Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-13

Charles G. Dawes to be Ambassa-
mn dor ut the Court of st. James
" he started something" To APP
point Dawes-the former supply
chief Of the American armies in Europe of Hell
and Maria" fame; the man who had to fight the
diplomats, who countered their diplomatic
.'butS" with undiplomatic but effective profanity
i'm order to get things done; the man whose
very name must have been anathema to the
chancelleries of Europe-this dynamic man of
action to the highest diplomatic post, was like
the proverbial bull in the china shop.
When Gen. Dawes arrived in London, people
who knew him expected things to happen. They
were not disappointed Even his arrival at
Southampton was picturesque. Forty-odd
porters were there to meet him and very
ceremoniouS lord mayor made speech of well
come. Dawes replied in about so words, then
said: Now let me see the newspaper boys, for
have nothing to tell them"
OF course, he had plenty to tell them for no
ambassador ever had more important state
secrets in his portfolio But Dawes the nom
diplomat, famous for his outSpokenness and his
''indiscretions," had already learned the art of
silence, which is the sine qua non of diplomats.
But with difference The older diplomats
use words to hide their thoughts: Dawes doesn't
mind telling you he has thoughts to hide.
A CTIONS, however, speak louder than words,
and Dawes, even as an ambassador, is q
man of action. His famous hustle to present
his credentials to the King on the morning after
his arrival and his historic dash to Scotland to
meet Prime Minister Macdonald, within "a
hours of setting foot on English soil, took peo-
pies breath away. The staid old diplomats
shook their heads at this sort of thing, which
was against every conception Of dignity and
decorum. against the very traditions of diplo-
macy itself.
But there was worse to come First came the
incident of the knee breecnes People might
have foreseen this, for when Gen. Dawes sailed
from New York a reporter was said to have
asked the Ambassador whether he had pair of
knee breaches in his trunk. The new Ambassa-
dor was quoted to have replied
you go plumb to h. That's my own
business
Whether Dawes remembered that diplomats
I'm London are required to wear knee breeches
or not, he probably made up his mind then
and there to be the first to break this rule.
When the time came for his attendance at
the first of the seasons courts the news trickled
out that the Ambassador would 60 to Bucking-
ham Palace in ordinary evening dress. Diplo-
mats stood aghast Society scratched its head.
This was too much
But did the King and Queen and the members
of the court regard this as an affront? Not a
bit of It, The lord chamberlain had been
asked to consent and, since the reasons given
were satisfactory to his lordship the consent
was given. Let society think what it likes, let
it reflect on the shape of his excellency,s legs:
Dawes had scored his point and the news went
forth throughout the world. Back in Marietta,
Ohio; in Lincoln Neb, and in Evanston, Ill, the
folks read that their Charlie Dawes refused to
done those silly knee breeches. The right kind
of publicity never hurts public man, and this
was publicity OF the right kind
Next came the matter Of drink. Nobody in
London knew where the general stood on pro-
hibition; nobody cared; for prohibition had
never made any difference in an American en-
bassy. Embassies are privileged soil; embassies
are above mere local legislation And diplomacy
depends quite largely on the cup that cheers.
So when the news went forth that the Amer
lean embassy had gone dry. society thought
there must be some mistake. But there wasn't.
There has been q rnnor going the rounds"
ran statement Issued by the Ambassador. that