A DIPLOMATIC SCANDAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13048, 13 December 1905, Page 1 (Supplement)

A DIPLOMATIC SCANDAL.

«- REVEALED 'X A BRITISH AMBAS- '. SADOR'S BOOK. A VEJiv interesting diplomatic scandal is revealed by Sir Horace Rumbold in his book just published, Final Recollections of a Diplomatist." Sir Horace complains that while ho was Minister at Tin; Hague he was overlooked fur promotion, while in four years five Embassies were given to men junior to him in the service. So systematically was he passed over that ho made in 1891 cautious inquiries through foreign diplomatic friends, and learned that it was reported in London that he had attempted to forco his way on to a railway station platform and knocked down a railway porter.

The only shadow of foundation for this yarn, Sir Horace, says,, was that live years before he had left, a railway station and given up his ticket, when he was told by his footman that his wife and child hail come to meet him. He tried to re-enter the platform to find them, was roughly seized by a ticket collector, who, when he'shook him off, hit out with his fists. The Dutch Minister for Foreign Affairs apologised to the* Minister for the rudeness of the railway official, but the story got distorted and transmitted to London. It. next appeared in the conversation of a British Ambassador at a foreign capital, who informed a Dutch lady that the reason Sir Horace was not promoted was that he had had.a violent altercation with a Court. Chamberlain at some Court function at The, Hague, and had Very nearly come to blows with him. •'> ■'■

Sir Horace brought the matter to the notice of Queen Emma of Holland, who expressed the, greatest regret at hearing of these fabrications,' and promised to contradiet them at, the English Court. Sir Horace suggests that the-original person who transformed tho ticket collector into

the Court Chamberlain was an English lady connected with the. Dutch Court, who was by accident kept out of her usual seat at the memorial service for the Duke of Clarence which was held at the English Church in Amsterdam in 1591.

Sir Horace was.ultimately, promoted to Vienna, which is one of the prizes of diplomatic life. ''