Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-02-07
Editorial Digest
Housing His Excellency.

AOuSIuS Ills GACSAACACy.
The old story of Americas parsi-
mony toward ambassadors is revived
in the press by the instance of the
gift of the Morgan mansion in Lon
don to be used as our embassy there.
Many writer's are a little nervous
over accepting Mr. Morgan's offer. al
though nearly all of the newspapers
duty in properly providing official
residences for it's representatives
abroad, thus relieving the President
from the necessity of considering per-
sonal fortune as the prime requisite
in making the higher diplomatic ap-
pointments.
Acceptance of the Morgan gift meets
with the approval of the New York
Evening World (democratic). which
adds: It's about time that this coun-
try had a diplomatic service that paid
its own way right to the top instead
of depending upon the private pock-
etbooks of wealthy appointees to keep
up the credit of the United States
among the ambassadors and ministers
of other nations"
This feeling that 1.-The field of Sc
lection" has. been narrowed" is re-
fiected in the Wheeling Intelligence
(republican), which points out that
IL
now is Congress should appropriate
sufficient money to purchase suit
able embassy residence in every i'm
portant capital" A similar demand
comes from the Philadelphia Record
Independent democratic), which re-
marks that Congress will give it's
own clerks more salary than most
consuls get" but while "consuls can
live in mean quarters if necessary.
ambassadors and ministers cannot
and serve the United States
The Anaconda Standard (democratic)
ironically sets forth the apparent rea-
soning Of Congress: Were there not
always enough American millionaires?
Let them have expensive luxuries, do
the honors and foot the bills-that
has been the congressional theory and
practice for years. 1t isn't democracy
but what is democracy between
friends?"
A similar attitude is reflected in the
comment of the Springfield (Mo)
Leader (democratic), which suggests
that possibly it is all right to send
only rich men abroad as ambassadors,
greatest ambassador, would have been
excluded"
The Louisville Post independently
compares the situation of Americas
representative in London and Britain's
ambassador here:
ington is paid a salary Of 100000 a
year. He is then given the use of the
British embassy at Washington and
is allowed 100000 year for official
entertaining. The American ambas-
sador at London receives a salary of
find his own residence and pay for
all the entertaining he does for the
benefit of America"
There is general feeling that
embassy in a foreign CAPT.
tai is essential, for as the Charlotte
Observer independent democratic)
puts it. after describin the building
to be replaced by the Morgan mansion
as "a counterpart of the old Charlotte
Hotel" if foreigners gain an opin
from the sort of establishments that
our government maintains abroad,
we should not be surprised if it were
a mi ghty poor one" According to the
New Orleans Times-Picayune Gnde-
democratic) our embassies
the Morgan house as an 'examplar."
The question of the propriety of
the United States government ac-
cepting a gift, such as Mr.. Morgan
has ogered. from any private person
seems, to bother certain writer's.
that the delay in the action Of the
in accepting the gift was
grounds. The Utica Observer
(democratic) is one of those that ex-
press uncertainty. ITO provide en-
bassies is duty 1t declares, but
to accept one as gift is out of
place"
The Brooklyn Eagle independently
advances the proposition that the
theory of economy" has never had
to do with Americas ira
ditional neglect of her foreign rep
the real meaning" it
states, was that the average Ameri-
can underestimate the value of the
Perhaps. it suggests,
this feeling is passing away" but
at least one voice is raised in what
might be taken as corroboration of
it. It is that of the Boston Globe
which says:
''The salary of our ambassador to
Great Britain is $17,500. This is not
80 handsome, perhaps, but it is $4,000
more than his superior in Washing
ton draws from the Treasury. The
Secretary of State is required to find
a house in Washington in keeping
with his salary. AS much should be
expected of his subordinate abroad"