The Washington times., 1926-03-16
WNYOUR OWN
HOME, SLOGAN
FOR u. S. A.
Move to Purchase Embas-
sizes and Legations
Gains Impetus
BY JEAN ELIOT


"HE news that two palaces be-
longing to Swedish princes
IN the suburbs Of Stockholm
are expected TO be sold soon to
foreign governments for use as
LEGATIONS, comes at the psyche.
logical moment. For the United
States Il a prospective purchaser
for the residence OF Prince Carl.
brother OF King Gustav Of Sweden
and father of Princess AstFtd,
which Is now occupied by Robert
Woods Bliss. American minister.
And the Porter bill, providing
$4,000 900 for the acquisition OF
embassy and consular buildings
was passed yesterday by . vote OF
I9S to Is and sent TO the Senate.
The bIll. which would create q
commission composed of the Secre-
taries of State, Treasury and Com.
merce and four members of Con.
gress to negotiate for diplomatic
buildings, whenever 1t was consid.
cred advisable, had Administrator
Endorsement and was advocated as
an economy proposal.
The need for some such legtsla-
zion is' becoming more and more
generally recognized, although It
has been difficult to persuade some
of the gentlemen on the Hill that
public building is not spelled
n-o.s.t-o.f.f-f-c-e. For under present
Conditions. when an American am.
bassador has TO spend more than
his yearly salary for actual rent
Of q suitable embassy. II breeds an
official aristocracy Of rich men.
@Under the High Hats"
some of the difficulties in the
way Of our representatives abroad
are brought out IN q startling way
in Under the High Hats, an
article on our Ambassadors ~
Europe, by Frederick L. Collins, IN
the current Golfers,
He writes: When William Pniilips.
arrived in Brussels as our Ambas.
sador to Belgium he COULDN'T ing
q house In which to live. He ana
his wife took two rooms n 2
Brussels boarding house. When
tI,e Secretary. Of State came to
visit them they turned out of their
rooms and moved into q hall bed
room In the rears Now he has hired
q house with his own money that
is adequate In every way. he
spends on Il every cent that the
Government pays him. and more:
sThis condition prevails In every.
large European capital, but Phillips
is especially up against 1t. He can't
stay in the house unless he buys It.
And her country. smaller and.
poorer than ours. wants Il for q
permanent embassy! Phillips has
put the proposition up to Congress
IA business proposition that would
save US money in the long run. as
we have to pay anyhow for bust.
ness offices. VIII he get an answer
I hope 50. I wish him luck. But
the only ambassador who ever got
anything out of Congress for an.
embassy was Herrfck In Paris. He
bought the house with his own
asked the Government
But Phillips isn't rich
that way. He's just New England
rich. Enough to afford to work
for the United States Government,
but he can't be expected to
finance II"
Laughing Terms
Mr.. Collins has written a delight
ful essay comparing the personals.
ties Of the men who represent Us
In the most important capitals OF
Europe and commenting upon our
luck In getting such men to repre-.
sent US abroad Considering the slip.
shod fashion in which we select
our ambassadors. the stingy salaries
and expense monies we dole out to
them" He has a happy flair for.
summing up situation or per-
sonality in a brief phrase as when
he says Alexander p. Moore, some.
time our ambassador in Madrid, was
ION laughing terms with the whole
Spanish nation. I" But that, after
all. Is another story.
Opportunity and Necessity
Through the foresight Of Myron
T. Herrick. American Ambassador
to France, the United States now
owns a suitable embassy in Paris.
The mansion in Hyde Park Gate,
London, presented to the Govern
ment by J. Pierpont Morgan, which
has been undergoing extensive re.
pairs, must be nearing complexion
although Ambassador Houg1ton IS
still living at Crewe House. AMI
now we are faced with the neces.
sity for securing some sort Of an
Official residence in Brussels and