New-York tribune., 1894-04-29

keeping the person to whom they speaking
al distance and in hia proper place. There are
some potentates. indeed who even go go far
to assume almost baby voice. as If speaking TO
a child. when addressing inferior and wishing
to be particularly amiable and pleasant With
the Prince of Wales. however, there is no neces-
need Of affecting cond-sccnsion. and when he does
condescend he conceais the fact with the greatest
delicacy and tact With all this he is the last
one to tolerate presumption: but so careful and
diplomatic is his manner. that he has scarcely
ever been exposed thereto. or called upon to re-
press ii.
The distaste for uniforms is characteristically
English and has contributed not a little to
identify the Prince with his mothers subjects.
English army and navy officers display the ut
most antipathy to being seen anywhere in uni
form when off duty. 1t rs considered bad form.
and TO such an extent is this the case that there
are several clubs in Pail Mall and st. Jamcs's-
one Of them even a service club-where
the rules expressly forbid any officer 10 appear
on the premises in reglmentals. This dates back
TO the days following the battle Of Waterloo i'm
the early part of the century Sickened by war
and all the miseries and burdens that the word
implies the people of England were exceedingly
alarmed lest their government should be tempted
TO follow the example OF Continental monarchies
and to retain under immense standing
armies With view 10 removing this sentiment
and Of quieinG the popular fears. the Old Duke
of Wellington gave orders that none of the Off
GERS should be seen anywhere In public in regl-
mentals. save when engaged duty. This
practice thus originated has gradually become n
recognized and permanent rule Of conventional
ity in the army we'll as in the navy. and
officers guilty of infringing II are taxed not only
by their comrades but also by the civilian ele-
ment Of society, with being guilty OF bad taste
and breeding
But without uniforms European royalty would
be deprived OF one of Its principal means Of inter-
changing cOurtesies. For II is customary that
SOvereignS and princes of the blood when visit
ing another should don the uniforms Of
each others country. That is to say. when the
Emperor OF Germany comes 10 Vienna he puts
on an Austrian uniform. while Emperor Francis
Joseph. to receive him. arrays himself In the regi
mentals Of the Prussan corps Of which he Is
an honorary commander. In olden times II was
considered the proper thing for two gentlemen
on meeting to begin and conclude their address
with the words. Your most humble servant. sir"
The dOnning of one another's livery may be
garded the modern amplihcatiOn by roy
atty Of this somewhat antquated and al
most obsolete form of sautation. II owes
It's origin t. King Frederick the Great.
monarch whose life Is more associated
with feats Of than with the initiation
Of the rules Of delicaCy and etiquette In 40
he had to pay visit to the Emperor os Austria
at the castle Of Neustadt in Moravia. II was
only seven years before that Prussia had been
engaged in her great struggle with the Empire
and had thoroughly beaten Austria Frederick
feared that the tOO-familiar blue PrusSan uni
form might awaken unpleasant memories. so he
and all his STAFF appeared at Neustadt In uni
forms that were almost entirely identical with
those of the Austrian army. 1t was a cOmpli-
ment which a victor could afford to pay 10
gallant foe, and not only was II warmly appre-
ciated. but il has now become one Of the most
generally recognized and delicate forms Of royal
and imperial compliment EX-ATTACIIE