20 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE-VIII 



so enormously in matters of this kind at all European 

 capitals, and especially in Russia. This condition of 

 things has since been modified by the change of the lega 

 tion into an embassy ; but, as no house has been provided, 

 the old difficulty remains. The United States has not the 

 least chance of success, and under her present shabby 

 system never will have, in closely contested cases, with 

 any of the great powers of the earth. They provide fitly 

 for their representatives ; the United States does not. The 

 representatives of other powers, being thus provided for, 

 are glad to remain at their posts and to devote themselves 

 to getting a thorough mastery of everything connected 

 with diplomatic business; American representatives, 

 obliged, as a rule, to take up with uncomfortable quarters, 

 finding their position not what it ought to be as compared 

 with that of the representatives of other great powers, and 

 obliged to expend much more than their salaries, are gen 

 erally glad to resign after a brief term. Especially has 

 this been the case in St. Petersburg. The terms of our 

 representatives there have generally been very short. A 

 few have stayed three or four years, but most have stayed 

 much shorter terms. In one case a representative of the 

 United States remained only three or four months, and in 

 another only six weeks. So marked was this tendency 

 that the Emperor once referred to it in a conversation with 

 one of our representatives, saying that he hoped that this 

 American diplomatist would remain longer than his pre 

 decessors had generally done. 



The action of the Russian authorities in the Behring 

 Sea question, which is directly traceable to the superior 

 policy of Great Britain in maintaining a preponderating 

 diplomatic, political, and social influence at the Russian 

 capital, cost our government a sum which would have 

 bought suitable houses in several capitals, and would have 

 given to each American representative a proper staff of 

 assistants. I have presented this matter with reluctance, 

 though I feel not the slightest responsibility for my part 

 in it. I do not think that any right-minded man can blame 



