my memories of eighty years-第36部分

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The　compensation　of　our　representatives　abroad　always　has　been　and　still　is　entirely　inadequate　to　enable　them　to　maintain；　in　comparison　with　the　representatives　of　other　governments；　the　dignity　of　their　own　country。　　All　the　other　great　powers　at　the　principal　capitals　maintain　fine　residences　for　their　ambassadors；　which　also　is　the　embassy。　　Our　Congress；　except　within　the　last　few　years；　has　always　refused　to　make　this　provision。　　The　salary　which　we　pay　is　scarcely　ever　more　than　one…third　the　amount　paid　by　European　governments　in　similar　service。

I　worked　hard　while　in　the　Senate　to　improve　this　situation　because　of　my　intimate　knowledge　of　the　question。　　When　I　first　began　the　effort　I　found　there　was　very　strong　belief　that　the　whole　foreign　service　was　an　unnecessary　expense。　　When　Mr。　Roosevelt　first　became　president；　and　I　had　to　see　him　frequently　about　diplomatic　appointments；　I　learned　that　this　was　his　view。　　He　said　to　me：　　〃This　foreign　business　of　the　government；　now　that　the　cable　is　perfected；　can　be　carried　on　between　our　State　Department　and　the　chancellery　of　any　government　in　the　world。　　Nevertheless；　I　am　in　favor　of　keeping　up　the　diplomatic　service。　　All　the　old　nations　have　various　methods　of　rewarding　distinguished　public　servants。　　The　only　one　we　have　is　the　diplomatic　service。　　So　when　I　appoint　a　man　ambassador　or　minister；　I　believe　that　I　am　giving　him　a　decoration；　and　the　reason　I　change　ambassadors　and　ministers　is　that　I　want　as　many　as　possible　to　possess　it。〃

The　longer　Mr。　Roosevelt　remained　president；　and　the　closer　he　came　to　our　foreign　relations；　the　more　he　appreciated　the　value　of　the　personal　contact　and　intimate　knowledge　on　the　spot　of　an　American　ambassador　or　minister。

Mr。　Reid　entertained　more　lavishly　and　hospitably　than　any　ambassador　in　England　ever　had；　both　at　his　London　house　and　at　his　estate　in　the　country。　　He　appreciated　the　growing　necessity　to　the　peace　of　the　world　and　the　progress　of　civilization　of　closer　union　of　English…speaking　peoples。　　At　his　beautiful　and　delightful　entertainments　Americans　came　in　contact　with　Englishmen　under　conditions　most　favorable　for　the　appreciation　by　each　of　the　other。　　The　charm　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Whitelaw　Reid's　hospitality　was　so　genuine；　so　cordial；　and　so　universal；　that　to　be　their　guest　was　an　event　for　Americans　visiting　England。　　There　is　no　capital　in　the　world　where　hospitality　counts　for　so　much　as　in　London；　and　no　country　where　the　house…party　brings　people　together　under　such　favorable　conditions。　　Both　the　city　and　the　country　homes　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Reid　were　universities　of　international　good…feeling。　　Mr。　Reid；　on　the　official　side；　admirably　represented　his　country　and　had　the　most　intimate　relations　with　the　governing　powers　of　Great　Britain。

I　recall　with　the　keenest　pleasure　how　much　my　old　friend；　Joseph　H。　Choate；　did　to　make　each　one　of　my　visits　to　London　during　his　term　full　of　the　most　charming　and　valuable　recollections。　His　dinners　felt　the　magnetism　of　his　presence；　and　he　showed　especial　skill　in　having；　to　meet　his　American　guests；　just　the　famous　men　in　London　life　whom　the　American　desired　to　know。

Choate　was　a　fine　conversationalist；　a　wit　and　a　humorist　of　a　high　order。　　His　audacity　won　great　triumphs；　but　if　exercised　by　a　man　less　endowed　would　have　brought　him　continuously　into　trouble。　　He　had　the　faculty；　the　art；　of　so　directing　conversation　that　at　his　entertainments　everybody　had　a　good　time；　and　an　invitation　always　was　highly　prized。　　He　was　appreciated　most　highly　by　the　English　bench　and　bar。　　They　recognized　him　as　the　leader　of　his　profession　in　the　United　States。　　They　elected　him　a　Bencher　of　the　Middle　Temple；　the　first　American　to　receive　that　honor　after　an　interval　of　one　hundred　and　fifty　years。　　Choate's　witticisms　and　repartees　became　the　social　currency　of　dinner…tables　in　London　and　week…end　parties　in　the　country。

Choate　paid　little　attention　to　conventionalities；　which　count　for　so　much　and　are　so　rigidly　enforced；　especially　in　royal　circles。　I　had　frequently　been　at　receptions；　garden…parties；　and　other　entertainments　at　Buckingham　Palace　in　the　time　of　Queen　Victoria　and　also　of　King　Edward。　　At　an　evening　reception　the　diplomats　representing　all　the　countries　in　the　world　stand　in　a　solemn　row；　according　to　rank　and　length　of　service。　　They　are　covered　with　decorations　and　gold　lace。　　The　weight　of　the　gold　lace　on　some　of　the　uniforms　of　the　minor　powers　is　as　great　as　if　it　were　a　coat　of　armor。　　Mr。　Choate；　under　regulations　of　our　diplomatic　service；　could　only　appear　in　an　ordinary　dress　suit。

While　the　diplomats　stand　in　solemn　array；　the　king　and　queen　go　along　the　line　and　greet　each　one　with　appropriate　remarks。　Nobody　but　an　ambassador　and　minister　gets　into　that　brilliant　circle。　　On　one　occasion　Mr。　Choate　saw　me　standing　with　the　other　guests　outside　the　charmed　circle　and　immediately　left　the　diplomats；　came　to　me；　and　said：　　〃I　am　sure　you　would　like　to　have　a　talk　with　the　queen。〃　　He　went　up　to　Her　Majesty；　stated　the　case　and　who　I　was；　and　the　proposition　was　most　graciously　received。　I　think　the　royalties　were　pleased　to　have　a　break　in　the　formal　etiquette。　　Mr。　Choate　treated　the　occasion；　so　far　as　I　was　concerned；　as　if　it　had　been　a　reception　in　New　York　or　Salem；　and　a　distinguished　guest　wanted　to　meet　the　hosts。　　The　gold…laced　and　bejewelled　and　highly　decorated　diplomatic　circle　was　paralyzed。

Mr。　Choate's　delightful　personality　and　original　conversational　powers　made　him　a　favorite　guest　everywhere；　but　he　also　carried　to　the　platform　the　distinction　which　had　won　for　him　the　reputation　of　being　one　of　the　finest　orators　in　the　United　States。

Choate　asked　at　one　time　when　I　was　almost　nightly　making　speeches　at　some　entertainment：　　〃How　do　you　do　it？〃　　I　told　him　I　was　risking　whatever　reputation　I　had　on　account　of　very　limited　preparation；　that　I　did　not　let　these　speeches　interfere　at　all　with　my　business；　but　that　they　were　all　prepared　after　I　had　arrived　home　from　my　office　late　in　the　afternoon。　　Sometimes　they　came　easy；　and　I　reached　the　dinner　in　time；　at　other　times　they　were　more　difficult；　and　I　did　not　arrive　till　the　speaking　had　begun。　　Then　he　said：　　〃I　enjoy　making　these　after…dinner　addresses　more　than　any　other　work。　　It　is　a　perfect　delight　for　me　to　speak　to　such　an　audience；　but　I　have　not　the　gift　of　quick　and　easy　preparation。　　I　accept　comparatively　few　of　the　constant　invitations　I　receive；　because　when　I　have　to　make　such　a　speech　I　take　a　corner　in　the　car　in　the　morning　going　to　my　office；　exclude　all　the　intruding　public　with　a　newspaper　and　think　all　the　way　down。　　I　continue　the　same　process　on　my　way　home　in　the　evening；　and　it　takes　about　three　days　of　this　absorption　and　exclusiveness；　with　some　time　in　the　evenings；　to　get　an　address　with　which　I　am　satisfied。〃

The　delicious　humor　of　these　efforts　of　Mr。　Choate　and　the　wonderful　way　in　which　he　could　expose　a　current　delusion；　or　what　he　thought　was　one；　and　produce　an　impression　not　only　on　his　audience　but　on　the　whole　community；　when　his　speech　was　printed　in　the　newspapers；　was　a　kind　of　effort　which　necessarily　required　preparation。　　In　all　the　many　times　I　heard　him；　both　at　home　and　abroad；　he　never　had　a　failure　and　sometimes　made　a　sensation。

Among　the　many　interesting　characters　whom　I　met　on　shipboard　was　Emory　Storrs；　a　famous　Chicago　lawyer。　　Storrs　was　a　genius　of　rare　talent　as　an　advocator。　　He　also　on　occasions　would　make　a　most　successful　speech；　but　his　efforts　were　unequal。　　At　one　session　of　the　National　Bar　Association　he　carried　off　all　honors　at　their　banquet。　　Of　course；　they　wanted　him　the　next　year；　but　then　he　failed　entirely　to　meet　their　expectations。。　　Storrs　was　one　of　the　most　successful　advocates　at　the　criminal　bar；　especially　in　murder　cases。　　He　rarely　failed　to　get　an　acquittal　for　his　client。　　He　told　me　many　interesting　stories　of　his　experiences。　He　had　a　wide　circuit；　owing　to　his　reputation；　and　tried　cases　far　distant　from　home。

I　remember　one　of　his　experiences　in　an　out…of…the…way　county　of　Arkansas。　　The　hotel　where　they　all　stopped　was　very　primitive；　and　he　had　the　same　table　with　the　judge。　　The　most　attractive　offer　for　breakfast　by　the　landlady　was　buckwheat…cakes。　　She　appeared　with　a　jug　of　molasses　and　said　to　the　judge：　　〃Will　you　have　a　trickle　or　a　dab？〃　　The　judge　answered：　　〃A　dab。〃　　She　then　ran　her　fingers　around　the　jug　and　slapped　a　huge　amount　of　molasses　on　the　judge's　cakes。　　Storrs　said：　　〃I　think　I　prefer　a　trickle。〃　Whereupon　she　dipped　her　fingers　again　in　the　jug　and　let　the　drops　fall　from　them　on　Storrs's　cakes。　　The　landlady　was　disappointed　because　her　cakes　were　unpopular　with　such　distinguished　gentlemen。

Once　Storrs　was　going　abroad　on　the　same　ship　with　me　on　a　sort　of　semi…diplomatic　mission。　　He　was　deeply　read　in　English　literature　and；　as　far　as　a　stranger　could　be；　familiar　with　the　places　made　famous　in　English　and　foreign　classics。

He　was　one　of　the　factors；　as　chairman　of　the　Illinois　delegation；　of　the　conditions　which　made　possible　the　nomination　of　Garfield　and　Arthur。　　In　the　following　presidential　campaign　he　took　an　act