The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-02
OF ETIQUETTE
FOR DIPLOMATISTS
Austria IL an Old and Persistent
Offender of Other Nations.
Some Peculiar Kinks.

The recent refusal OF the emperor Of
Austria to accept an ambassador from
the United States brings to mind some
curious kinks in diplomatic etiquette.
II also serves to recall the fondness
OF the Austrian government for admin
istering slaps at those countries incur
ring her disfavor.
1t is a matter Of history that the war
OF 1859 between France and Austria
grew out Of a slight complication of
fused to meekly accept.
The case in point was when a GER
tain Herr Hubner (who commenced
life as a peddler and who had worked
his way into the diplomatic service,
originally as private messenger To
Prince M~etternich) was billeted on
France. He was considered good
enough for the court of the Tuileries.
The appointment was. on the face OF
II, a piece OF impertinence that Ma
poleon III. was not at all slow TO re-
sent. and that farther called for the
bitterest objection on the part OF the
Paris press. which was, OF course, per-
fectly familiar with the antecedents of
the ex-peddler.
Another characteristic Austrian o
and one for which she is famous
among European nations, is that of
sending to other countries as her en-
voys men who ave been guilty of
mesalliances and whose wive are not
received at the court of Vienna. where
the lines are tightly drawn in such
matters.
OF course, in many instances, these
-, Rs.NaINy .AA ..l,aV~n NrfN~nG
of great men. are entirely innocent of
any wrong-doing, but, nevertheless, II
is scarcely civil to send abroad a man
whose wife despite the fact that Aus
tria tacitly demands that she shall be
received as an ambassadress at the
capital to which her husband goes) Is
yet held to be unfit to participate in
either the court functions or social life
of Vienna.
When President Mckinley suggested
that the imperial envoy at Washington
and Charlemagne Tower, the American
minister at Vienna. be raised in rank.
il was tantamount 20 a formal demand
that Austria accept an ambassador
from the United States. and the re-
fusal to fall in with the suggestion was
consequently little short of a breach of
international courtesy.
A government can maintain an am
hassador at the capitals of only such
countries where it is represented by a
diplomat Of similar rank.
We cannot, for instance. send an
ambassador to a country that sends us
a minister plenipotentiary. To do so
would be contrary to all rules of diplo-
matte procedure.
Aside from the purely social aspect
Of the case there is no particular adj
vantage in our having ar ambassador
in Vienna. Mr.. Tower as a minister
plenipotentiary is quite as powerful
officially as he would be were he ad-
Vanced in rank.
The objections Austria urged through
Count Golouchowski, her minister Of
foreign affairs. TO President McKinley's
proposition were unique.
He announced that the objection to
Mr.. Tower as an ambassador was that
Spain. by reason Of the lively ~drubbing
just given her. would probably feel
hurt IL the social status Of our repre-
sentative was In any way Increased.
This means that in all social affairs
the United States representative. be-
cause he is a minister and not an am
bassadoT. will bring up i'm the rear of
the procession along with the ministers
from Siam, Mexico, the petty republics
Of South America, Greece and Servia.
He win not be i'm IL with the ambas-
sador from Turkey. Russia, Italy.
France, Great Britain and Germany.
or ven Spain. The representatives Of
these powers will take precedence i'm
every official or semi-oficial function
in which they all participate.
This means a good lea more than
appears on the surface to one who is
not acquainted with the nice points of
diplomatic etiquette. At all state ban
quets ambassadors are given a place at
the table OF the sovereign. while IL may
he the case OF stand up and starve with
the minister. or he will have to hustle
for what ne gets. along with the mis-
c~ellaneous mob of notable nobodies
who throng in the shadow of royalty.
This is especially h~umiliatihg TO the
United states at the Austrian court,
where Spain is represented by a full
nedged ambassador.
The reason for this difference i'm the
social Importance of an ambassador as
compared with that of a minister Is
that the former represents the person
Of the ruler of his country, while the
latter does not.
The United States has always been
slow TO claim for her representatives
the social position in Europe due their
Importance. This has been because Of
the pronounced public sentiment that
exists. based upon the not very worthy
idea hat our public servants should
be kept down at all hazards. The con-
sequence l. that we send ambassadors
only 10 the great powers Of England.
Germany. France. Russia and Italy.
and even there we maintain them in a
~niggardly fashion quite unworthy our
dignity as a nation.