The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-07-10

Usually he is approaching middle age
before he becomes a full-hedged min
lister. After yet further experience, he
finally achieves the rank of ambassa-
dor, moving by successive promotions
to the more important capitals. BY
the time he becomes ambassador at
a capital like Paris, Berlin, or Wash
ington, he is a diplomat who knows
every trick of the profession and is
so deeply versed in the foreign policy
of his country that 1t is second nature J
for him to avoid pitfalls into which !
an inexperienced diplomat would fall. |
The same scientific method of train |
ing diplomats is pursued in France, |
Germany and other nations. The re-
suit is that when a great peace con-
ference comes there are men ready to
handle the large affairs to be nego- |
tiated.
This system is being introduced
gradually in the United States. Presi-
dent Harding has announced that he
favors the retention of capable diplo-
mats in the service and he has promot-
ed men who were serving under the
last Democratic administration.
Only in one notable case did Prest-
dent Wilson adopt this system of re-
tanning trained diplomat. DR.. Maui
rice Francis Egan was appointed as
Minister to Denmark several years ago
by a Republican president. When a
| new president is inaugurated, it is Gus
| tomary for all ministers. and ambassa-
| doris to send in their formal resig-
nations.
DR.. Egan was recognized as an able
| diplomat and he was we'll satisfied
| with his work at the court of Copen'
| hagen. He was not pleased at the
| prospect of being displaced. So, when
he sent his formal note of resignation
| to President Wilson, he appended to It
a personal note relating an aneedote.
He said that after the Civil war there
was maiden lady who lived in Rich
mond in greatly impoverished circum-
| stances. She was filled with the old
| pride of the First Families of Vir-
/ ginia," but the war had swept away
her estate. Reduced to perjury she
; was compelled to make doughnuts and
| peddle them about the Richmond
streets through which few years be-
fore she had ridden in her coach. Con-
f1icting emotions filed her breast. Her
poverty made her eager to make sales;
her pride made her shrink from being
a street peddler.
So she went about crying in a rather
weak voice: "Doughnuts. Doughnuts,"
and after every cry, in still weaker
voice, Il hope no one sees me-"
Anecdote Wins Retention
DR.. Egan told President Wilson that
he was in the same case. Custom fore
ed him to send in his resignation, but
he sincerely hoped that somehow it
would be overlooked. Whether it was
because the president was so pleased
with the candor of the minister and
the charm of his anecdote or whether
he thought the aptitude of the story
, proved Dr.. Egan too good a diplomat
, to lose, he did not displace him.
/, Under the Harding administration
there have been signs of the building
, up of more permanent diplomatic es.
/, tablishment. Brand Whitlock, whose
appointment by President Wilson was
partisan at the time, was retained by
: President Harding as ambassador tC
, Belgium. Hugh S. Gibson who was in
! the diplomatic service in the previous
, Democratic administration, has beer
sent as minister to Poland
H. Percival Dodge, a state depart
ment official who has been in the serv
ice for years, was promoted and sent
:. as minister to the Kingdom Of the
Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. There
have been several other cases of &
! similar nature.
II International law is science as in
| tricate and exacting as diplomacy it
| self. Most of this work is done il
| Washington at the state department
! Major Fred K. Nielsen, who was ap
pointed solicitor, the chief legal off
Il Ger of the department, by Presiden
S Wilson, has been retained in that posi-
s ton by President Harding.
Whatever the policy may be or ha,
been, there is one official of the stat,
:. department who has given it a stabl,
! and institutional tone, wholly asid,
p from party changes and strife. Tha
:, is Alvey A. Adee, second assistant sec
= rotary of state. Mr. Adee entered thu
!, diplomatic srvice in 1870-more thai
" a century ago. Although 80 years o
> age he is at his desk in the state de
:, partment. 1t would be as inoonceiy
able for new president or secretar,
= of state to ask for Mr.. Adee's resigna
:, ton on account of politics or accep
:. it if it were rendered, as it would TO
a Republican president to refuse t
: live in the White House because hi
y Democratic predecessor had done so.