The Washington times., 1926-07-27
SPAIN'S ENVOY
EXPLODES A
BOMBSHELL
Third American Woman
to Be Doyenne of Dip
lomatic Corps
By JEAN ELIOT

INH1E resignation or Ion Juan
\ Riano as ambassador of Spain
exploded q bonabsheIl in Washing
ton society and came at the last
as q surprise. although 1t had been
rumored of late.
Not only is SPANS envoy dean
OF the diplomatic corps, but he is
married to a Washingtonian, the
former Miss Alice Riano, and ne
and his wife have formed their
closest friendships With resident
society folk and are regarded as
more definitely "of washington
than any of the diplomatic group.
One can scarcely imagine WASH
ington without the Rianos and
somehow 1t does not seem that the
Rianos would be entirely happy
without Washington. All their mar
ried life has been spent here and
the ambassadors long service In
this country began in his bachelor
DAYS. He had not, indeed. been
home to Spain for many years until
early last spring when he was
called back to Madrid. So there
seems to be some justification for
the theory that he might give up
public office entirely and remain
in this country, engaging N literary
or commercial pursuits
The Wish Father to the Thought
1t. NAV be that the wish is father
20 the thought in this instance, for
we'd love to keep the Rianos with
rs. And so far, it is said, Am
bassador Riano has reached no defl--
mite decision as to his future. He
has been offered the post of privy
counselor, but has ii yet under
consideration" 1t is understood
moreover. that he had previously
refused both the Paris and Lisbon
posts preferring to remain in Wash
tngton.
Nine. Riano has never lived in
Spain, although she visited her hus-
Bands country shortly after her
marriage.
The courtship began in Mime.
Ramos debutante days, when the
brilliant young Spanish diplomat
was serving as first secretary OF
the legation here and the marriage
took place somewhat later. In 1910
Senior R.ano was made minister
plenipotentiary and he has been
serving as ambassador since 1913.
He is the only ambassador Spain
has had in this country and was
the first ambassador to come to
this country from a nation which
had been at war with the United
States in the lifetime OF the en-
Voy..
Nine. R.ano was a contemporary
Of Alice Roosevelt, now Mrs. Nicho-
las Longworth; Ruth Hanna, now;
Mrs. Medill Mccormick, and the
gay and engaging Countess Cassini.
Successor Appointed
Ambassador Riano holds degrees
from three American universities:
LaSaIle tChicago) Georgetown and
George Washington. Just what is.
hack of his recall nobody seems to
know, but the recurrent rumor that
he would be replaced has been
given official sanction. 1t has been
announced that he viii be replaced
by Senior Don Alexandra PadilIa,
now Spanish minister at Lisbon.
and the State Department has adj
vised the Spanish government that
Senior PadiIla's transfer to Wash
ington would be acceptable.
Nine. Riano Is to spend thal
month of August at York Harbor,
Maine, with her sister, Mrs. Chand-
Ter Anderson, and the Ambassador
accompanied her as far as New
York, where he now is. so
With the resignation of Ambas-
eador Riano. the Belgian ambassa-
dor, Baron de Cartier, automatical-
~ becomes dean of the diplomatic
corps. For precedence within the
corps Is governed entirely by length
of service in one post. And Baroness
de Cartier is an American, like Nine.
Riano and Nine. Jusserand, who
was doyenne of the corps before
her-farther back than that the
memory of the present scribe run
meth not since Ambassador JUS
gerand served France in Washing
ton for % years, and was dean OF
the diplomats for much of that
time.
Diversity of Type
Curiously, one cannot imagine
three women more diverse in char
acter and appearance than these
three. Although born in New Eng.
land-she was Miss Elise Richards,
OF BOston-Mme. Jusserand was
French in training and outlook and
was often described as plus roy
aliste que le roi." Mime. Riano is
q definitely American type, al
though Spanish in appearance,
rather less conventional than most
foreign women and finding her
pleasure rather in the informal
gathering of few friends than in
the functions of official society.
And, although she has fulfilled the
duties Of an ambassadors wife and
Of the doyenne of the Diplomatic
Corps punctiliously and with grace,