New-York tribune., 1901-09-08
AUDIENCES.
ETIQUETTE OBSERVED WHEN OLD
WORLD RULERS RECEIVE
VISITORS

Emperor William has strong a sense of the
spectacular that no one has been surprised to
learn that he should have put forward a demand
that Prince Chun and the mobiles forming part
of the Chinese mission dispatched TO Berlin for
the purpose of presenting apologies for the
der of the German Envoy, Baron Ketteler
at Peking last year should render him the same
tokens of Difference and respect that they would
be compelled to accord to their sovereign.
the Emperor of China. 1t is not merely that
the killing of the German plenipotentiary which
is one of the gravest crimes against the law of
nations. calls for some public and signal act of
reparation; but the Kaiser's policy just now is
sorely in need OF some tangible proof of the fact
that Field Marshal Waldersee's return to Ger
many is the Homecoming of victorious COM
mander, rather than the retreat of a general
who has failed to accomplish the object which
he was sent out to the Far East to attain. No
one seems to be quite sure. either in Germany
or elsewhere, whether ii is the allies the
Chinese that have ultimately the day in
the costly military operations that have been in
progress in the district between Tien-Tsin and
Peking for more than year past, and the comic
papers of the Fatherand and of other European
countries are full of caricatures just show
ing the Chinese Dragon triumphant and glOat
ing the allies, who are represented as with
having failed to reduce the Oriental monster to
submission. or indeed. TO achieve anything save
the looting of some palaces and the lowering of
Western civilization in Eastern eyes.
OF course, a Photographic portrayal of Prince
Chun brother of the Chinese Emperor, and the
great Chinese mobiles of his mission grovelling
PROSTATE the floor before the throne Of the
Kaiser in the presence of his entire court would
go long way toward repairing the prestige of
German arms in China; would convince the Ger
man people that Field Marshal Won WaIdersee's
statements of success were really we'll founded
and would remove the doubts now entertained
regarding the stories of the Chinese Government
having been reduced to submission.
That IS why Emperor William has been so
peremptory in his demands concerning the eti-
quette to be observed by the Chinese mission on
the occasion of its first audience at the court
of Berlin, and before cOndemning him for in
sisting upon Oriental tokens of respect from his
Chinese visitors it must be borne in mind that
the Court Of ST. James during the reign of Queen
Victoria, that of the Tuileries while Napoleon
III was on the throne of France. and that of
Russia. have frequently witnessed pageants of
analogous character; that is TO say, the ap-
proach of Oriental embassies to the throne ac-
cording to the servile forms of etiquette in use
in their own countries. cursory glance
through the pages of the French and English
illustrated newspapers Of fifteen years ago will
show pictures portraying the ambassadors Of
the King of Burmah crawling on all fours to the
foot of the throne which Napoleon III and
Empress Eugenie were seated. while can re-
call picture in The Illustrated London News
representing a Nepaulese embassy concediug
similar tokens OF Oriental respect 10 Queen Vic
toria and her husband the Prince Consort.
Moreover out in India. Lord Curzon, the British
Vceroy. exacts in the same way as his prede-
cessOrs the strict observance on the part Of
native princes and dignitaries Of the etiquette
customary among OTientals. even when its en-
forcement appears at first sight contrary TO the