Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-20
PROTOCOL, DIPLOMACY, DIPLOMATS

~ vsrd proeocol, from the Greek pro
to1psoGlp literally the nrst pass q book.
Asids 1rosu fts signincafion -
The First ssfosmus1 or rapport q dipio-
pass matic conferenceA." n indeed
the first page Of IN intricate
systsm OF stiquetts In me ceremonial neces-
sary in international communication. We
affect 70 treat e. peculiar the Chinese ana
Korean governments because OF their "min-
istries OF Ritee and Ceremonies. forgetfing
that occidental governments possess the
Identical Institution. which IL not attributed
the dignity OF Q portfolio In ministry or
cabinet II nevertheless an indispensable fac
Tor IN diplomatic relations under the title
Of tho protocol"
4 writer terms the protocol 1.-The code OF
International politeness'' and in La Revue
dhistoire Diplomatique there 10 q humorfs-
ito article entitled His Exceliency the
Protocol" In which stories are told Of the
services rendered. in the maintenance Of
peace between states. by 'by His Excellency
Protocol. this son Of the very high and
powerful 9eisnor Ceremonial and the noble
dame Etiquette"
Republican governments In the past fur
nish examples OF the Importance attached
to ceremonial, and the memorable quarrel
may b cited between the States General
ana the STAKEHOLDER, apropos to the passage
OF carriages through certain gate Of the
patace when they should have passed ac-
cording to the protocol under another. This
question later was envenomed and comph-
Gated by an infractfon OF etiquette in the
rendering Of honor to the Princess Wilhel-
nadna. wife OF the Stakeholder. and became
the point Of armed Intervention Of Prussia
In the Netherlands and diplomatic rup-
turs between France and England.
Bonaparte. who IN the debut Of his career
| showed himself 50 Independent and careless
of the protocol. no sooner
Napoleon and became the chief of state
Etinua%<a than he set himself the
task of arranging ques-
tions Of ceremonials and etiquette. Serving
as general Of the army in Italy. and when
discussing with Count Philippe de Cobentzel
the clauses OF the treaty de Campoformio
the latter claimed for the Emp error Of Ger
many the right to be named first in the
preamble OF the instrument. He urged
that the kings Of France themselves had
never denied that priority. and offered in
exchange to officially recognize the French
republic. Bonaparts. exasperated at the
pleadingz. struck the table with his list.
causing the porcelain cabinet to be thrown
down by the shock. and exclaimed proudly:
What does It matter that you should rec
ognixe or not our new form Of government?
The republic IL like the sun which shines
In the armament. So much the worse for
those who refuse to see its brilliancyP
First Consul Bonaparte FASTENED to work
the decree Of Messidor, arranging infinitely
the correlation Of the divers degrees of the
civil. religious and military hierarchy, the
honors and prerogatives of the diverse
functions Of the protocol.
Republican governments of the present
practice with manifest intention q policy
Of qfYfnlfcftV which Ia almost QOnnhor n tfq
severity, and 1t should be added that not a
few crowned heads are almost as democrat
fc az democrats themselves in their simple
and unaffected customs. Among these may
be specially mentioned the late Don Pedro,
emperor Of Brazil: the late Vicar Emman-
uel. king OF Italy; Alphonzo XIII, king Of
Spain. and Edward VII. king OF England
80
The writer an officer OF the staff Of the
Egyptian army On 1922. in active SERVICE
was detached as aide to
in Egypt Don Pedro. visiting Isnlail
~ DE-. incognito as the Duke Of
~" Alcantara," and subse-
quently served as aide. to Edward VII, then
Prince of Wales, whA. with his STAFF was
returning from India and visiting the khe-
dive In Cairo.
When ordered to report to his sf,ajesty
Don Pedro-who, having refused the palace
placed at MS OlSpOSaf, was lOOSGQ at the
Grand New Hote1-the writer preferred from
the khedive a superb coupe with fine horses
and liveried lackeys. The emperor declined
the hacks in the street were good enough
for him.. The coupe could not be returned
because the refusal would have seemed dis
courteous. The aide-de-camp therefore
claimed 1t during certain hours of the day
at the side entrance. for his own private
service when not on duty with the emperor.
In the dirtiest and too democratic OF hacks
the emperor and his aide visited Cairo
as no curious traveller, perhaps, had done
before. Returning late one evening Don
Pedro, dressed as usual in most dis
reputable looking soft hat and wNell-worn
shabby breeches and coat, left the hack and
FASTENED toward the hotel. The arbagee,
frantic for fear of losing his fare, ran after
him uttering the most abominabla maledic-
tions: lis koot ~ ibu ell kelb-howah Me-
likf' "Shut up you son Of a dog! He Is a
kingi' I cried. The maddened arbagee
turned, spat upon the ground and said:
"Howah melik. howah. Ana megnoon ana?"
He king! Do you take me for fool.
Does q king wear a hat like that?' The
writer paid the arbagee and telling him that
his unknown fare was a king all the same,
followed his majesty into the hotel. What
was the arbagee saying to your" asked Don
Pedro. HE was using very bad language
to you. your majesty, under the impression
that he was being done out Of his fare, and
I. noblesse oblige was reproying him and
at the same Tina acting as your minister
heartily.
u
Diplomacy has been termed "a science
of interests and international relations"
WHILE on the other hand.
Definitions OF distinguished writer de-
n,,1,acr clares that diplomacy is
not science at all, but an
art whose secrets only are required to be
unveiled by diplomats or agents charged
with such functions"
Many writer's refuse to Napoleon the
title of diplomat and yet this man. who
was the emulator Of Alexander the Great,
Caesar and Charlemagne, reconciled France
with the church and with Europe. Who Is
the diplomat who may justly claim to have
played a role more imposing and more bril-
liant?
To go back to antiquity, 800 years B. c..
the name Of Philip. Hing OF Macedonia.
occurs as that OF celebrated diplomat,
the same who maintained that No place
was impregnabie into which one might send
mule laden with bag of gold" Demos