The San Francisco call., 1897-04-23
SIR JULIAN IS
VERY PhRT|CUL-A
Refuses to Take a Seat
urther Back Than
Hobart.
But a Scheme Is Arranged to
PlaCate the ambassador
From England.
Diplomats at the Grant Monument
Services to Be Treated as "Dls-
tinguished Spectators"

WASHINGTON, D. c. April 22.-Sir
Julian Pauncefote is TO be placaled, the
dignity of the Vice Presidential office
MAIN aimed and the State Department
made happy. After all the fuss over
whether Sir Julian or the Vice. President
shall sit to the right OF left of President
Mckinley at The Grant monument cere-
monies the department has evaded the
important question of precedence and left
it to be settled at some future official oc-
casion-distantly future, the department
hopes. The evasion in the form of the
tenn porary expedient is intended to please
every body. Whether everybody will be
pleased is another story, to be told after
the ceremonies are over. Just how far Sir
Julian appeared in the controversy has
not been fully explained. But certainly
Secretary Sherman and some of the State
Department officials have been deeply
concerned and willing to grasp anything
affording an opportunity for harmonious
settlement.
That opportunity presented itself to-day
at the weekly diplomatic reception. One
OF the En- bassadors or Ministers, exactly
who Is not known, made the suggestion,
apparently in behalf of the diplomatic
corps. His plan for settlement was in the
form OF a compromise. He suggested that
the first point involved whether the four
EN- bassadors to the United States as per-
sonal representatives of their sovereigns
should be ahead of the Vice President in
the principal parade. be disposed of by
leaving the entire diplomatic corps out Of
the line, allowing them to proceed to
do Dor l.
Just is they go to the Capitol on Inaugural
ton days, and that the other and more
embarrassing question about seating Ho-
bart and the ambassadors be arranged by
giving the diplomats positions as ''distin-
guished spectators" not as official func-
tionaries.
Just how Sir Julian views the temporary
expedient is unknown. He denied to-day
that he made a protest about the question
of precedence. Some OF the En- basss-
doris friends" TO quote published state.
ment headed by Sir Julian's denial, have
also had something to say. These anony-
nous friends" declare the report that Sir
Julian did not attend the dinner gwen by
the venera BILE Gardiner Hubbard because
the Vice President was to have the place
of honor is untrue. As il is positively known
that Sir Julian did raise a ques stion OF
precedence on that occasion and would
not attend because Hobart was put ahead
of him at the table the deniaIs are viewed
with surprise. Sir Julian is very hearty,
distinguished looking English gentleman
who has made himself very popular here,
but there are some people in official soci-
ETY. who resent any attempt of a foreign
representative to claim q position of
greater importance than the Vice-Presi-
dent.
Gentlemen who have been acquain ted
with every phase of the controversy said
to- day that unless something unexpected
happened Sherman would write to the
Grant Monument Committee explaining
how the Vice-President and EN- mbassadors
should be located. If Sir Julian is agree
able there will be no further trouble.
Hobart will sit with Mckinley in the off :
cials' seats, and the dipom attic corps will
he placed in the space devoted to the ''dis-
tinguished spectators, with Sir Julian in
the place of honor. This arrangement,
however. makes it necessary that every
body concerned shall shut their eyes to
the fact that foreign Governments were
invited to participate in the ceremonies
But diplomacy is not unused to such ex-
Incidents.