| Show MAY GO HOME would not have first of glands En clever diplomatists to Blunder Sackville west and another minister long list of illustrious lust rious britons who have been envoys to washington which is considered one of most important missions special washington april 5 much attention has recently been directed to lord fote who has so long and happily represented the british government at washington although lord fote ia credited with being one of the cleverest of brit alna diplomatists the american mission h in reality the first diplomatic post held by him lie is however a man of brilliant ability who has made a namo both as a jurist and by long service in the london foreign office the present dean of the diplomatic corps bierc was educated principally on the continent ilia original intention was to enter alie indian army but he finally selected a legal in preference to A military career t lord fote was called to the english bar in 1852 2 and for ten years practiced law in london an opportune presented ty itself for him to secure an practice in hong kong then tt more important point than it is today as the focus of eastern politics and trade t in china the present peer then plain mr fote met with similar success to that which he had attained in longland he soon became attorney general and later chief justice of the supreme court and member of the legislative isla tive and executive councils of the colony in chii capacity ho instituted many important reforms and benefited the colony jn a lasting manner by framing a number of important laws it was in turn of his services in the leeward isles for which he was first knighted being offered the clinef jus lice ship of this british possession he at once set about the organization of a comprehensive code of civil laws to meet the requirements of the new colony having had the honor of knighthood him and thoroughly organized hie code of the islands sir julian l returned to england he was at once appointed legal assistant secretary af pf state in fhe colonial office some years later aken alic post waa created he was uhe foreign office in a similar capacity during Glad stones first administration he succeeded lord tenderson Ten derdon in the under of state for foreign affairs holding that office until appointed by lord salisbury as ambas to the united states at the commission sitting n for the drawing up of an ic relative to the navigation of the bucz canal in 1885 sir julian great britain aa first delegate and in recognition of hii services there fand at the foreign office queen victoria him the distinction af pf the grand cros of the arder of st michael and t george and later the irand cross of the order of the bath lady fote whom his lordship j married in early life was a daughter of the late major cubitt of calfield catfield Cat field hall norfolk lord is now in his seventy fifth year and is regarded as the ideal suave and polished diplomat if it be shown that he really did commit a breach of diplomatic etiquette in the transactions preceding the spanish american war it will be the first evidence that ho lifts shown of blundering in the long and honorable career which he has enjoyed it is on this account that one should be skeptical in listening to premature reports of the british ami bassadore bass adors recall it is more than probable however that on account of his advancing years lord fote may himself have suggested recall owing to the desire to spend his remaining years in his native land the american ambassadorship has always been considered a post of the highest importance by european nations particularly has this been the case by great britain not only have we had many distinguished englishmen as ministers but in a number of cases the attaches sent with them have afterwards become famous an interesting saries of portraits of these men adorn the walls of the library of the british legation itself one of ithe most handsome residences in washington among those who have come cither in a special capacity or as members of tha regular diplomatic staff has been viscount stafford de redcliffe who was i here in the early twenties a period when the english mission meant anything but a round of social amenities thing but a round of social amenities who negotiated the boundary treaty which bears his name another distinguished incumbent of tho office was sir henry lytton brother of the great novelist and owen meredith who under him served as secretary of the legation following him on a special mission came lord elgin and in 1857 lord napier came hero to straighten out the errors made by a minister preceding him who had been caught in an indiscretion similar to that which led to the recall of lionel S sackville west FREDERICK WATSON |
