Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-23

resolution offered by Charles sumne1'
left little TO the discretion or our insn
listers and appeared TO be ironciao 10 10
structures.
As result. Charles Francis Adams.
our minister 10 London. remained aoseias
from the next drawing room oecsuse
what one famous British paper teruaco
the want 10 anything to wear anu
our ENJOYS at other courts encountefea
similar obstacles until the monarcns 81
Europe became reconciled TO the pi~s'
clothes of our representatives.
While Benjamin franklins appear
ance before Louis XVI in plain QUAKER
dress with home-knit stockings has al
ways been played up IN print as an ex.
ample of democratic simplicity. the tact
is that he appeared at the Tuilleries IN
Quaker full dress. which had been court
dress in the time of Charles III. This ap-
parel made Franklin even more consptc-
uous. particularly IN France. than he
would have been in the court dress OK has
period.
When Franklin was first presented TO
the King OF France he is said 10 have
worn suit OF black velvet. with knee
breeches and white silk stockings. He
had ordered a court wig, but when the
hairdresser appeared with IL Ii proved TO
be too small. After the man had vainly
tried TO jam II upon the great Amer
cans head the latter complained that II
was too small, whereupon the hairdresser,
angrily throwing il upon the floor. ex-
claimed:
Monsieur. that is impossible It is not
the wig which is too small. II is the head
which is too large
When presented TO George III our first
minister to London. John Adams Is said
to have worn q coat embroidered with
lace. long silk hose and buckled shoes.
" .lat our first diplomats wore at other
courts is not recorded In history. but the
need OF uniformity in their apparel was
after some Years appreciated By the
State Department.
This was just after the inauguration 81
James Monroe. who. as our minister 60
London and Paris, had seen the need OF
bringing this order out Of the sartoria.
chaos into which our diplomats
abroad had degenerated. The court
dress then decided upon for our min.
listers consisted of a blue coat lined
with white silk; a straight cape, embroid-
cred with gold and single breasted; but
tons plain, or. IL they could be had, with
the artillerist's eagle stamped upon them;
cuffs embroidered in the same manner ~
the cape; white cashmere breeches: gold
knee buckles; white silk stockings and
gold or gilt shoe buckles; a three-corner-
ed chapeau bras. with black cockaco
having an eagle attached and 4 sword.
For occasions of extraordinary ceremony
more embroidery and a white ostrich
plume, sewed around the brim OF the
But when Andrew Jackson came IN
upon the crest of a tidal wave of demo
cratic simplicity" the State Department
recommended but did not prescribe the
following garb A black coat with a
gold star on each side OF the collar, near
it's termination; underclothes OF black.
blue or white. at the option OF the wear
er; a three-cornered chapeau bras; a
black cockade and eagle. and steel
mounted sword, with a white scabbard :"
These were the costumes abolished by the
order of Secretary Marcy.
Many American authorities on inter
national law still argue that our plain
masculine full. dress is inadequate for our
ambassadors and ministers at European
courts, principally because il is the carb
customarily worn by court servants
When Lambert Tree was minister g. Bel
GUM he attended a court function and
was standing with cup of coffee In his
hand when a gold-laced and brsss-but-
toned attache OF another legation. mis-
taking him for waiter. snatched the
cup from his hand and carried Il away.
And one of the arguments I'm favor or
court clothes presented 10 Ambassador
Tower by the cars chamberlain wss
that plain evening clothes would caufo
him the humiliation OF being mistaken.
at court. for one of IT.. upper servants.
To offset such embarrassments some OF
our ENJOYS who We're veteran officers &;
the civil war have awaited themselves of
the statute permitting them u Wear. az
court the uniform OF their military rai.k.
Thus, when he MAS minister 10 Turkey.
Gen. Lew Wallace appeared At the sub
tan's court in his old military uniform
Copyright, 1913. by JOIN Elfreth watkinsl