The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-07-24
LET'S HAVE AMERICAN
AMBASSADORS

Ef PRESIDENT roosevelt Is TO execute his realiS-
l. tically conceived and forcefully expressed
foreign policy, he will need the aid Of alert,
devoted. and astute ambassadors in the main
capitals of the world We must have in these
posts men who realize that they represent
the interests of the United States and not
those of the foreign country in which they
temporarily are residing.
The fact that we are today so deeply and
seriously involved in international bitterness
and confusion may be traced mainly to the
fact that two of our most famous ambassadors
of the last twenty years seemed to be more
concerned with advancing the interests of
England and France than in promoting those
of the United States.
This reference is to Walter Hines Page and
Myron T. Herrick. Page played a leading role
in heaving us into the mire and Herrick an
equally powerful part in keeping us there.
When Page reached London in 1913, he in
formed the British that the United States
is yet English-led and English-ruled" This
gave Britain encouragement to refrain from
restraining their allies when they plunged
Europe into blood in 1914. Once the war was
on, Page became more sympathetic with Bri-
tain than with the effort of his chief at WASH
lngton TO preserve some fragments of Amer
lean neutral rights from British depredations.
Instead of supporting President Wilson'S
policy, he aided Sir Edward Grey in compos-
ing his obstinate replies to our protests. Grey
gives characteristic revelation on this point
i'll the following passage:
Page came to see me at the foreign Office
one day and produced long dispatch from
Washington, contesting our claim to act as we
were doing in stopping contraband going to
neutral ports. I am instructed he said. to
read this dispatch to you He read and I
listened. He then said: now have read the
dispatch but I do not agree with it; let us
consider how it should be answered."
This revelation stirred the New York Times.
certainly not an Anglophobe paper. 1t COM
mented editorially as follows:
For a parallel to this action. the records
OF diplomacy probably would be searched in
vain. An ambassador is right in doing all he
can to maintain friendly relations between his
government and the one to which he is ac-
credited :. but an ambassadors first duty is
after all. to the government which he repre-
sents.
To act as Ambassador Page did was to fol-
low course for which it would be difficult to
find precedent and which could not be made
common in diplomatic practice without demon
alizing and disastrous consequences. Little
wonder that, in evaporation, Wilson pro-
nounced Page more English than the Eng
lish themselves"
Page thus sabotaged our efforts to protect
our neutral rights, convinced Britain that we
would enter on the side Of the entente and
prevented any negotiated peace without VIC
tory" In the end We entered the orgy of
bloodshed and for this step no single indi-
vidual had heavier responsibility than Walter
Hines Page.
Our entry into the war made possible the
Knockout blow" and the imbecilic and oppres-
sve treaties which followed
II Page helped greatly to put us into the
war and to make possible the international
anarchy Of 1918-1933 Myron t. Herrick, am
bassador to France during the Harding and
Coolidge administrations labored nightly
to keep us from taking statesmanlike and
independent attitude in rescuing the United
States and Europe from the founderings bick-
erings. selfishness and brutality of postwar
Europe under French dominion.
Herrick was captivated by the briIliance
and grace of French society and quickly be-
came vigorously Francophile. In this respect he
thoroughly matched the Anglomania of Page.
For nearly decade he was able to dissuade
our government from taking any realistic or
positive steps to curb French policies which
were running the western world and operating
directly to the detrment of ourselves.
Not even in the Ruhr invasion was our
state department wholly able to discount and
override Herricks apologies for La Belle
France. His activities are less well known than
those of Page, but they were not less de-
termined or decisive.
Mr.. Roosevelt just has raised this country
to a position of independence. dignity, and
craftsmanship in international affairs which
we have not occupied since the winter Of 1916
II. He we'll may give his ambassadors the
advice which Woodrow Wilson gave to Balm
bridge Colby: Now be an American Our men
last only about six months in England and
then they become Angiicized.'
1t is not only our ambassadors to the court
OF st. James who will profit by this salutary