The age-herald., 1900-02-02
QUESTION OF RANK IN
 WASHINGTON SOCIETY

Washington. February 1.-(Speciai)- Questions of precedence on social occa- sions are causing a great deal of worry and anxiety to hostesses in Washington just now. There has always been a greater or less amount of difficulty on these points. since the advent of ambassadors they have become far more troublesome. The ordinary American regards these things as altogether undmportant, but when one must deal with a hot of ambassadors and diplomats, all of them over-sensitive for fear some slight may be given to their na- tion through tihem, and some people in offi- clal circles have acquired a similar sensi- tiveness it can easily be seen that decisions on points of precedence become of seriius consequence. Nevertheless, it is all highly ridiculous and amusing. Why, even the president of the United States is put in an embarrassing position every now and then Rihen some such question unexpectedly de- velops.
 In matters of this kind the secretary of state is in a posltiln similar to that of the supreme court when grave and complex points of law must be decided. Tine deci- sion Of the secretary eff state is as final as that of our supreme court. Fortunately, Colonel Hay is an expert, and while his position gives him authority, lis experience and tact and good judgment make his de- cislons even more binding.
 At the diplomatic dinner the other night 1t was necessary to delay the dinner for a little while that the president Secretary Hay and Colonel Bingham of the army. who arrange such matters might consult hOpetfhpr nd arose out of the fact that the Baroness Hengelmuller, wife of the Austrian am- bassador, had inadvertently been assigned the Mexican ambassador as a dinner part her. The baroness immediately protested to her husband against going out to dinner Win the Mexican ambassador. She had not forgotten the MaxImillian incident and ob- Jected to the Mexican for that reason. After the consultation the Baroness Hem eelmuller went to dinner wSyh diplomat of lower station. She was eztisfied. how ever.
 Then John R. Mclean gave musicale the other night to meet Admiral and Mrs Dewey, and none of the anba ssadors at- tended because they had been invited to
 meet some one of lower rank than they. As the representative of the sovereign him. self an ambassador would feel it almost an snsult to accept an invitation to meet any one except the president or the vice-presi- dent. Vfce-President Hobart made a change in matters of precedent by refusing to call on amiba ssadors first. He insisted mat as next in rank to the president, cor responding to their heir apparent abroad. ambassadors should call on him first. Lord Pauncefote, the British ambassador, held out for a while and finally made the first call, so 1t was thus settled that the vice. president ranks ambassadors, and every American will agree with that.
 At the New Years day reception at the white house there came near being an em- barrassing situation. As Admiral of the Navy Dewey naturally outranks Major General Miles, commanding the army, but as on that occasion the order of calling on the president was fixed by the time of the establishment of the department, General Miles and the army officers preceded Admir- al Dewey and officers of the navy and marine corps, but for several days before the reception there was some friction, 1t being claimed on behalf of the navy that Dewey should have precedence.
 Mrs. Dewey for a while insisted that cabi- net officers and senators and their wives should call on her first because her husband was admiral, but Secretary Hay decided this veXing question in favor of the cabinet and senators, on the ground that the ad- mral was not the superior officer of the secretary of the navy, while by reason of the prior establishment of their depart ments the secretary of state, secretary of the treasury, secretary of war, attorney general and postmaster general took pre- cedence over the secretary of the navy. Then the cabinet people always make first calls on the senators for their appoin tments are made ''by and with the consent Of the senate.
 These and many other questions of pre- oedence constantly arise, and official Wash ington gossips and worries until a decision is made and then conforms to it.