Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-12
THESE ARE BUSY / DAYS
There is Lots Going On in
the Diplomatic World.
A BATTLE 3OE' BRAINS
THE WAR HAS STARTED THINGS
UP WITH A VIM.
How Secretary Hay Receives His Call
ers-Ambassadors and Ministers
Etiquette That Prevails.
Written for The Evening Star.

| Written for The Evening Star
Uncle Sans diplomacy mill is working
overtime these beligerent days The war
| In the east has caused no end of extra
toll for the officials and employees of our
| smallest yet most conspicuous executive
department, over which John Hay, the one
| time private secretary of Lincoln presides
| Thursday is the day when the diplomat tic
| chessboard rattles with. greatest din, for
| since the time Hamilton Fish came to take
| up the portfolio of state the fifth day of
| each week has been set aside as "diplo-
mat1c day. Then all ambassadors, min
| listers and charges daffaires accredited to
| TINS republican court are assured an au-
| dience with the premier of the cabinet be-
| tween the hours. of 10 am. and pm Other
| Gays they may come, If they wish, but must
| take their chances at finding the Secretary
| OF state at the White House or absent on
other official errands of import And other
days they do come. Every day, in fact
during these stirring times, they troop in
But II on diplomatic day you post yourself
outside with your kodak loaded Tor big
game you can generally bag good flock.
his eXcellency the ambassador, Mr.. Min
lister and Mr.. Charge d'Affaires are boosted
| one floor in the State Department elevator
and step one by one into the diplomatic
ante-room, near Secretary Hays office
Here Eddie Savoy, the diplomatic messen-
ger, takes their coats and hats while an
other attendant carries their cards to the
head of the cabinet
II the diplomats waiting their turn in the
ante-room be all of equal rank-if they all
be ministers, for example-they are re-
ce1ved in the order of their arrival But
II there be ten ministers seated in the lit
tie waiting chamber when an ambassador
ic 1r,,tt tod hx ty,D
rotary ahead of them, because an ambassa.
dor is the personal representative of his
sovereign-s, technically that sovereign
himself.
Cassini's Advantage.
1t is here that his excellency, Comte Cas-
SIM, dean of the diplomatic corps, master
of the imperial court of Russia, and more
especially ambassador of the tsar may
score an advantage over Mr.. Kogoro Taxa
hlra, minister of Japan Mr.. Takahira.
after cooling his heels ON the ante-rc ON
floor for an hour may just reach his turn
when the big, whitehafred, be-monocled
comte comes saunteriug in and may see
the tsar's personal representative whisk by
him into the Secretary S presence in time tc
upset some scheme which he has tucked up
his sleeve. Or. if the tsar may wish some
thing of import communicated directly to
the ear of Theodore Roosevelt, the comte
may carry his errand to the inmost sane
Eied to Mr.. Takahira simply because he is
a mere minister. But to the pro-Japanese
enthusiast who may cry that this seems
unfair. let it be said that it is the fault o.
the island empire itself that such 4 cord
ton exists. If the mikado's government
elects to elevate its mission here to the
dignity of an embassy, why then, as be-
tween the Russian and Japanese erVoys.
the rule of first come first served" will
obtain. 49,
But on diplomatic days ministers are not
50 embarrassed If they recover sufficiently
from the good times of the night before to
hop out of their pajamas early. urge their
Wallets to dress them with dispatch AID
appear in the diplomatic ante-room AT III
o'clock sharp. Such cry arose from min
listers some few years ago over this very
question that genial Lord Pauncefote, the
then dean of the diplomatic corps, saw fit
to gather all of the ambassadors together
and got them to agree not to call at the
State Department before noon on diplomatic
days, that the small fry among the corps
might have chance.
How Received.
Secretary Hay does not receive these dip
lomatic callers in his Office. He must guar
antee to each confidential tete-a-tete
without danger of interruption annoy
ance-or the possibility of eavesdroppng.
Hence an apartment adjacent to the Secre-
tary's office is reserved for these receptions.
Across. its threshold none but the, duly &C
credited ENJOYS or. charges daffaires of
foreign powers may pass on diplomatic
days.
This apartment-long narrow and well
lighted-is appointed to kings taste, and
only the state parlOrs of the White House
can be compared with 1t. Its ceiling and
walls are beautifully frescoed, and it's inlaid
floor is covered with costly rugs from the
orient 1t abounds with sofas and chairs
upholstered in tapestry, and at either end
rests massive table, on one OF which
treaties are customarily signed. From the
three sides look down Oil portraits of our
ex-Secretaries of State. and through the
rich draperies of the windows may be seen
the Virginia hills across the Potomac. Near
the center of the room stands large globe
handsomely mounted, globe whose bound
aries are being altered these days by some
of the very hands which touch it.
The "Note Verbal"
Secretary Hay is always prompt on dip
lomatic days. He stands ready to receive
the first visitor to enter the diplomatic re-
ception room Each ambassador he for
mally greets as "Your Excellency;" each
minister as "Mr Minister" He converses
with most of the diplomats in French. this
being the diplomatic language of the world
So long as other callers are waiting he ex-
poets his guests to be brief and to the point.
He remembers each detail of the conversa-
ton and soon as each envoy has depart
ed he retires for a moment to his office,
summons his private secretary and die
tates mote verbal''-a memorandum con-
tanning the import of the interview This
is tucked away in the confidential archieyes
of his office and is retained there for refer
ence until the time comes to publish blue
book upon the negotiation.
History is made in this diplomatic room
every week. 1t is here also that newly ar
rived diplomats in court dress first present
their credentials with speeches and great
ceremony and it is here that some have re-
cey66 their 'walkinp with
ceremony. One of the most stirring scenes
which ever took place therein was that
between Secretary Gresham and Minister
Thurston of Hawaii. which ended in Mr.
Gresham's requesting Mr.. Thurston not to
call at the State Depaltment again and
that only written communications from him
would be thereafter received.
Warning Factions Meet.
All factions OF the diplomatic corps rub
elbows in the diplomatic anteroom. Baron
Ladislaus Hengelmhller Won Hengervar,
privy councillor of lilfs Emperor Franz