Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-04
BY DREW PEARSON.

It is becoming automatic In State
Department circles that hot weather
always brings bad breaks for the diplo-
mat. Apparently the gods who regu-
late both the elements and international
relations always break the biggest in
ternational happenings when the diplo-
mat would like to be at his New Eng
land Summer resort.
This has happened Summer after
Summer since the war, but this Summer
1t has been worse than ever. Impor-
tant negotiations have kept the Wash
ington diplomatic corps either in, the
Capital or near it or have brought
them scurrying back at top speed. The
Senate finance committees delibera-
tionS over the tariff, naval negotiations,
the Russo-Chinese crisis and the final
ratification of the Kellogg anti-war
treaty have made imperative demands
upon diplomatic attention.
The German and japanese embassies
have had an especially hard time,
Ambassador Debuchi of Japan decided
to spend his Summer at Buena Vista,
Pa, within 100 miles of Washington so
that he could come down to the State
Department in a hurry If necessary.
Probably he didn't realize how often 1t
would be necessary for him to come,
however. No sooner had he comfort
ably enSconced himself in his Summer
horne than Russia and China got into
their row in Manchuria.
MIR. Debuchi came hurrying back
to Washington. After a conference
with Secretary of State Stimson, he
returned to his Summer home the same
afternoon, but Immediately newspapers
in Japan, for some reason not yet de-
termined, began reporting that AM
bassador Debuchi had not consulted
with the State Department. Following
this, he had to return to Washington
again. And shortly afterward he had
to come back to deposit Japan's ratifi-
cation to the Kellogg treaty. Then
again he was called in by Secretary
Stimson to receive an aide memoire
regarding the return Of the Chinese
Eastern Railway to Russia. And now
he has to keep in touch with the naval
negotiations.
Ambassador Won Prittzwitz of Ger
many decided in mid-July that all was
quiet along the Potomac and that he
going again in September. Therefore
he went to Europe and the charge
d'affaires of his embassy moved to
Manchester, Mass. About one week
after this happened the international
affairs above mentioned began to pop.
Due to the absence of the charge
d'affaires, Secretary Stimson did not
call upon Germany to cooperate in
his Russo Chinese negotiations and 1t
was not until Herr Leitner came down
from Manchester that the German gov
eminent got into the thick of things.
Meanwhile most of the diplomats
have remained in Washington with
their stats. The French, Italian, Brit
ish, Cuban and Turkish have all been
especially busy, and their Ambassadors
have remained in Washington practi-
cally all Summer The British en-
bassy has moved to a Maryland country
estate on the outskirts of Washington
and Sir Esme Howard has said that
when the new embassy is finished on
the cool hilltop of Massachusetts ave-
nue. the staff will remain in the city
all next Summer.
All this is in striking contrast with
the wide berth which the diplomatic
corps gave the Nations Capital Is
wears ago this very week. With Europe
entering the most deadly death strug-
gle in history not one envoy took the
trouble to come to Washington to con-
fer with the State Department.