Imperial Valley press., 1939-03-27
ENJOYS Without
Government
Bv CHARLES p. STEWART

BY CHARLES p. STEWART
About as forlorn an individual as
one can think of is diplomat far,
far from his native land, whose
home government has just blown
up. leaving him a foreign represen-
tative with nothing to represent.
Minister Vladimir Hurban, of what
was Czechoslovakia, is in this fix
in Washington now. Uncle Sam
has had a number of such derelicts
on his hands in recent years. A
diplomat whose government falls
out with ours, even to the extent
of going to war with us, isn't in
such bad shape. In a situation OF
that sort it's a point of honor for
any government to see that the
opposition governments emissary in
its midst is sent home in style. Back
in World War days, although we
deported German Ambassador
Count Won Bernstorff, we did it
with every formal mark of respect;
We treated him as a Sure-enough
mogul so long as he was on the job.
But a diplomat whose domestic
rulership pops overnight is left in
the position of a man who has had
the ground suddenly jerked from
under him, with no place to land as
he falls. He isn't recalled. He
simply is terminated. He goes to
bed an ambassador or a minister
extremely prominent in official
Washington and he wakes up
nothing; countryless where he came
form, an alien here, and alone. He
may be flat broke, too.
Russia's Queer Case
When czariSm in Russia was over
thrown, it was replaced by the COM
paratively moderate Kerensky re-
gime, which we recognized. 1t sent
to us Boris Bakhmeteff, as am
bassador He set up housekeeping
in a very nobby embassy, inherited
from the czar, originally bought and
paid for-there wasn't any dispute
about that.
But presently Kerensky-ism ex-
ploded.
We didn't recognize the SovietS.
It no longer was Bekhmeteff's prop
erty He had to move out. The last
l knew about it he was practicing
law in New York.
But the embassy real estate?
For years it did nothing but stand
there, on Sixteenth Street, with
nobody but caretaker in charge.
OF the ambaSsadorial staff nobody
was left but Serge Ughet, who had
been financial attache. Yet he no
longer spoke with an authority. He
lived in Manhattan. The embassy
was an orphan. The caretaker him
self wouldn't come to the door.
Russia did, indeed, maintain a COM
mercial office in Washington under
Boris Skvirsky, but it was indepen-
dent of the former embassy; the
quarters weren't his.
I tried again and again to dis
cover to whom that embassy be-
longed; it's worth about S1,00000O.
All could learn from the State De-
partment was that it was like an
estate, left by a dead government,
with no heir.
Finally, however, we recognized
the SovietS, and Ambassador Alex
ander A. Troyanovsky came into
possession. So that's settled. Troy
anovSky is in Russia on extended
leave, but Charge d'Affaires Con-
stantine A. Oumansky occupies the
premises. The place seems to be-
long to Russia all right.
Austria, Spain, China?
Not long ago, as we're aware,
Herr Hitler gobbled Austria, which
put Austrian Minister Edgar l.. c..
Prochnik out on the end of a limb
DR.. Prochnik found a position as a
lecturer in a big American educa-
tional institution, taking care of
him. But who inherits the Austrian
legation building on Massachusetts
avenue?
Republican Spain also has gone
flooey. Ambassador Fernando de los
Rios likewise has gone in for Amer
ican education. But We haven't a
successor TO him yet-or recognized
new Spain. Who acquires that en-
basSy?
Chinese Ambassador Hu Shih is
hanging on only by his eye teeth
He's likely to have an embassy to
put on the market shortly.
Now, Minister Hurban Of Czecho-
slovakia has an offering
The diplomatic industry in Wash
ington, in short. is being consoli-
dated at a rate that endangers its
prosperity. It's getting to be a
trust. The anti-monopoly committee
ought tn pet into action