Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-24
Tales of Well Known Folk
4 In Social and Official Life
Ambassador of Peru, Scheduled to Become Dean
ss- of Diplomatic Corps Resisns-Win
Take Long Vacation.
By MARGARET b. DOWNING.

By MARGARET b. DOWNING.
The resignation of Senior Herman
Velarde, Ambassador from Peru, al
though totally unannounced, was not
surprising to those who know this cul-
tured though reticent diplomat.
scholar and q poet the retiring states
man found abundant time to pursue his
historical studies and his essays for
leading periodicals of Latin America,
but he saw no continuance OF this
pleasant scheme of things should be
succeeded to the honorS of Sir Esme
Howard as dean of Washington's COM
plex diplomatic corps. OF studious
habits the social side of his exalted
post possessed no attraction. Sonora
Velarde has long resided with a mar
ried daughter in Paris. immensely in
terested in a group of grandchildren,
and the Ambassador has always spent
his vacations. when not compelled by
public affairs to go to Lima, in this
charming family environment. He In
tends to take lengthy vacation in the
French capital. no doubt to be spent
chiefly in the famous Biblioteque Ma
tional. busy with an immense pile OF
historical references which have been
awaiting his leisure for veriflcation.
He has not retired from the Foreign
Service, but will take a prolonged leave
of absence to attend to pressing per-
sonal matters. So Peru loses its first
opportunity to have its representative
serve as dean of the corps and unless
there is q change not now contemplated.
that honor will go to the Mexican AM
bassador. Senior Manuel Teller. Hith-
erto no envoy of Latin America has
been dean, although the much lamented
first Ambassador from Mexico, Senior
Rornulo Romero, as vice dean, acted
briefly In 1899.
Deans of the diplomatic corps In
Washington present fascinating sub
ject of study and Great Britain, Spain
and France are among the few nations
which have received that honor more
than once. In limited interpretation,
Chevalier de Ia Lucerne was the frst
dean, as he was the nucleus Of the now
large and powerful foreign contingent
resident in washington. The Cheva-
lier arrived in Philadelphia early in
177s on the agreeable mission of pre-
senting to the Continental Congress the
portraits of Louis XVI and Marie An
toinette, handsomely framed. The SUBJ
seuuent disappearance of these memo
rable portraits, which hung throughout
the revolutionary period in the same
Hall of independence where the great
terry which has not been solved by gov
ornamental research or by the efforts OF
q numerous body of historians. But
the first dean of the diplomatic corps in
the United States after President Wash
ingtons Inauguration, was the Spanish
Minister, Senior Jose 1gnacio de War,
sent by Carlos " as special envoy on
that occasion. France had only q
diplomatic agent in April 1889. Mr..
ar be NJ
de Moustier. the first French Minister.
The first dean of the anlbassadorial
corps was M. Jules Patenotre, who, how
ever. was about to be transferred to Con-
stantinople and waived his right in
favor of Sir Julien Pauucefote of Great
Britain, afterward Lord Pauncefote.
~ * n
Mr.. Louis Nethersole of London, who
should know all about the stage, being
blood kin to some of its eminent ex-
ponents, has been making load laments
against the passing of that significant
British institntion, the pit, feature
OF theatrical life which never haurashed
on the more practical soil Of The United
States. Mr.. Charles B. Cochran, Lon
don's foremost and most successful
pit pass? 1t was never economical%and
the time came when people asked why
they should pay IL to is shillings for
places In the stalls and sit behind and
look over the heads of those who gave
only shillings for, their seats" The
pit or orchestra as 1t Is called in this
country, has, according to MFR. Neither
sole, been a part of the arrangement Of
British theaters since the early days,
and the audience in that section were
the critics who decided the fate of
the offering. Boxes were on the sides
OF the balconies, and the stalls, now
so fashionable a division of the Old
World playhouses, made no appearance
until the middle of 1900. Mr.. Neither
sole has so valuable collection of play
bills, some framed and adjoining his
ofice. others in huge scYapbooks, that
the British Museum would not be averse
to taking care of them for him. One,
which Is handsomely framed and in
his home, sets forth that on July 3,
1776, a provincial company would play
Macbeth" In the Drury Lane Theater
and that the boxes would be 6 shil-
1ings and the pit shillings, a price
which Londonsrs still demand as their
right, but which has now lapsed.
" X ~
Z Mrs Howard Sutherland, wife of the
FORMER Senator from West Virginia and
present Alien Property Custodian, is
mNaanmew k11n1n rTyIA hnua IAovA eVAnN1Iino