Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-16
THE WORD AMERICAN
OBJECTION TO ITS SUBSTITUTION
FOR "UNITED STATES"
An Official Expresses His Opposition
to Secretary Hays Proposed
Change.

Although Secretary Hay has many sup
porters in his undertaking to substitute
American for United States.' as the
designation of the diplomatic and consular
officers of this country, there is, as might
have been expected, considerable opposition
to the plan. One elderly Official was quite
outspoken in his criticisms Of the Secre-
tary's plan, and his sentiments were echoed
by several others who were consulted on
the subject.
Favors "The United States"
II suppose I'm a mossback and an old
fogy, but all the same l am eternally op-
posed to any attempt to change the name OF
my country. 1t has been the United States
to the citizens thereof and to the world at
large ever since 1t became republic, and
its history was made and written under
that name. Mind you, put the accent on
the word The for though there may be
other countries formed of states and using
the words United States as part of their
names, the United States of Colombia, for
instance, there is but one country entitled
to the name The United States and that
is our own glorious republic, founded by
George Washington and his compatriots.
Rega rdess of their complete official desg-
nation there Is no other country than our
own that is called or known The United
States This statement applies to Colom-
bia, Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela and all other
South and Central American countries.
When the United States are referred to, it
means us, and everybody knows it. Amer
lea is continent, but our country is the
United States / am just as proud of being
an American as Secretary Hay IS, but to me
The United States means infinitely more
than does America NO one VIII dispute
the assertion that a citizen of the United
States may properly be designated an
American in conversation and in unofficial
communication, but for all official and ma
tiOnal purposes he is citizen OF the
United States of America, and the govern
ment to which he swears allegiance Is so
called in our immortal Constitution and all
laws made hereunder.
Opposes Proposed Change.
ct is reported in the newspapers that
Secretary Hay has directed that the titles
United States Ambassador United States
Minister United States Consul General,
etc. be abolished, and that hereafter these
officials be entitled American Ambassador
American Minister and American Consul
General and that on all the seals and
record books used by the United States rep
resentatives in foreign countries the long
existing nomenclature be changed to
American Embassy American Legation,
American Consulate General and so on
down the list. l doubt that Secretary Hay
has gone as far as stated. for in my opinion
he is entirely without authority to change
the official designation of any federal
office in the absence of specific legislation
to that effect. Carrying his alleged plan to
its logical conclusion Mr.. Roosevelt should
be styled President of America Judge
Fuller. Chief Justice of America and SO
on. Furthermore the great seal of the
United States would become simply the
American Seal Or the Seal of America;
all our national currency, maps and post
age stamps should be made over, our war
ships would no longer have the U. S. s..
before their names and U. S. A as applied
to the army, u. S. N to the navy, and
u. s. M. c. to the Marine Corps. would be
misnomers, and practically the nomencla-
ture of the entire national machinery would
have to be recast.
But seriously, 1 don't look for anything
of the kind, and. moreover, do not believe
that Secretary Hay has done more than
suggest the use of the word American In
all cases where 1t can be legally employed
as a substitute for the words United States
in the ordinary course of business, and then
simply on the ground of euphony."