Evening star., 1929-06-30
ENGLAND PRAISES
DAWES REFORMS
Wearing of Long Trousers at
Formal Function and Dry
Stand Are Lauded.
BY JOSEPH B. PHILLIPS.
3y Radio to The star

BY JOSEPH b. PHILLIPS.
BY Radio to The star
LONDON. June 2e.-That vigorous
personality" which the British press 30
unanimously attributed to Ambassador
Dawes when IL was first announced
that he was coming to London as Am
hassador already has given evidence Of
It's vigor. Scarcely fortnight passed
after the arrival of the new diplomat
before two striking reforms" enaanated
from Grosvenor square.
The embassy went dry" And the
Ambassador appeared at Buckingham
Palace for the court held by the Queen
attired in full-length trousers, which
constitute the full dress of his own
country, instead Of the knee breeches
prescribed for court dress In the coIin
try to which he Is accredited. -
The matter of how an American
should dress when appearing before an
Old World court has since the. very
earliest DAYS OF the United States been
an unsettled international question.
Colonial history is full of it, No sub
ject aroused the righteous wrath of
early Colonial editors more than the
way high society Of Philadelphia and
New York "aped the fatuities Of Britain
in dress and social intercourse.
Franklin Started Move.
Perhaps it was Franklin who first
started the tradition of democratic
simplicity of dress as a contrast -
the ostentation of Old World courts
And perhaps it was not done as altru-
istically as ths Schoolbook history has
made it appear. Even this age of spe-
cialized public relations experts" has
produced few more astute in the art Of
space grabbing"-to use modern
term-than Franklin. When Franklin
appeared in plain brown velvet before
the King Of France he was flatter-
i1gly compared to a sturdy Democrat
from the age of Cato" When he tried
tho same costume before the English
Privy Council the adjectives we're less
fattering. An uncouth person." was
the popular term.
, The tradition he started, II not
steadily maintained, has cropped up
with great frequency in the subsequent
history OF American diplomats in the
English court. But the English viewpoint
upon the matter has entirely changed.
IF Americans wish to maintain the ira
dition of the sturdy Democrat from the
age Of Cato" the English now refuse to
lose their calm. Even In the famous
case Of the late Ambassador Harvey's
appearance at royal wedding in knee
breeches it was principally the American
press which inflated the incident. And
Ambassador Dawes reward for appear
ance IN fun trousers has nothing but
praise.
Papers Praise Dawes.
Gen. Dawes is probably right, said
the newspapers the day after the court.
"At Rome one does as Rome does. with
in limits. We see no reason why an
American diplomat should change the
costume which he would wait upon his
own President for the fancy dress Of
the country to which he Is accredited"
That incidentally. was the theory upon
which Dawes refused to wear knee
breeches. The official explanation OF
the embassy was that full trousers were
part Of the costume Of state affairs IN
WASHINGTON. and consequently should
be the costume Of Wasllingtan's repre-
sentative abroad. Had the Ambassador
been q general IN active duty he would
have worn the uniform .o1 his own
country instead Of adopting that OF
foreign hand. z
From eae point Of view there Is also
an analogy between the days OF Franklin
and Dawes announcement that no
during his tenancy. That announce
ment-the flrst concerning personal
matters after his arrival--was OF neces-
sity dealt with cautiously by the Brit.
ish press Their own Sir Esrne Howard
in washington had too recently ine
stalled prohibition in his own domain.
London found no answer to that except
that 1t was his excslleney's privilege,
ana when Dawes followed suit, the
same comment was indicated. Ccnse-
quently prohibition at the American
embassy was a much livelier topic with
American embassies In other countries,
where wine is more important part
of the entertainment than it was In
London.
- Franklin Opposed Beer.
As the knee breeehes controversy may
be said to date back to the time Of
Franklin, 50 does the question Of water
drinking. Every historian knows how
in younger days Franklin used to incur
unpopularity among British fellow
workmen by preaching against their
daily beer. Franklin with his water
drinking and extreme simplicity was
reviled. Today the Englishnan abhorS
with equal intensity fadical taste In
dress. Yet Ambassador Dawes today
is praised as "a vigorous personality"
for the peculiarities for which Franklin
(copyrisht, 1920