Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-07
THE SWALLOW W-TAILS
Have Caused Any Amount of Worry
Among American Diplomats.
STORIES BY FOUR EX-MINISTERS.
Governor Curtin's, Experience at q Morn
ing Diplomatic Funeral.
HOW Mr.. WARD FOOLED THE cHINAMaN
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DIsrATcH.1

| OAhATOGA, OepItIuDeE IA IcLlai hdu1o
meeting occurred in the lobby of the Grand
Union Hotel here this morning. Four
noted Americans who have represented the
United States at four of the worlds great
est courts casually came together, and for
an hour chatted of their diplomatic ex-
perience.
There at the right was Governor Curtin,
of Pennsylvania, who, six feet tall and gray
haired, mas to-day as bright a blue eye and
as vigorous frame as when he hobnobbed
with Gortchokoff and counseled with the
Gar, at the Court Of Russia, over decade
ago. Opposite him in black clothes and a
derby hat as straight as a string and with
blood full of iron, stood John E. Ward,
who was the first Minister to China this
country ever had, and represented US at
Peking in the days of President Buchanan.
Next to Ward was that youngest of our
American ex-diplomats, Mr.. Oscar Straus,
| of New York, who made famous reputa-
ton as our last Minister to Constantinople,
and last, but not least, there was General
Alexander R. Lawton, of Georgia, whom
| Cleveland sent to Vienna after the trouble
with Kelley, and whose arrival acted like
| oil on the troubled waters of American and
Austrian diplomacy.
CURTIN'S FUNERAL EXPERIENCE.
| The regulation fixed by the State De-
partment is that all our ministers shall ap-
| pear at the foreign courts in the black swal-
lowtail coats, low cut vests and black trous-
ers, known here as "evening Dress, and
which Congress has specified as "the simple
| dress of an American citizen"
"That regulation" said Governor Curtin,
sis a piece OF demagogery of Buncomblsm,
| and snobberv. It ought never to have been
| adopted. 1t clothes the American Ambas-
| sador in the dress OF a head servant or a
| waiter, and it submits him to perpetual an
| noyance and humiliation. I remember that
shortly after arrived at st. Petersburg
one of the ministers of the foreign legations
| died, and was invited with the rest of the
| diplomatic corps to the funeral.
SIT was in the morning and it was bitter
| cold. The ceremonies were in cold church,
| and the body for some reason was not put in
a coffin but was laid upon a board. When
I arrived there that morning, in the even
| ing dress had to wear, I found the rest Of
the diplomats in their uniforms of state. A
man came around with candles, He offered
me one, but saw no use for candles, and
did not take it. I saw, however. that the
rest of the diplomats took the candles, and
the Belgium Minister who was near me
asked me why had not taken one. I told
him knew nothing of the custom, and had
refused.
HELPED OUT BY A BELGIAN.
"I fear they will be offended at you, and
you should have one lighted when we
march around the corpse
But what am I to do?' said I. 1T is
now too late, and the candle man has gone
I will give you mine,' was the minis
ter's reply. They will not notice me from
the fact 1 am like the other ministers and
have uniform. You are conspicuous by
your evening dress and would surely be no.
ticed.' And with that he gave me his can
die and stepped behind me.
'"Travelers ought to respect the customs OF
7 the countries they travel in," Governor
Curtin went on. "It is the veriest snob-
berry to attempt to force our ideas and man.
| ners upon other nations, and no one but
| fool would think of trying to do so. re-
member Goldfish aristocrat who called upon
me while was Minister. He had letters to
me and endeavored to treat him well. I
soon found that he had more money than
brains, and 1 was anxious to get rid of him.
His own foolishness helped me out. 1t is,
you know, the custom in Russia for all men
to take off their hats when the Emperor
passes them on the street, and the Russian
women often bow themselves to the pave
ment in salutation. This is imperative, and
it is universally observed.
PERMITTED TO LEAVE.
"The day after this man arrived we were
walking along the street together, and saw
from the commotion that the Emperor was
coming. I told the man to take off his hat.
and as His Majesty passed, in company with
the rest, uncovered my head. I knew the
Emperor and caught his eve. I saw he was
displeased at something, and turning to my
American friend was surprised to see that
he, of all that crowd, had his hat on. I was
angry and said. What do you mean, and
why dld you not take off your hat?'
"'Oh, replied he, 4 am an American
citizen, and take off my hat to no man or
kingr
"'You don't, don't you?' said I, well,
you do very unmannerly thing in not
doing so. Would not you take off your hat
to the President Of the United States if he
bowed to your
"'I don't know said the fool, st would
depend on whether knew him and who he
was.'
"'Well, I would said I, whoever he
was. If I saw him coming out of poor
house or a hencoop, would uncover nv
head as he passed. And I would inform
YOU, young man, that you have to- day CON-
mitted an act of discourtesy, which is dis
grace to your American citizenship, and
you may be very thankful if this is the last
you hear of it. 1t was not, however, the last
we heard of 1t. I received a note from the
Cars foreign Office the next morning.
very polite note-in French-which read:
Your friend with the hat (nentioning the
name of the MANI will be permitted to leave
st. Petersburg and Russia within "a hours
Such a permission from the King was
equivalent to command, and the man had
to CO."
EPISODE AT VIENNA.
General Lawton was the next talker. Said
he: Speaking of the dress of our diplomats,
l am comparatively poor man, but as
sure you, gentlemen, have seen the time
when would have given $1,000 for the
right to wear my Generals uniform at the
Viennese Court. 1 had once most remark
able interview with the great Archduke AL
bert, the son OF the famous Archduke
Charles. He was q magnificent looking
man, and when was presented to him he
drew himself up to the full height of his SIX
feet, clicked his heels together, and made
the courtly military salute of the Austrian
General, and said he was glad to meet me,
that he had followed the fortunes of our
great Civil War, and that there was no man
he admired SO much as General Grant. I
had then to explain that 1 had fought on
the other side of the late unpleasantness,
and that was General of the South and
not of the North.
Like a fash he saw his mistake, and
again his heels went together, and with an
other magnificent bow he said: Indeed.
You made a rare fight, and the military
world OF Europe has learned much from the
masterly maneuvers of Lee and Jackson
I then said: But, Your Excellency, that is