New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-09

France recently declared that he had
paid more than 100000 out of his own
pocket for clerical assistance in his
embassy during a period of about four
years. Besides this he was obliged to
pay the rent of his home, which had
to be building suitable for the rep
resentative Of the American nation
and which was the official embassy
building" Such houses at the time
were renting for $4,000 to $4,000 a
year. He had, furthermore, to pay the
upkeep Of the housewife staff Of
servants BETTING the position Of an
ambassador of the United States.
Expensive CiviIities
"In dull period Of three months"
he said, II had to entertain informally
more than 800 guests for lunch. Peo-
pie came with letters from the Presi-
dent and Senators and Congressman
had to show them the common civility
of asking them to a meal. And that
was in quiet times. Then there were
the dinners of state and other large
formal functions-all, mind you, 'in line
Of duty'-things that as ambassador I
had to do for the honor of the coun-
try"
In other words, 1t cost him about
$4,000 year to be ambas sador, and
the salary was $17,500.
Another American, at one time Am
bassador to the Argentine Republic,
stated that his pay from the govern
ment was insufficient even to cover his
house rent in Buenos Ayres. Undoubt-
edly the same conditions exist in many
other capitals. AS result, diplomacy
is still a "rich mans game"
Now for the reasons and the remedy.
Foreigners (and, for that matter,
Americans as well) expect the repre-
sentatives of the government of the
United States to live in manner beft-
ting the dignity of the nation. The am
bassador must be properly l.oused. His
embassy must be large enough for him
to give the usual functions of state. It
must be suitably furnished. He must
have the necessary personnel to look
after it. In it he must entertain at
luncheon and dinner Americans and
foreigners. The meals may be simple,
but if 800 guests at luncheon in three
m onths during "dull season" is fair
average the number Of people to be
served in year runs into the thou
sands. He must have an automobile
and even though Colonel Harvey may
have shocked" official London by
driving his own jitney 1t is necessary
for the ambassador to have a suitable
automobile for the many formal occa-
sions.
All these things, while Injuries for
most Americans at home, become
necessities for an American ambas-
sador in great capital if he is to up
hold the traditions Of the United
States. Even though he has the sim
plicity of Franklin, times demand
greater expenditures than in the days
when the shrewd Philadelphian skill
fully acted the part of the rustic
philosopher" in order more readily to
capture the sympathies of the French
society in which he found himself.
The first remedial step is the pur-
chase Of embassies which will be the
property Of the government. Congress
has voted small sum for this pur-
pose. One hundred and eighty thou
sand dollars of this will GO for the
acquisition Of an embassy building in
Paris. This is only little more than
the Duke of Wellington gave in 1915
for the building which is to-day the
British Embassy in Paris. It's present