TWO MEN IN ONE POST.

Mataura Ensign, 26 December 1913, Page 5

TWO MEN IN ONE POST.

The amusement caused by the tempting letter addressed by Senator Lewis to Mr Pindell, of Peoria, Illinois, urging him in the name of the Secretary of State, Mr Bryan, to accept the post of United States Ambassador in St. Petersburg for the sake of the life-iong social prestige the position would confer on his daughter, is increased by further disclosures of the difficulties the Government is finding in selecting suitable candidates for various diplomatic posts in Europe. Recently the Government appointed Colonel Thomas Birch, of Burlington, New Jersey, Minister to Portugal, but apparently failed to impress on him the fact that the diplomatic honor conferred on him was not of ambassadorial rank. The result, according to Washington despatches, was that he incurred great and needless expense by ordering "richly embossed stationary with the letterhead, "American Embassy, Lisbon, Portugal." But the quandary in which Colonel Birch is reported to be is nothing compared with that of Hon. George Fred Williams and Professor Droppers, of Williams College, both of whom have been offered and have accepted the ppst of Minister to Athens. It appears that Mr Williams received the offer from Mr Bryan and Professor Droppers from President Wilson. It is stated that the difficulty will be surmounted by Mr Williams occupying the post for 12 months and then retiring ni favor of Professor Droppers.