbed to social
Establishments in London and be-
came too "pro-British" to suit the
departments purposes.