Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1885-05-28
Mr.. Phelps's Diplomatic Rank.
Of the New York Tribune.

Correspondent Of the New York Tribune.
LONDON. April 28.
1t may be interesting TO point out the
precise place In the order of diplom attic
precedence which Mr.. Phelps will occupy
on his arrival at the Court of st, James.
As he is not an Ambassador, he comes.
of course, after all the Ambassadors; Of
whom there are at this moment seven,
Turkey having two. The senior MEM
Der of the entire diplomatic BODY is a
Turk, an .unspeakabls Turk, Musurus
Paeha, Count Munster, whose quarrel
with Bismark has led to neither his res
ignati0n nor removal, comes next: then
Count KarOlyi, the AustrO Hungarian,
who is followed by Count Nigra, of Italy,
who is one step before M. Waddington,
the Ambassador OF the French Republic,
who Immediately proceeds Nj. de Staal,
of Russia; to whom succeeds the special
Ambassador of the Sublime Porte, Has
san Fehmi Paeha.
That closes the list of Ambassadors.
The first in the list of Ministers is Count
de Bylandt, the popular envoy of the
Netherlands; the second is Baron Sol
elyus, the not less popular Belgian. For
the third you must 60 all the way to
Persia, long represented by Prince NAL
colin Khan, and from Persia all the way
to Brazil fol the fourth-the well-known
Baron dc Psned0, with a social reputa-
tiOH of his own. Portugal comes next
but one to her ancient dependency Spain
intervening, and Sweden following.
Then the list descends in order through
the Ministers of Salvador, China, Guats-
mala and the Argentine Republic to Mr..
Lowell. But in Mr.. LOwell's departure
the United States loses its present proud
position after Guatemala and the Argen-
tine Republic. Denmark steps in, and
after Denmark, Colombia (suppOsing Ad-
miral JOuett not to have eXtinguished
her meantime); then Roumania, Chilli,
Mexico, Siam. 1t IL worth pausing in
this downward scale to note that Slam
is represented by His Royal HighneSs
KrOm Nun Mares Varariddhi, name
which affectiOnately commend to the
closest selicitude of the proof reader.
We resume with Costa Rica, proceed
with Venezuela, and go on by way Of
Hayti. Servia, Japan and Urugary.
Last Of all will come Mr.. Phelps as
Minister of the United States Of America.
He will be entitled TO an uninterrupted
view of the backs Of twenty three Minis.
tiers and seven Ambassadors at Court
and elsewhere. When he calls upon
Lord Granville, at the Foreign Office,
seven Ambassadors and twenty-three
Ministers will have the right to 90 in
before him. The business of the United
States cannot be transacted till the
affairs of Guatemala. of Costa Riea and
of Hayti have been disposed Of. Saliva
dor is to be heard before her; she will
walt upon the good pleasure of Siam;
the worldwide interests of the king
dOms of Servia and ROumania may claim
q full discussion before the ear Of the
British Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs is open to the trivial concerns of
the petty Republic beyond the Atlantic,
with its fifty odd millions of people.
1t is perhaps, obvious that diplomatic
precedence is not determined by such
slight considerations az the relative i'm
pOrtance of the Powers represented, 1t
Is determined first by rank. An Ambas-
sador is being superior to Minister,
and any Ambassador goes before any
Minister, alike in matters of ceremony
and matters of business. Seniority is
the only other condition of precedence.
Tke Ambassador who has been here
longest takes precedence of all his col
leagues, who follow according to the
dates of their appointments; or, l sup
pose, strickly speaking, their credentials.
The rule is the same with Ministers.
When Mr.. Phelps arrives, the Vermont
lawyer of sixty will be-f0r all official
and social and ceremonial purposes
tho Youngest diplomatist at the Court of
st. James, absolutely last on the official
List of the Foreign Ministers at this
Court in the order Of their Precedence
in each class" as the Lord Chamberlain
phrases it. All other Powers change their
Ministers less frequently than we do,
he will climb upward but slowly. 1t
rests, nevertheless. with the United
States to say whether he shall remain
at the bottom Of this long roll Of infe-
rior plenjpotsntiarIes. The moment
Congress chooses to enlarge the Legation
into an Embassy, the American Ambas-
sador will take his place with other Am
bassadOrs. There are usually six; an
American would therefore be one of
seven who rank above all Ministers and
ether diplomatic agents. Failing this
he will remain for an indefinite period
as bob to the diplomatic kite.
Running Cars by Compressed Air.