The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-10-31
COOLIDGE FACES
DIFFICULT TASK
SUCCESSOR TO COLONEL HARVEY
AS AMBASSADOR TO GREAT
BRITAIN TO BE NAMED.
MUST BE RICH AND BRAlNY
No Poor Man Can Afford to Accept
High Diplomatic Post Abroad for the
United States-Good List of Posi-.
biiitfes.
BY EDWARD 8. CLARK

BY EDWARD 8. CLARK
Washington.-It o o will be the
task of President Coolidge TO name a
new ambassador to Great Britain, for
1t is announced that Col. George Har-
yey. the present ambassador. will re-
turn to this country next month on a
leave of absence and that his resigna-
tion from office is TO become effective
about a month thereafter.
The word task in connection with
the Presidents duty in naming a new
ambassador to the Court of st. James
Is used adyisedly. 1t Is not. of course.
so much of a task to perform the act
Of appointment, but it is as much of
q task to find n man who has money
enough of his to support the post
and yet has brain enough to fill It's
obligations. None but the rich need
apply" IS still written above the doors
leading to the embassies of the United
States in foreign countries.
Ever since the days Of Benjamin
Franklin the problem of proper ambas-
sadoriai appointments, or. as 1t was in
the old days, ministerial appointments,
has confronted presidents of the Unit
ed States. A mar with brains but with
no money. except that which is paid
10 him In salary form, cannot accept
a high post abroad in the service Of
Uucle Sam. OF course II ought not to
be so. The American who goes abroad
in a diplomatic capacity is compelled
to do those things which will make him
grateful officially, personally and So
cially to the people among whom he Is
10 labor. He is compelled to entertain,
not on his own account so much, but
because 1t is expected that the repre-
sentative Of a great government will
do things as foreigners think they
ought to be done. "In Rome do a. the
Romans do just about expresses the
situation.
Living in London Is Costly.
It Is understood that Colonel Harvey
Is TO return from London because OF
the necessity of giving more attention
TO his private business affairs, and ow-
ing to a realization of the high cost of
ambassadorial living in London"
In the letters of the late Walter
Hines Page. who was the ambassador
to Great Britain during the war there
Is found something more than a hint
that the cost of living in London in the
way that an ambassador had to live
was a heavy drain on the resources of
ever so rich a man as Mr.. Page. He
called attention to the matter, not so
much on his own account, but with the
hope that something might be done to
make easier the financial lot OF subse-
quent ambassadors and to make II pos
SbIe to pick men qualified for the post.
bat yet who are not heavily endowed
with this worlds goods. 1t has been
said that at times II costs an American
ambassador 100000 q year to live in
LOad0a.
In the list Of names presented to the
circles of gossip in Washington there
are those of men any one Of whom may
be chosen to succeed Colonel Harvey.
The list is as follows John Hays Ham,
mand. chairman of the federal coal CON-
mission James NJ. Beck. solicitor gen
eral: Frank A. Munsey. Paul D. era
yath. Henry P. Fletcher. now ambas-
sador to Belgium Charles 3. Warren.
former ambassador TO Japan. and Elihu
Root.
Beck Would Please the British.
One or two Of the men whose names
are in this list probably could NOT think
Of accepting the appointment If ii were
offered them. It might be invidious to
say who they are. because perhaps
some men would not like to have their
worldly holdings put into print for
comparative purposes.
Most of those whose names have
been mentioned, however, are rich men
and could support the place In London.
and do 1t without feeling any great
drain on their pocket books. The Brit
ISL government knows all about John
Hays Hammond. He was interested in
South Africa for a long time and his
name was familiar TO the British gov
eminent IN connection with activities
in that country about the time of the
BOer war.
It Is probable that James II. Beck,
now the solicitor general Of the United
States. would be a man who, as Ameri-
can ambassador, would be peculiarly
grateful to the British. II was Mr..
Beck who. In the year 1915. wrote a
masterful book called The Evidence
in the Case" a book written as one
handing down from the supreme court
Of civilization a decision in the case of
The Allies versus the Central Pow
ers." Mr.. Beck, as a lawyer, fixed The
guilt of starting the war on the conn
tries which later became the countries
at war with the United States.
Fighting Quaker to Resign.
Brig. Gen. Smedley D. Butler, the
fighting Quaker" IS to resign from the
Murine corps TO enter business. He
hiss just led the Marine brigade, Of
which he was one of the chiefs in bat
tie. down Pennsylvania avenue in peace
full procession on his last parade In
uniform, unless the call comes again,
when naturally this sailor-soldier will
nswer 1t.
Possibly some persons may ask why
Smediey d. Butler, marine, should be