As the U.S. Marine Band plays in a ceremonial hall of gilt and stone this morning, a soldier from each of the NATO alliance's 19 countries will carry the country's flag to a carpeted stage. Presidents and prime ministers will take seats on the dais, ready with brief remarks. A thunderous flyby of NATO fighter jets has been scrapped as an overly cinematic touch no longer befitting an alliance at war. So have the colorful military formations on Constitution Avenue and the grand arrivals of the NATO leaders at the banner-draped Old Customs Building. At an uncertain moment in the alliance's history, with bombs falling on Yugoslavia and ethnic Albanian refugees streaming from burning villages, this is an inconvenient time to crow.
Celebration is out.
Commemoration is in. The stagecraft of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's 50th anniversary meeting is a persistent challenge, a target that refuses to keep still. Conceived as a party with a purpose, the largest-ever gathering of foreign leaders in Washington will now be more work than play. For organizers, the shifting context creates a need to style a conference that hits the high notes but doesn't linger on them. Attire at the two White House dinners will be business dress, not black tie.