AMBASSADORS' PAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15249, 12 March 1913, Page 11

AMBASSADORS' PAY.

Br retiring from the post of British Ambassador to the United States in favour of ■ Sir Cecil Spring-Rice, Mr. Bryce has relinquished a salary of £10,000 a year. The post, however, . is in no sense a sinecure, for, apart from the responsibility of steering a middle course through complicated international affairs, the expanses attached to the position are very heavy. It has been said that only a rich man can be an Ambassador, for he spends more than he is paid in maintaining the dignity of his country; and this to a great extent is true, for it is essential that an Ambassador shall entertain freely and largely during his term of office. The £10,000 received by our Ambassador at Washington, however, is not the largest salary paid. Sir Francis who has been our Ambassador in Paris ainoe 1905, receives the largest £16,000, although formerly it was only £9000. Jj» Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary our Ambassadors receive £8000 each; in Italy,. £7000 in Spain, £5500 and in Japan, £5000. . In addition to their salaried, Ambassadors are provided by the Government with an official residence, and the British Embassies in Paris, Berlin, and St. Petersburg are , very palatial buildings. British Ambassadors are, generally speaking, more highly paid than those of any other codntry. In Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Rome, and St. Petersburg the French Ambassadors receive from £4800 to £8000 annually, and occupy official residences and offices owned or leased by their Government. Ambassadors of Austria-Hungary in these great European capital® receive about the same as those of Great Britain, the salaries rang--1 ing from £6200 to £9000 annually. The Russian Ambassadors are paid £6400 to ' £8000 annually, and the Italian Ambassa- ' dors from £4400 to £4600. The poorest .paid Ambassadors of all are some of those from America. As a matter of fact, a ' short time ago a Bill was introduced in Congress for the purpose of increasing ' their salaries and placing them on a level ' with other Ambassadors in that respect. It was pointed out that the > United States I Ambassador to France, for instance, has a . salary of £3500, and that, in addition to receiving only about on6-fifth of tllo salary ' paid to the British Ambassador, the diplomatic representative of the American Goi vernment must furnish his own quarters, , . In fit. Petersburg the' German Ambassador l is being paid £7000 a year, and will shortly £ gqcupx ft SSpj&S