Evening star., 1924-02-15
BY THE MARaUIsE DE FoNTENOY.

BY THE MARQC1SE DE FONTENOf.
That Germanys ambassador at
Washington, DR.. Otto Wiedfeldt, has
long been anxious to resign and to
return to his infinitely more remuner-
ative and congenial occupation as
managing director of the giant Krupp
concern at Esser Is no secret. In
deed. his acceptance of the mission to
the United States in March, 1922. was
wholly in response to an appeal by
the government to his patriotism, and
sacrifice of his inclinations. The
authorities at Berlin were of the
opinion that so important an indus
trialist and business man as Wied-
feldt would inspire more confidence
and good will in America. especially
in the business world, than a diplo-
mat. Now that DR.. Wiedfeldt. whose
knowledge of diplomatic etiquette is
of the most limited description, has
managed, possibly through ignorance,
perhaps through too blind obedience
to stupid Instructions received from
Berlin, to ALLEVIATE any reviving Amer
lean sympathies here for his native
land and for it's misfortunes by his
hesitation in complying Swtth Pres
ident Coolidge's commands for official
mourning for the death of Woodrow
Wilson. there is no question but that
his usefulness as promoter Of the
restoration Of friendship between his
own nation and the United States has
been seriously impaired.
1t is reported by cable from Berlin.
on excellent authority. that he will be
succeeded at Washington by DR.. Will
helm Solf, who is an entirely different
kind of individual, not merely diplo-
mat of considerable experience, but a
former cabinet minister. deputy chan
cellor of the empire before the over.
throw Of the monarchy, and states
man In the best sense Of the word. He
has been on terms OF warm friendship
before the great war with many Eng
lish statesmen, upon whom he made a
upon Lord Grey of Falloden, former
secretary of state for foreign affairs;
upon the late Lord Harcourt when he
was secretary Of state for the colonies,
has a seat in the house Of lords has
dropped his Christian name of Robert"
which he bore while in the house Of
commons. In fact. Solf is on terms of
most Of the leading statesmen Of the
old world, and his countrymen recall
with gratitude that it was largely ow-
ing to his labors, and above all to the
impression which he made at the con-
gress of Versailles in 1919, that Ger
many obtained the right to enter and
to trade on equal terms with England,
the United States, France and Italy, in
all their and her own former colonies
on the dark continent.
\ x
Solf comes from one Of those old
families Of the Berlin bourgeoisie who
pride themselves on their bourgeois an
cestry. and who have always preferred
to be at the head of the burgesses of
their native city to belonging to the
tail end Of the aristocracy: families who
have in consequence thereof rejected all
the patents Of nobility that were Of
fered to them prior to the overthrow of
the Hohenzolier11 monarchy. A strapping
big fellow, considerably over six feet
in height, broad in proportion, with
fair complexion, clean shaven, and
slightly bald. he Is still on the sunny
side Of sixty and has q considerable
private fortune Of his own inherited
from his father, who was long leading
member Of the city council at Berlin.
Having no need to work for a
living, William Solf took up in his
youth the study of Sanskrit, sub
ject on which he remains to this day
one of the leading authorities in Eu-
rope. His studies in connection there
with took him to India, and 1t was
while there engaged in Sanskrit re-
searches that he became SO intimately
acquainted with Indian life in all it's
phases, and especially with the more
intellectual classes of natives, that
when on one occasion the German
consul general at Bombay very sud
denly died he was requested by the
Berlin government to take over the
post, first of all temporarily, and then
permanently. That is how he came
to Join the service Of his government
His official duties took him sub
, seQuently as governor to Germany's
west African possessions. now en-
braced in the British South African
Union. While there he made a study
of the mineral wealth OF the country,
which he was quick to appreciate, and.
realizing the extent to which its yield
Of diamonds could be exploited, he
made it his business to study the en-,
tire South African diamond trade and
industry, about which he knows more
today than many a South African
dealer in precious stones. Then he
spent nearly ten years as governor
|of Samoa, where he devoted himself to
obtaining an intimate acquaintance
u 4. f. s