Evening star., 1925-05-07
HOUGHTON TRAINED
INBUS|NESS WORLD.
Ambassador Is Among Few
American Diplomats With
Such Background.
BY Consolidated Press.

Alanson Bigelow Houghton, whose
Pilgrim dinner speech in London mas
all Europe sitting up an taking nouce
today is one of the very few business
men in American diplomacy. Mr.
Houghton'S ambaSSador1al callore Irst
was discovered by President Hardlng.
1t was studied by President Coolidge
and was not found wanting. Mr..
Harding gave Mr.. Houghton the dif-
ficult task of being the first postwar
Ambassador to Germany. Mr.. Cool
idge has given him the prize post III
the service-the Court of st. James.
And he has begun his tour of duty
there with a few plain words Whlch
are little short of sensation.
American Ambassadors to Lonoon
always are introduced to the British
public-and often to their own public
at home-at a Pilgrims dinner, that
revered organization of Americans
resident in England. These dinners
always are marked by the good OLD
hands sea stun, ana al
ways the Ambassador has a message.
Col. George Harvey, when he was IN
troduced, told Europe that the United
States would never have anything to
do with the League of Nations. Frank
kellogg, now Secretary OF State, was
suavely diplomatic, but Ambassador
Houghton, in true business fashion,
has told Europe to be good II 1t wants
to be happy and continue to merit the
support of the United States-the rich
est Of all the nations.
Taken from Congress.
President Harding lifted Alanson
Houghton out of Congress to make
him Ambassador. In the House OF
Representatives the rich glass manu-
facturer of Corning, n. Y, was sim
ply hiding his light under a bushel-
under several bushels. in fact--for as
q light hider the House of Repre-
sentatives is without a peer in all
the world. Still, the light was strug-
Cling. 1t had attained membership
first on the committee on foreign at
fairS-a step toward foreign service
and then on the committee on ways
and means, presided over at the time
by the good Nick" Longworth, new
papa and new Speaker. These conI-
mittee assignments were rather nifty
for a new member, but the political
leaders in Congress knew Mr.. Hough-
ton. even If Washington in general
was inclined to be Indifferent to his
presence at the Capital, as Washing
ton must be Indifferent because there
are so many Congressman, by and
large.
Fits In Well.
At the court of ST. James Alanson
Houghton. the business man, follows
a long line of lawyers and editors
and publicists. He is the type TO
make great hit with the English
men, for they are frightfully inter
ested in trade at this moment. They
are particularly interested in seeing
what Germany is going to do shortly
in the marts of trade, and Mr.. Hough-
ton. business man and Ambassador, is
just fresh from Berlin. He knows
the German situation better than the
so-called trained diplomats, and there
is no question but that he will be
a power for good in London as a sort
of unofficial mediator between Berlin
and the British capital
Mr.. Houghton was happy in Berlin,
but he will be happier in London.
Some persons said he was pro-Ger-
man in Berlin. That was because
he showed an understanding of the
German people and their problems.
Probably they will say he is pro-Brit-
ish in London, because he likes Brit
ish ways and customs, and, above all,
he dotes on the English tailors. When
in Berlin he always went to London
for his clothes. Vow Bond street is
at his elbow.
Native of Bay State.
mr. Hougnton Is New Yorker by
way of Cambridge, Mass, where he
was born little more than 62 years
ago. No one would ever guess his
age so high. In appearance he is
much younger. He has kindly eyes
that peer through George Harvey
shell-rim glasses. The British never
can quite accustom themselves to these
glasses. Mr.. Houghton's features are
clear-cut. His firm chin Is tempered
by evidences of high good humor
about the mouth.
When % years of age Mr.. Hough-
ton began the manufacture of glass
in Corning In due time he became
president and then chairman of the
board of the extensive Corning Glass
Works and Is rated today as one of
the big business men of the country.
He is a graduate of Harvard, an ac-
complished speaker, a man of intel