The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-02-05
AMERICAN EMBASSY
IN BERLIN NEEDS
STAFF And HOME
Wants More Stenographers
to Handle Correspondence
Of Ambassador.
BUILDING rs TOO SMALL
Question Of Purchase StilI
Open and Real Bargains
Yet Possible.
BUILDING IS TOO SMALL

Special Cable 70 THE New Yoax HIRAM.
COPYRIGHT, 1888. ty THE NEW Yoxx HssaIp.
New York Herald Bureau
Berlin. Feb. I.
II Alanson B. Houghton of Corning.
N. T., comes to Germany as American
Ambassador. he had better bring here
with him HIS own stenographer or ono
OF those little travelling writing ma
chimes to write his own letters II he
expects to keep up a normal CORE
spondence.
Tho entire embassy staff. consisting
OF chief and three secretaries, not to
mention clerks who might have ofi-
cial letters or memoranda to dictate,
must put up with the services of q
single stenographer. However, the
State Department Is not quite SO
stingy as this would indicate. for It
does authorize the employment of two
stenographers IN the American EN-
bassy here. but one Of them was seri-
ously burned in a Christmas costume
party and will not be able to work for
some time.
The net result Is that the time Of
several first class men Is being wasted
because the State Department is saving
money by not employing enough stenog-
raphers. Even with the arrival here OF
an Ambassador and two new secretaries,
as reported from Washington, Stuart
Johnson and Walter Wilson are the only
two stenographers who will be available
to handle the entire correspondence Of
the American E,ypha In rsa~lfo
Also the question OF the purchase Of
an embassy building here by the United
States Is still open. Bargains were Of
Tered one or two years ago, but they
were let pass by Congress and mean
while the price Of property has risen
somewhat. Even so. the famous Blue.
cher palace in the Pariserplatz. adjoin-
Ing the Brandenburg Gate entrance to
Inter den Linden. might have become
the American Embassy had quick action
been possible. Just before It was sold
TO foreign bank II was offered for sale
to the American Government and at q
reasonable price, but q decision had to be
reached Immediately and Congress has
few passions and impulses to become an
investor In European real estate. How
ever. the Bluecher Palace would have
housed both the American Embassy and
Consulate, providing plenty Of offices for
all the attaches. The present embassy
Is too small to accommodate more than
the diplomatic stan exclusively.
The consulate Is near by, In vos-
strasse. the trade commission still fur
Their away and the naval and military
attaches In another section OF the city.
This policy OF renting houses Is not
economical, for German landlords must
pay tax on the revenue they receive.
and this, Of course. is borne by the
American Treasury. II the United
States owned It's own building In Ber-
lin no taxes would have to be paid by
1t. and the saving. amortized. would
ultimately pay for the building.
German real estate is still ridiculous
ly cheap. thanks to legal restrictions
Oh rents. In course Of time. however.
these restrictions. like those on food
and coal prices. are certain to be abol-
ished. with the result that purchases
OF real estate hero later on are bound
to be at higher prices than are now
paid II Congress only knew II. IL
might stili ind a real bargain. especially
In View Of the low price OF the mark.