Evening star., 1936-04-19
About Well-KnOwn Folk
- In Books, Art, Politics
Rep Crowther's Hobby Is the Violin Cab
met of American Illustrations
falls of American Diplomacy.

ception of his characters. Many OF
her wood engravings are lovely
much of that work was done Tor
Scribners Magazine; illustrator for
Harpers and Century, she also taught
portrait and life classes in the Phila-
delphia School of Design for Women.
Mrs. Stephens died in 1882, and 1t
is hoped by those who knew her SO
well that a biography of her life Will
be written for her friends and ac-
uuaintances, many of them well
known in the world of art and letters.
The Pitfalls of American Diplomacy.
What is one mans loss is another
mans gain, and this old adage may
be applied to countries as well. In
this instance the $4,339,000 worth
of machinery and other things which
this country sold to Iran in 1885 may
now 60 to Great Britain, since Chat
far Khan Djalal, the Iranian Minis
ter, has packed up his goods, folded
his tent and departed. All Iranian
consular Offices and all business offices
connected with the Government OF
the United States have been ordered
closed by the King of Kings, Reza
Shah Pahlavi, who rose from humble
beginnings to reign over one OF the
most ancient kingdoms of the world.
1t is hoped that the departure OF his
excellency the Minister does not
mean that America is to get no more
of those delicious pistache nuts which
were largely imported in this country
from Iran, and which formed a COM
ponent part of the luscious sweets and
savory entrees served at the legation.
Foreign Possessions in the District.
Foreign embassies and legations now
own 10000 square feet Of land in
aShington-eXempt from taxation
with an assessed value Of approx
mately s5,850,0 ,000-this does not in
clude the property recently purchased
by the French government from the
John Hayes Hammond estate in kalo-
rama road and now occupied as an
embassy by the French Ambassador.
The German government was the
largest foreign landholder in the Dis
trict before the new British Embassy
was built out on Massachusetts, avenue.
1t formerly owned $3.50 square feet.
including the tract Of land on S
street bordering on Decatur-thls
piece may have been sold.
The Diplomatic List, that small
paper-bound blue book issued monthly
by the Department Of State. shows
that there are II foreign ambassadors
and 80 ministers accredited to Uncle
Sans Government. There are also
several smaller countries represented
by charge d'affaires.
Grotius says profane history is full
of wars undertaken on account of
ambassadors being i'll used; Scripture
mentions the war undertaken by David
against the Ammonites on that ac-
count and Cicero says there is no
juster cause of war. The United
States, however, has rather clean
conscience in such affairs, nevertheless
there have been something like 10
ambassadors and ministers who have
gone down in the whirlpool of Amer
ican diplomacy. besides several who
committed official hari-kari and few
who have been gently warned that the
climate here was too severe for them.
Americas First Diplomatic Casually.
The first foreign representative to
fall under the hatchet Of Uncle Sam
was Citizen Genet, Minister Of the
first French Republic, who landed in
Charleston, S. c., in 1893, filled with
enthusiasm for the liberty-loving
American people and burning desire
to fit out privateers to raid British
commerce. 1t seems he secured the
consent of bluff old Gen. Moultrie,
then Governor of South Carolina, and
the enthusiastic Frenchman began to
issue the commissions he had brought
over, and privateers began to make
search on the high seas for English