New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-20
PRECEDENT FOR RULERS.
French Comments on President
Roose0eIts kilograms.


President Roosevelt's cable messages in reply
to the congratulations sent to him by the various
heads of state on the occasion Of the conclusion
of peace at the Portsmouth conference elicit
widespread comment from the leading political
writer's in the French newspapers. In diplomatic
circles the address and style adopted by the
President are highly commended. and. in the
opinion Of NJ. Delcasse and NJ. Hanotaux, ex-
Ministers of Foreign Affairs. as well as of Sen
ators d Estournelles de Constant. Clemenceau.
Saint-Cermain and Hebrard. the simple wording
Of the Presidential messages creates something
approaching revolution. and offers a precedent
that should be followed by the Chief Magistrate
of the French republic. who. in accordance with
the protocol" stin adheres to the courtIy
phraseoIogy of the monarchy.
It is noted that President Loubet addresses
President Roosevelt as your exceHency," while
the latter in his reply uses with true republican
simplicity the coroquiaI personal pronoun you.
NJ. Leon Bailby. in a leading article on the sub
1ect in La Presse,' expresses regret that the
French republic should be far behind the
times as to retain the diplomatic verbiage Of the
dynastic regime which the leaders of our parlia-
mentary majority profess to hold in such AFFECT
abhorrence" NJ Bai1by goes on to say that
''excellency" is nowadays a mere commonplace
expression. assumed by little one horse Egyptian
beys and minor funCtionaries. and. although in
usage for Ambassadors. is nevertheless alto
gether inadequate when applied TO head Of
state. The consensus of French opinion is that
President Roosevelt was right in discarding the
formula OF 'excenency in addressing his col
league. the President of the French republic.
It is also joyfully recorded by the Partisan
editorial writer's that President Loubet when
writing TO the Emperor Of Russia. to the King
of F-r71re
employs the pronouu you" but invariably ad-
dresses them In the third person making use Of
the term your majesty" President Roosevelt.
imb ued with the genuine spirit of liberty, demo-
cratic dignity and fraternity, treats the SOW
ereigns on Z footing Of equality, with the I'M
pretentfous. businessIike you" stripped Of IN
republican obsequtousness Liberal organs, such
as the "Rappel." the Steele the Petite Re
pubque' and the "Matin urge the President
of the French republic to follow President
Roosevelt's example in this respect
Diplomatic formalities, like straws, often show
from which direction the wind blows. The
"GauIois" the 'Liberte." the "Eclair'' and the
"Presse" attach great Importance to two tele-
grams exchanged between President LOubet and
Emperor Nicholas President Loubet, after con-
graduating the Gar on the great wisdom
evinced by his majesty in the work of peace at
Portsmouth, adds: France the ally Of Russia,
is reiofced to see the war that has been Illus
trated by so many heroic deeds. terminates by
such an honorable peace" The Car replied TO
President Loubet with frigtd precision. which
as NJ Ernest Judet says would at any other
moment have provoked popular emotion" The
message of Emperor Nicholas was worded as
follows: Very sensible TO the feelings Csenti-
ment) expressed in your telegram Of yesterday,
I sincerely thank you for It. Nicholas" It is
needless to point out that the word alliance,
even since the visit Of the French feet to Cron-
stadt, eight years ago, has been an obligatory
expression in all public messages between the
Gar and the President Of the French republic
The son Of Alexander III, who found this pact
in his inheritance. religtously adhered to the
phraseology adopted by his Ilustrious father
Nicholas II delighted in repeating the significant
word alliance" as a sort Of warning and object
lesson to the rest of the world. The term al
lance" seemed to gain weight and importance
with each fresh affirmation. Now, for the first
time in the exchange of messages between the
Gar and the President Of the French republic,
this word is absent The omission. in view Of
the significance Of such matters in European
diplomacy. is evidently Intentional It is all the
more emphasized by the fact that President
Loubet in complimenting his majesty on MS
haute sagesse.' vas joyful spontaneous and en-
thusiastiC. Moreover according to established
cus+o77. when one head of state makes use of the
term friend or ally" the same word is al
ways repeated in the reply. This is fair sample
of the present Iukewarm phase Of the Franco
Russian alliance
French writers, with pardonable glee. point
out that. while President Roosevelts message to
Emperor William was accurately published In
English in the Berlin papers with the republican
YOU nevertheless. in the German TRANSACTIONS
that appeared side by side with the English
text the you was freely rendered by the ez-
preston "euere majestat'-'your majesty
c. L B.