The New York herald., 1921-11-27
BY EDWIN G. HILL.
Special Despatch TO THE NEW York HERALD
New York Herald Bureau,
WnShInufan IL G. MY. 90

ny Ell w IN - h1hAls
Special Despatch to The NEW YoRK HEsALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington. ID. c.. Nov. 26.
BRAND and Beatty gone. Hughes and
Balfour retired to the wings, Lloyd
George doubtful. so they say. the
drama of Washington grows pale. A
month of work rea-s before the con-
ference, momentous work, but the thrill
Is fading.
The trouble was they saved the child
(stil in London, it appears) in the first
act a proceeding fatal to suspense. 1t
Is inspiring diplomacy but poor stage
management. Any motion picture direc-
tor would have reversed the action.
1t Is as II the candidates and key
noters of the national convention of the
Republican or Democratic party had
summed themselves in the public eye,
made their appeals and had gone away
somewhere to play golf The confer
enoe developments are interesting like
those OF such a convention, especially
the 'bossless' convention n Chicago last
June.
In the first week of novelty and thrill
and heated expectation crowds trailed
the principal delegates in the streets
as avid and eager as if the gentlemen
from oversee had been visitors from
we'll not Mars Venus, let us say
Nowadays "'at 'ole g'eman lord on the
fo'th fio.' as 'Sephus. the elevator man.,
calls Mr.. Balfour. can stroll about with
out being mobbed.
Mr.. Balfour is experiencing a distinct
nj xiufp Of lot all
of our American cities. An abider in
palaces and court houses set among
great parks, this parsonage lives by
choice In n small apartment over a shop
In Connecticut avenue. Street cars with
flat wheels shrek under his windows.
1t must be a curious episode in the life
Of this maker of history, who has been
attending peace conferences for forty
three years.
He has said pleasant things about the
skill and trustworthiness of American
newspaper men. When Lord Riddell
first asked him to meet the press he
was no. unwilling, but was doubtful
as to the discretion of the proceedings.
They say that some of the English cor
respondents gasped when they heard
that the aloof Mr.. Balfour had con-
sented to stand up and be shot at. To
them 1t was just one of those things
that wasn't done The result was dis
tinctly happy. Mr.. Balfour's clarifying
condolences were rigidly kept, and the
spirit OF his comments was faithfully
reproduced. He is reported to have in
quired how American reporters manage
without taking notes to reproduce inter-
views with such fidelity.
The British have met and lowered
their indomitabIe colcrs to the naughty
telephone girl. A story which comes
from the British Embassy Is that a
very prominent person OF that dele
cation who had occasion to telephone
to Senator Underwood the other night
experienced some difficulty in getting a
connection. Following the telephone
practice of his country he repeated with
rising infection: Are You there 2" Are
you there7" The unfamiliar reiteration
annoyed the hello girl who was handling
the call. She barked back: "Sure, I'm
here, you poor fish. Anything else you'd
like to know?"
A French diplomat whose name would
count for something If one were per-
mitted to use 1t in this connection says
to this writer: There is a furry Of talk
about bad feeling between the British