Evening star., 1926-02-18
'SOwn Your Home'' Is Advice.
To. Uncle Sam as Diplomat

"Own.your-own-hom advice, which
so long has been dinned into the ears
Of the thrifty citizens of the United
States. is now being directed at Uncle
Sam himself. in a bill sponsored by
Representative Stephen G. Porter of
Pennsylvania. chairman of the for.
eign affairs committee, carrying
IS ,00o, 900 to be used toward housing
of the United States embassies abroad.
Newspaper comment is favorable to
the passage of the measure.
Secretary Kellogg has given his
Endorsement to a bill introduced by
Chairman Porter of the House foreign
affairs committee, which would author
| ize the State Department to acquire
sites in a number of cities for en-
hassy and other diplomatic buildings"
notes the Muncie Star. AS the diplo-
matte and consular service has been
| reorganized and placed on a merit
system, the purchase of embassy and
| legation property abroad is a neces-
sary step in making available the abll-
| ity of those who progress UP the diplo-
| matte ladder" The Huntington Adver-
tiser remarks that the parsimony of
our Government in providing quarters
| has long been a source OF much
criticism and a handicap TO our di'
| plomacy," and commends the thought
| of Secretary Kellogg that he would
apply to the Government the same
principle recommended to thrifty In
, dividuals-it Is cheaper TO own your
| home than to pay rent
| The Seattle Times feels that 1.-The
Frichest and most powerful Nation in
| the world should make II possible to
command ability without looking at
the diplomats bank account to see II
he could afford to take a position"
In the opinion of the Watertown
the United States should maintain its
diplomatic quarters abroad. 1t places
| the United States on a dignified plane
with other nations. External impress
sions always count for more or less
Another reason why the United States
| should provide diplomatic residences
| and offices is that such a practice
| would not make it necessary to select
only those with private fortunes for
| important diplomatic posts. 1t Is as
absurd to ask q representative abroad
| to furnish his own house and office as
| 1t would be to require the President to
pay rent at the White House"
Discussing present conditions, the
New London Evening Day declares
| THE man who would be ambassador
must at least be millionaire. for he
| must skimp on his salary to hire a
| suitable home, and he must sometimes
| skimp otherwise to insure proper
quarters for his Official staff. He must
pay his share of q rent that morally
Is an obligation Of his Government. u
This state OF affairs. the Day observes
is not good for the porale Of the d!plo.
| matte service because $50 long as a
minister feels that he cannot afford to
be promoted to an ambaAsadorship we
lose something OF value in his serv.
ice." In similar vein Is the comment
Of the Terre Haute Star: THE United
States maintains 81 diplomatic mis-
sions abroad and only II Of them are
housed in Government-owned build
| ings. Two additional buildings are in
course Of construction. The American
diplomatic representatives in capitals
such as Berlin, Rome, Buenos Aires.
| Brussels. Stockholm. The Hague. vi
emma. Budapest and others occupy
rented buildings for office and resi-
dence No allowance is made for the