Show g A A j vf captain courtneys Court atlantic flight plane ma G wa C wi U 1116 u the domley capler plans plane whale ready tor for the flight across the atlantic from ireland by captain courtney english av aviator lator jaife A U sa S embassies aslies are always avs kept busy gossipy folks from home and cranks take up lots of time london laddon val tea awfully sorry orry the tha ambassador imbus ador la Is away 1 I cant tell you how sorry borry I 1 am that the embassy arrange an audience for or you with the king we are sorry orry but the office ot of works will not permit you to climb the dock clock over the house of parliament these ano and fifty or more stock phrases are kept constantly on tap during the tha summer rush of the amerlean american tourist season in europe for during duping the rush season thousands of americans americana crowd the american embassy here demal demanding Iding everything from an immediate audle audience ime with king george or the prince of wales to the ot of authority to climb tile the ex gerior f the dock clock tower ot of west finsta palace or we westminster abbey practically everyone who visits europe from the united states desires to visit one of the embassies or legations of his own country to the american embassy in london by virtue of its if central position and rank in europe conic come most meat people it has been estimated that telephone calls calla to the embassy here by people who have no actual business to transact but only want to hear an ad american voice again average more than fifty a day each taking a precious five or ten minutes time of a busy secretary or embassy worries of U 8 official if telephone callers were the least trouble rouble the life of an american embassy or legation abroad would be a continuous path of roses but it Is not tor for the callers who present themselves with passports letters from friendly congressmen introductions from friends in the department of state at washington and a thousand others who feel that their names must be well known over there are the chief worries of the american governments ern ments foreign representatives the callers at the american embassy during twenty minutes here recently included an associate justice of the supreme court who occupied 45 minutes of the ambassadors time talking emall town politics while another foreign ambassador cooled his heels in tn n anteroom waiting for the ambas lador long after his appointment time it holder of a minor office in the department part ment of education of the shiite state of new york who wanted the embassy to arrange a tour around england for a middle western college glee club which he assured the embassy was the best in ae states and seventeen people clamoring for the two tickets to the gallery of the house of commons which the embassy la is dally daily allotted up to the secretaries those whose cards or credentials do mot establish them as sufficiently prominent to warrant a session for even small town talk with a busy ambassador bas are shunted off on some unsuspecting secretary or counsellor whose duty it Is in to sit from one half to three quarters of an hour hearing how famous the visitor from home Is and all about the trip which haa box either already been taken around europe or in to be taken in an anteroom of the american embassy here to Is a man who Is far more busy than any diplomat in the embassy his name I 1 Is thomas smith formerly the courier of the diplomatic pouch between berlin and london before the united states entered the war having been under fire many times while going through the lines between the two great opposing capitals capias during the war smith b has as long since become accustomed to being under fire of cranks who write long letters to their home town congressmen or even to the state department protesting the a slights lights and discourteous treatment received at the american embassy in london smiths smith job difficult smiths position Is not an easy ono one for upon his hands bands fall all of the visitors at the embassy some a rare few have legitimate business to transact the others have a thousand petty wants and complaints which must be cared for by a small emba embassy say staff each however must to bo properly eared cared for and sent away with the impression that he was wan the most important person who called that day the casual tourist who wishes merely to return home and tell the folks how he called upon the ambassador somewhere in europe Is not the only pest who takes the embassy attaches from work on long and tedious reports for the crank who enters the embassy with his hat pulled down over his eyes eye 1 and I a wise wine look 11 on hl his 11 act may take how hours before be h to is gotten rid of this latter person demands demand to seo see the abbass ambassador dor on 90 a subject ot of great national importance 1 al 11 frequently he be confides to tha doorman that he be Is next to some important v and astounding informs information dotis As Is in the case with all others he be seen iee some borne secretary or in the eni em baggy bagay bis big tale Is a look long and tedious otis one nis his story ts Is usually to 0 o absurd that it Is seldom investigated woo while investigations of the informant have hare frequently shown him blin to ao be a madae and in a number of comes cases these per sous have proven to be escaped convicts who have become demented wilif the e constant fear of the police follow ing them where they oft Q information in some cases their information Is pick plated ed up in saloons and flavored with sufficient clent imagination to make the story one which they feel the amerlean american government would surely be interested terea te ted in one of the worst fears of a foreign embassy or legation Is for the petty politician politic ianthe the attorney general from ron podunk or the state legislator from some remote spot although hla position moz may be small or even laughable to a foreign dignitary he be inevitably wants to be presented at the palace or expects at least to lunch with the ambassador bas it has ban frequently been found that this type of man actually prefers to be slighted alighted so that he may leave the embassy or legation with great gusto declaring that he will write about it ft to the president and secretary of state he frequently does and through the old aid of some som e congressman who little realizes the problems of those stationed abroad causes causes some boine unsuspecting secretary much trouble aind frequently a shift to another post |