The Sunday Oregonian., March 21, 1920, Magazine Section, Page 3, Image 99

THE SUNDAY OREGOMAX, PORTLAND, MARCH 21, 1020
AMERICAN WIVES OF PROMINENT FOREIGN DIPLOMATS
Theodore Roosevelt Shattered Traditions and Through Him the Woman From Yankee Land
Has Become the Sharer of State Secrets of Foreign Powers and She Keeps Them, Too
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BY CHARLES W. DUKE.
V N a woman, an American woman.
I keep a secret? Just one moment.
- please, ladies. Don't throw that!'
sou will be interested in this and
you will smile, too, before you reach
the end.
The verdict of the world at lare
cenis ti he that the daughter of L nele
Sam knows well how to keep a secret:
that she is to be trusted in the secret
place of the moet high with the
weightiest problems of statesmanshfp
and international diplomacy imparted
to her, either in fragmentary or vo
luminous quantities, by a confiding
husband, after office hours, after
noon teas and fancy dress festivities.
Tim best evidence of how well other
nations of the earth think an Ameri
can woman can keep a socrrt affect
in? the affairs of nations to be
pained from the fact that a majority
t'f the potential powers of th- world
represented in the elite diplomatic
family at WayhinRton now have
American women, the wives of diplo
mat:;, at the head of their embassies
full-fledged, born-in-America women
of t-ncial distinction.
France, Belgium. Italy, Spain and
Sweden of tho European nations;
Mexico and Brazil of the Latin-American
countries each has an ambassa
dor whose wife is a native American.
If Great Britain -nds Sir Auckland
Ccddes In place of L,ord Grey, who
seems to have burned his bridges be
hind him by his espousal of the peace
treaty reservations, then another
American woman will come into the
mas"ic circle at Washington, for the
wife of Sir Auckland is of the Ross
family of New York.
It seems to have become the fashion
abroad to send to Washington an am-ba-.-ador
whose wife is an American.
The credential-in-chicf of him who
Is welcomed by the department of
Hate and established in any of the
embassy buildings appears to be the
smile of an Am erican girl.
F.ut this was not always the fash
ion. I'ntii the time of the 26th presi
dent of the United States, Theodore
Roosevelt, it was not "diplomatic" to
send a diplomat whose wife wa.s an
American. It is said in Washington
"that when a certain diplomat from
France became involved in socip.l
turbulence In the early part of the
last century the European govern
ments universally concurred in the
dictum made by an illustrious prime
minister that it waa the height of
folly to send to the -apital of the
presumptuous younf? republic an en
voy who had wedded a daughter of
the states."
Colonel Roosevelt, unplatitudiubu.s,
foe of convention and obsolete cus
toms, changed the viewpoint of Eu
rope and put the American girl upon
a new pinnacle. It all came about
through several unfortunate episodes
Central News.
in American diplomatic circles. Sir
Mortimer Durand, British ambassador,
incurred the ire of T. R. because of
some criticisms anent social life In
Washington. The German ambassador,
Yon Holleben, "got in bad" in con
nection with ceremonies attendant
upon the launching of a yacht for
erstwhile Kaiser Wilhelm. Mr. Roose
velt spoke plainly. The ice was
broken. Europe got a new angle on
social life in Washington and there
upon notable changes were apparent.
Great Britain was the first to smash
tradition and set a precedent. James
Bryce came over and he was more
intimately connected with America
than his many predecessors by rea
son of the fact that his mother-in-law
was an American. Not to be out
done by John Bull in the suave art
of diplomacy, the then kaiser eent
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over President Roosevelt's intimate
friend, Baron von Sternberg and upon
his death dispatched Bernstorff, who
was fortified as a climber by his mar
riage with an American. (This asset
failed to stand him good, however,
upon a memorable day in April, 1918).
Other nations followed suit. In quick
succession, as vacancies occurred,
came ambassadors from France, Rus
sia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain.
Belgium and Greece at varying in
tervals.
Today the American woman stands
higher than ever in favor as the ideal
wife of an ambassador ticketed for
Was-hington.
At the head of the foreign diplo
matic corps stands the much-beloved
dean of them all, M. Jean Adrien An
toine Jules Jusserand, ambassador
from the French republic, who has
represented "La Belle France" unin
terruptedly for the last 18 years. By
his side stands Mme. Jusserand, an
American woman. Who will deny
that she has been one of the instru
mentalities in binding1 America and
Franco ever close through the great
est crisis that ever confronted her
adopted nation? Mme. Jusserand was
before her marriage Miss Eliza Rich
ards, daughter of the late George T.
Richards of New England, and one of
the founders of tho banking house of
Munroe & Co. of Taris. Through her
mother, who was a Miss Kernochan,
she is related to the New Y'ork family
of that name. Of brilliant intellect,
madame has been of invaluable aid
to her distinguished husband in the
many exacting duties that 1. ve con-
Wife Of Jzn
Central News.
fronted him during nearly two duc
adeb of service in Washington.
Going from the extreme of the old
est member of the corps to the young
est, in point of American wifehood
and tenure ot office. Baroness Avei
xanu, wife of the new Italian ambas
sador, represents the "baby" member
of the group. The baroness was Mis
Marie Jacqueline Taylor, daughter of
tho late Amos Taylor, who went from
Kentucky to St Louis moro than 40
years ago and made a name and for
tune for himself in the field of law.
Preceding the Italian baronets to
Washington came the statuesque Bar
oness de Cat tier de Marchienne, wife
of the Belgian ambassador and one of
the most picturesque among all the
wives of foreign diplomat in th
American capital. A power In Amer
ican society for 20 years, the baronen
ecma to have found in her third mar
riage the very acme of all hec alms,
a leading position In the very capital
of her own country. It Is only six
months sines the former Mrs. Hamil
ton Wilkes Cary, divorced wife of
Ellhu B. Frost of New York, marrltd
Baron Cartler de Marchienne In Farls
and cams with him to his new post
of diplomatic and social prestige here;
yet In this time she has found a posi
tion quite In keeping with the dreams
that she first cherished as Marie
Dows, a Boston glrof no fortune but
many-ambitions. When Ellhu Frost,
a New England multimillionaire,
brought his bride to New Tork SO
years ago, unheralded and unknown,
the petite beauty set out to win her
way Into the exclusive smart set cir
cles then dominated by the Astors.
Eventually she won out, but not
until the more liberal Mrs. ftuyvrsant
Fish became the recognised leader of
the "four hundred."
As Mrs. Frost she became known ss
"the best dressed woman In New
Tork." She met Hamilton Wilkes
Cary, kin of Colonel John Jacob Ae-
tor, racing enthuslat, yachtsman and
popular In New York society. In
April, 1300, Mrs. Frost went out to
Reno and secured a divorce from
Frost. By the first of tho year Mrs.
Frost, the divorcee, and Mr. Cary,
widower, were wed. Two years later
ho died. When his affairs were
straightened out she went to France
and engaged In mar work. It was
while there fhat she met the charm
ing Belgian baron.
It Is just three years since the Mexi
can government sent Iirnaclo Honillax,
then secretary of communications In
the government at Mexico City, to
Washington. General Carranza nisy
have made many mistakes since his
sscendanoy to the executive leader
ship of a turbulent state, but there
are few to admit that he made a mis
take when he designated the sstule
Senor Bonllias as the envoy of his
government to his big neighbor re
public. Senor Bonllias has absorbed
Amerlcun atmosphere all his life. He
was graduate-i from the Massachu
setts Institute of Technology. WMen
ll came lime to marry he took as hli
wife an American irirl, the sister t
former Governor Safford of Arliona.
The Bnnillas have two daughters, who
have been very popular In the Wash
ington smart set.
To look upon the fair Senora Aliei
Ward Riano y Oayangos. wife of the
Spanish ambassador, is to vow tht
this is some fair Castlllian beauty.
She is fair, but not Castilllan, displte
her dark hair, d"ep bine ees and
dark skin.
Next to Mme. .lusserand, the honors
of having remained for the lonuent
time as American wives of foreign
ambassadors in Washington are di
vided between Mme. W. A. F. Fken
gren, wife of tho Swedish minuter,
and Senhora da Gama, wife of the
Itraxillan ambassador. Their husbands
became ministers In 1D12. In the uc
of Mme. Ekengren, however, she had
already fceen In Washington six years.
Her husband was first secretary of
the Swedish legation In 1006 and then
was appointed charge d'affaire?.,
which position he filled until his ele
vation to tho ambassadorship In A pill,
J913. Mme. Kkengrrn is a daughter
of New Jersey. Iler father was the
brilliant lawyer. John P. Jarksnn, for
many years counsel for the Pennsyl
vania railroad.
From a wedding ceremony In the
New York home of Elbert 1 1. (Lux,
the steel king, came Setihota dn Ghhui.
fresh to the diplomatic fmnily in the
same season that 'a.-lil:itt)ii soc'My
welcomed Mme. Kkeneren. Tho sen
bora was the widow of Georjje A
I learn, dry poods merchant prlrvc
She is a Texas girl. il.r husband
died in 1910. Senhor Domic io da
Gama has represented the South
American republic since 1911, having
seen much of Washington since lii'i::.
when he was appointed secretary of
a special co:nmlsi.oti to Washington
In connection with tho hettbynrnt of
a dispute between Hraxii and Argen
tina over the I'alm.is territory.
Who will he tho next? Possibly
Ihe ambassador from the court of t.
James will bring a bonny Van ken
bride. If not, there sre several am
bassadors now In Washington quite
unattached. And It Is le;ip year.
EPIDEMIC OF BLOOD PRESSURE CHASES
SOME DOWN TO INSURANCE COMPANIES
Montague Says in Fear and Trembling He Faced Inquisitor Who Seemed to Know Secret Workings of Trouble
Centers and LookedPityingly at Victim.
BT JAMES J. MONTAGUE.
rpHERE had been an epidemic of
blood pressure around town, and
we were geting worried. Nearly
all our friends had it, in varying de
grees of acuteness.
They still went about their business
it is true, but they wore long faces,
and recited their symptoms whenever
they found anybody who would listen.
For quite a while we thought that
blood pressure was catching, like
mumps, and we avoided all of our ac
quaintances who boasted of having it.
But later, in a newspaper article
we learned that almost anybody, at
our age, was likely to get it, and that
the harder you had been working, the
greater .would be your susceptibility.
On account of repeated and exag
gerated snow storms we had been
working very hard.
No sooner would we get the walks
all cleared off than along would come
another blizzard and pile them higher
than ever.
At the end of seven weeks, during
which we must have handled 30 long
tons of snow, we felt exhausted and
had a pain in our side. Furthermore
our temples would throb at the mere
thought of another blizzard.
This, we figured, must be an in
dication of blood' pressure. We stop
ped shoveling snow, but it didn't do
any good. We gave over work of
all descriptions, and got no better.
Soon we developed symptoms at an
alarming rate. We had pains in our
chest and side, a burning sensation in
our clieeks. Our collars began to get
too small for us.
W were diffident about consult
ing a doctor. We were afraid we
could not stand the shock of what!
they would have to tell us about
ourselves.
Yet something nauwt be done, that
was certain.
One day a young . friend came in
and offered to sell us life insurance
on a plan which, he said, would be
practically giving it to us.
Age Qalie Ripe.
"You never can tell what will hap
pen," he said. ' Then glancing at us
searchtngly he added, "at your time
of life a man is likely to get blood
pressure and be off like that." And
he snapped his fingers suggestively.
This gesture of his supplied us with
food for thought. If - we went off
"like that," there oirghf to be a little
something for the wife' and children.
We lapsed into deep thought from
which we presently were roused by
the consciousness that our friend was
still talking.
"Besides," he was saying, "one of
the surest ways to find out about
yourself is to get yourself examined
for life Insurance. Of course I don't
know that my company will take you
it's very particular but if you do
pass the examination, you at least
know that you're all right."
That settled it. We made out the
application feverishly, and he took
It away with him.
The next day a sepulchral voice
over the telephone said:
"I am Doctor Smith of the Rock
Ribbed Life. I have made an ap
pointment for you in half an hour.
Can you keep it?"
If we had been told that the hang
man had made an appointment with
us we could have been little more
startled. However, we managed to
I reply in a husky voice that we would
' be there.
For half an hour we sat trembling
on a chair in the doctor's ante room.
What would we do, what could we
do if he told us that we had 'blood
pressure and refused us? .
In our mind there developed pic
tures of but we cannot dwell on
such painful matters.
When we entered the doctor's of
fice we found a solemn looking man
with black whiskers; who seemed to
eye us despairingly.
At his request we took off our coat.
He undid the first few buttons of our
shirt and massaged our chest with a
telephone transmitter, holding the re
ceiving tubes in his ears.
We tried to make jocose comments
to cheer ourselves up as he paused
and listened, first here and then
there.
But he held up a warning hand and
we desisted.
At least a hundred times at his re
quest we eaid "Ninety-nine," that ap
parently being the telephone number
of the particular part of our anatomy
he was trying to communicate with.
Telephone Hons Vp.
The number must have been hiav
for presently he shook his head and
hung up the telephone. We thought
he glanced at us commiseratineiv
he did so, but we had no time to
think long about anything.
He got out a rubber straD three or
four feet Ions and wrapped it -shoot
our arm. We knew what that meant.
Blood pressure!
It felt comfortable at first, and our
fears began to dissipate. We didn't
have any blood pressure. Why we
could hardly feel the thing. But eoon
it began to bind. Then it felt as if
j the late Bob Fitzsimmons had seized !
us by the upper arm. The doctor was j
looking attentively at a little gauge
. connected in some way with the strap.
! He was shaking his head sadly. We
i began to shake our knees In unison.
; For a time we thought we were going
out. but by exercise of great will I
power we kept our feet. Ho signified
that the examination was done.
"How about it? Did did we pass?'
we quavered.
"You will receive your notification,'
he eaid gloomily.
We put on our coat again and went
out. The world seemed to smile but
not for us. The skies were clear, the
air warm. People were laughing and
chatting-. We didn't see how they
could do it.
Three davs we spent in frantic
suspense. At the end of that time we
We did not work, we ate
hardly anything at all. Blood press
ure we knew was aggravated by
working and eating. We might as
well put off the day of doom as long
as possible.
One evening as we were coming
home with laggard steps ana slow,
giving our heart as much considera
tion as possible, the postman who was
passing thrust a letter into our hand.
We opened it with shaking fingers.
It contained a bill for the Hie in
surance premium for which we had
applied to the Rock Ribbed. A little
reasoning showed us that if we hadn't
passed we wouldn't have got the bill.
An hour later we were Informed
that dinner was ready. '
Can't come just yet," we eaid. "We
have got to shovel the snow off a
hundred feet more of sidewalk before
another blizzard comes up."
Kight-Hour ay Limited.
MADRID By royal decree the
Spanish government has excepted
from the eight-hour day law certain
callings.' Among those who are now
permitted to work longer than the
1-gal hour are domestic servants,
waiters and other hotel employes who
live on the premises, and drugg'sts.
PROHIBITION MAY REVIVE OLD-STYLE
SMUGGLER, WHO WILL THRIVE AGAIN
Millions Must Be Spent Each Year to Prevent Liquor Traffic and to Enforce Amendment in Districts Where
Opposition Will Be Strong and Temptations Great.
w
ILL the faltering demise of
John Barleycorn result In the
rejuvenation of the old style
type of smuggler and cause him to
appear once sain in the flesh as he
is now pictured In the romantic pages
of fiction? This is a question that is
causing great concern among the fed
eral authorities to whom is entrus-tcd
the task of seeing that the 18th
amendment is carried out to the full
letter of the law and the statutory
prohibition made a realistic fact.
Millions of dollars yearly must be
expended by the federal government
to prevent the hardy and adventurous
mariner of romance from stepping out
of the printed pages and seeking new
and ingenuous means of evading ,the
ever watchful revenue cutters. It will
be a difficult task for many of this
type have already succeeded in run
ning the gauntlet of the revenue cut
ters and have brought their lugger qf
liquor"to anchor In some hidden cove
where the priceless cargo could be
shipped inland and sprung in some
quiet locality as an oasis for the
parched mourners of the great Amer-lcafPflesert.
Customs Inspectors Handleapped.
Customs inspectors along the Mexi
can border have been greatly handi
capped in their efforts to stamp out
illegal smuggling. In a letter from the
United States marshal for the west
ern district of Texas which was read
to the house .by Mr. Ashworth some
of these difficulties are pointed out.
The letter said in part:
The customs officials of El Paso
are doing splendid work with their
limited number of men, but the num
ber is entirely inadequate, as is shown
by the increasing number of smug
glers operating In this vicinity."
The same situation is being faced
by the custom officials in many other
parts or the country and In order to
curb the attempts of the bootleggers
and smugglers, the personnel of the
customs officials will have to be
greatly Increased. Every vessel arriv
ing from foreign ports will have to be
searched and a close surveillance over
the crews while the vessels are in
port will have to be maintained. With
such safeguards as patroling the thou
sands of miles of border on foot.
horse, automobile and motorcycle, the
inspection of the thousands of auto
mobile and foot passengers crossing
the international boundary lines that
require inspection, along with the sur
veillance to be maintained along the
coasts. It can readily beaeen the added
expense which will be entailed by the
government.
Convenient Boars Are Plentiful.
The wet province of Quebec looms
up as a very promising base for the
Illicit smuggling of "boose" Into the
northeastern section of the country.
St. Pierre and Miquelon are also ideal
bases, especially for foreign wines and
liquors. The coast line of Maine Is
very tortuous and Breton fishermen
would find it not difficult to bring
their spirituous cargo out as ballast
from France.
All this means a wider field of ac
tivity for the coast guard, the strong
arm of the customs service. Prepara
tions are being made to fight the new
bands of smugglers which might
spring up as a result of prohibition.
Commodore E. P. Bertholf, the head of
the organization, was only too glad to
ell bow ihe serlco will go about
fighting a possible recrudesence of
romantic smuggling.
! "Smuggling in bulk," ho said, "has
always been found a difficult opera
tion because of the strict and sys
tematic watch kept on the movements
of all vessels.; each Individual craft
being roqulred to bo duly registered,
to carry certain papers alwas ready
for inspection and to otherwise ac
count for her movements. The chances
of smuggling on a large scale being
successful are about one In 10 and for
this reason, few intelligent skippers
will take the chance of being detected,
with the consequent seizure of the
ship.
"The guard kept by the revenue cut
ters at sea is supplemented by the
beach patrol. By night and day the
shore line Is divided Into 'beats' and
kept under surveillance. The main ob
ject In this watch Is to keep a look
out for wrecks and vessels In distress.
But it work also as a force against
smugglers.
'Because of this watch there Is only
a slight chance of smugglers landing
and concealing goods In the old-time
fa-hlon. Small sailing ships might
turn the trick now and then. In fact
we are preparing a gauntlet for any
schooners from Cuba that may now
try to land ' cargoes of rum at one
point or another on the Florida or
gulf coasts. We realize that big risk
no doubt will be taken because of tho
price that 'boose' will now fetch.
"Because of this fact we will have
to take greater precautionary meas
ures. A fast patrol fleet will no doubt
prove an effective method of breaking
up the profitable practice of smug
gling booze. There is no money in
smuggling on a small scale, excj .t
with such articles as opium and dia
monds. Booze will no doubt cause
many new attempts to evade the re
enue cutters."