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

The bodies of these ceremonial letters are
never written with the royal hand al
though the monarch's signature Is always
personally affixed. The kaiser's signature
is by far the record breaker in the State
Department files. both for size and flourish
Queen Wilhelmina Is one of the few mon
archs whose autographs can be distinctly
read. King Edward employs the angular
chirography characteristic Of the English.
An attendant Is evidently close at hand
with the royal blOtter ina smuch as the dim
ness of his autographs are in contrast with
the sharpness of the bodies of his letters.
Skilled chirogra phists are employed at all
European courts for the engrossing of cere-
mOnial letters These men are selected for
the neatness and uniformity rather than the
flourish of their penmanship. Letters from
Latin-American presidents are written in
copper plate Pc nmarship. some of it so fine
as to be detected from engraving only by
aid of a strong glass.
Monarchs and other executives address
our President In their native tongues AS
soon as their letters arrive they are handed
over to one Of the translators Of the State
Department and their English equivalents in
typeWrlting are affixed to them with paper
fasteners. The tsar's letters are accom-
panied by a translation in French, as are
those also of Japan
Letters from oriental monarchs are the
most picturesque communicate which the
President receives from royalty. When the
King of Corea wishes to thus address the
PRESIDENT he transmits the communication
In book form. One of these is bound in
crimson silk and is fastened together at the
back with blue silk cord.
"A ceremonial letter from the Emperor of
China might reasonably be mistaken for
one of the posters commonly seen unon Tho
walls Of celestial laundries The Characters
expressing the body of the letter are in
black, ana are arranged in fourteen ycrtf-
cal rows differing In length. Two square
seals having oriental characters within are
affixed In red ink, one of them being the
great seal of the emperor.
Royal Mourning.
Letters announcing the death of Euro-
pean royalty are edged with heavy mourn
Ing. which is employed for all ceremonial
communications issued during the period of
court mourning.
While 1t Is bad form for our home off,
Gals to address the President Ibis excel
lency." some European monarchs affix this
title to the address upon the envelopes Of
their letters. An envelope In heavy mourn
announces the recent birth of a royal Bed
gian princess, bears the inscription:
Son Excellence, Monsieur lie President
des Etats Unis d'Amerique."
Mr.. Roosevelt sees none of these royal
letters of ceremony. and this fact is well
known to their senders Nor does the chief
magistrates apparent indifference cut his
fel,ow-rulers sorely to the heart, for they
themselves never see the formal replies
which he dispatches to them. So the
whole affair Is a polite sham. like a If
teen minutes call. However, the custom
keeps many men in employment and adds
some tangible historic data to the archives
of the State Department.
Monarchs do not intrust such letters to
the ordinary channels of the public post.
To begin with. they are written in the for
eign offices of the respective governments,
taken to the palaces for the royal sigma
ture and then transmitted by special mail
n he ,hao oAnro and
ministers of the powers accredited to WASH
ington. These diplomats deliver them to
the Secretary of State. In the event Of a
death of a royal person immediate notiica-