Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-06

tion Ii made to the State Department BY
cur diplomatic representative accredited to
the afflicted court The State Department
Immediately wires the Presidents condo
lence. Births and marriages In royal
houses are not thus reported by telegraph
as well as by mail.
1t is contrary to our traditions to initiate
any of this ceremonial correspondence.
other than letters accredittng or recall
ing diplomatic representatives. we never
announce by letter or otherwise death.
birth or marriage in the presidential
family. but etiquette of course demands
that the President acknowledge all cere
monial letters which he receives and that
he frame them as nearly as practicable ac-
coTding to the forms held sacred among the
older nations.
Formula Of Reply.
Absolute formulate have been adopted for
all forms CT our ceremonial letters Mr..
Sydney Y. Smith, chief Of the diplomatic
bureau. State Department. Is Uncle Sans
authority as to these forms. 1t is he who
actually does all of the Presidents letter.
writing. so far as royalty is concerned.
Great and Good Friend Is the form Of
address which he employs for all ceremonial
letters in reply to announcements or royal
deaths. births and marriages.
May God have your majesty in His wise
keeping. Your Good Friend. Theodore
Roosevelt" Is the form Of closing Such
Theodore Roosevelt. President OF the
United States. To his majesty. etc, etc"
Each sovereign must. however. be ad-
dressed according to his preferred FORM
For example. recent letter to the Emperor
of Austria was commenced latter the Gus
tomary heading Theodore Roosevelt. etc.
as follows: ITO His Majesty, Francis Jo-
seph. Emperor of Austria King of Bohemia,
Portugal must be addressed His Most
Faithful Majesty" the King of Spain, His
Catholic Majesty" Emperor William, His
Imperial and Royal Majesty A president
Of republic is addressed His EXcellency.
Presidents Penman.
An expert penman, Mr. E. B. Russ, is en-
ployed in the diplomatic bureau to write
all of these ceremonial letters coming from
the President. 1t is difficult to distin-
guish his chirography from the most
delicate steel engraving. He employs
the finest Of pens and the blacklist of inks
upon special quality Of gilt-edged paper.
cut In sheets larger than foolscap. Each
finished sheet is sent to the White House
by messenger. The President hurriedly at
fixes his big: scrawling signature. Then
the sheet Is returned to the State
Department to be countersigned by
Secretary Hay. 1t is finally placed in ar
envelope, which latter must be sealed with
the great seal of the United States. Before
the missive is mailed copy Is made by
clerk. The two are dispatched to our dip
lomatic representative at the foreign court,
who Is instructed to deliver the copy to the
minister Of foreign affairs and the original
to the monarch "in such fashion as may
be most agreeable"
The body of President Roosevelt's letter
acknowledging notification of the English
princes birth will read follows:
Il have received your letter announcing
the birth Of son to your imperial house
l cordially participate in the pleasure which
the happy event has afforded to your mai
esty's imperial family. May God have you
in His wise keeping. etc"
Ceremonial letters announcing their sue
ceSsion are sent out by most of the presi-
dents of republics. but this custom does not
obtain in this country.
Almost much red tape is required in
the fixing Of the great seal of the United
States to these letters as in actually franz
ing and preparing them. The great seal
is kept locked in a cabinet in the office of
Chief R. B. Mosher of the bureau of ap-
pointments. State Department. 1t is one
of Mr. Mosher's functions to insure against
the falling of any impressions from the
seal into the hands of private individual.
The law is explicit in stating that the i'm
preston shall not be affixed to any instru-
ment without the special warrant of the
President. Accompanying each ceremonial
letter delivered for sealing is a printed
form of warrant signed by the President
and stating the destination of the letter.
The printing of the warrant is in script
and in important cases the penman of the
department fills it out SO skillfully that the
insertion and original can hardly be dis
one from the other.
The envelope of the letter is glued fast
IN the usual way, the impression of the
seal being made only upon a large white
wafer ~ inches in diameter, with scall6ped
edge. This wafer is first cut from a spe-
cha. brand of heavy paper by die which
bites 1t from one of the sheets supplied.
The sealed wafer is then glued to the flap
or the letter. There Is but one case known
where an impression Of the great seal was
ever given to private individual. He OBJ
tanned it fer some historical purpose by
special act of Congress.