Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-29
CHANGE In DIPLOMATS
SUMNER PLANS is SEEN
Foreigners Expected to Cease Habit of
Going to Northern Beaches, Re-
naming in Washington Instead.

beaches To washington. Chief among
these Is the fact that the United States
is now the most important power in the
world. with foreign problems just AS
vital in Summer as in Winter and with
Secretary Kellogg remaining at his desk
throuchout the year In 1914 Euro
pean diplomats frankly did not care to
desert their Summer embassies. because
from their point of view the State De-
partment was not worth consulting
To them the United States played no
important part in international affairs
and the views of this Government were
not considered worth few hours trip
from Newport. No European govern
ment at that time bothered about con-
sulting the United States regarding af-
fairs in any part OF the world save
Latin America.
But today hardly one important in
ternational question arises, whether 1t
be loan to the State of Prussia. the
appointment of financial adviser to
Poland. the leasing of Baku oil wells,
the building OF dam on the Blue Nile,
or the landing OF troops in Shantung,
which does not affect the United States
and which does not have to be dis
cussed with the State Department.
Other Factors.
Minor factors in influencing the
Summer shift to Washington are OBJ
Jections raised by European parliaments
against the extravaganza of a Summer
embassy and the criticism aroused last
Summer both In the United States and
abroad when the British embassy
deserted Washington during the Geneva
Naval Conference. The fact that only
q British third secretary remained in
Washington during Secretary Kellogg s
attempt to reduce naval ornaments was
published throughout the British En-
pire and is one of the factors influence
ing Sir ESme's decision to remain in
Washington after the new embassy is
built.
The final factor in making Wash
ington important diploma tically in the
Summer is the fact that the gods
supervising international affairs seem
to have selected the months of June
July and August for the conclusion of
some of the most important interna-
tional events in recent history.
Besides the Geneva naval conference
and the negotiations TO renounce war,
the most recent Illustrations of Sum-
mertims diplomacy 1t will be recalled
that the treaty of Versailles was finally
signed on June %. 1919. The Brussels
and Spa conferences. extremely impor-
tant in the distribution of reparations
payments. were held in July. 1920, while
the Saar agreement providing for the
delivery of Saar coal by France to Ger
many was signed in August. 1921.
Other Summer Episodes.
The treaty of peace between the
United States and Germany and also
with Hungary and Austria were signed
during the month of August. 1921. In
August. 1922, began the friction be-
tween France and Germany over repa-
rations. which led to the occupation
of the RuhT In the Summer of 1921
the United States issued its invitations
to the Washington naval conference,
while in the Summer of 1924 the
Dawes commission concluded its report,
which was formally signed on August
80. All of these international nego-
tiations materially affected the United
States and. especially when held in
Europe. required constant consultation
between the State Department and the
representatives of foreign governments.