Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-05
Sir Esme Howard Dean
Of Diplomatic Corps
Due to Recent Change
British Ambassador Success
sor to Belgian Embassy
Chief, Recently Retired.
Post of High Honor.

The new dean of the diplomatic
corps, Sir Esme Howard, has reached
that distinction in a briefer period of
service in Washington than any of his
predecessors.
It is exactly three years and three
months since the British Ambassador,
Sir Esme Howard, presented his cre-
dentials to President Coolidge when,
by the retirement of the Belgian AM
bassador, Baron de Cartier de Mar
chienne, he has become dean of the
resident corps, and this is the shortest
period of service in which to attain
such distinction in the history of the
State Department. M. Jusserand, who
was French Ambassador. for % years,
and IL of which he was dean, had been
in Washington 10 years before he at
tanned the premier rank, and his prede-
cessor, Baron Hengelmuller Won Hen
gervar, had been in Washington al
most 20 years as minister and ambas-
sador from Austro.Hungary before he
became dean. Sir Julian, afterwards
Lord Pauncefote Of Preston, the last
Briton to be dean, spent almost
quarter of a century in the American
Capital as minister and ambassador.
He died at his post in 1905.
Sir Esme and Lady Isabelle sue
ceeded to the highest honors in the
fareign circle under the most promis-
in, auspices. They have been In
Washington long enough to grasp its
somewhat complex system of social
life and both possess an agreeable per.
sonality, combined with dignity and
tact. All through the years that this
Republic has entertained a displomatic
corps a. its Capital there were well
defined obligations which the dean and
his wife, if he had one, assumed to-
ward their colleagues in the foreign
set. Every stranger would be in
formed Of local customs in special in.
stances and the ladies would be drilled
in their obligations toward the vari-
GUS divisions of officialdom and resi-
dental society. All these duties lapsed
at the beginning of the World War
and M. Jusserand never resumed the
functions. 1t is probable that Sir
Esme and Lady Isabella Howard will
take over these obligations in the old
wav and thus make for better under
standing in the large division OF diplo-
matte society.
The new dean, who Is a member Of
the illustrious house of which the
Duke of Norfolk is the head, belongs
to the branch of Howards of Grey
Stoke Castle known as the Malyneaux.
Towards He is the sixth child of the
late Lord Henry Howard, and was
born at Greystoke Castle in Cumber.
land. September Is, 1868. Having
three older brothers, he was educated
for the foreign service and studied at
Harrow and Paris, and in 1885, he be-
gan his diplomatic career as private
secretary to the Earl of Carnarvon.
Since that date he has served in many
capitals, with an intermission during
the Boer war when he was trooper
in the Imperial Yeomanry. Sir Esme
was married to the Princess Isabella
Giustiniani- Ba ndini at the ancestral
palazo in Rome, November II, 1898,
when he was serving as secretary Of
the British embassy. In 1914, the
grandfather of Lady Isabella had
through his mother inherited the
Scotch earldom Of Newburg and this
title was affixed to his many Italian
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