Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-11
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

her for at last protesting against over
work?
The United States once protested
most emphatically when Turkey re-
fused to accept an American Ambassa-
dor. Says Right Rev. Sir Ernest Satow.
G. G. M. G., LII. D., D. G. L., ETC., In
his standard book, "a Guide to Diplo-
matte Practice:
"The Ottoman Porte for long time
declined to exchange Ambassadors with
the United States, until the latter
finally dispatched squadron of ships
Of war to Constantinople, and at the
cannon's mouth, as it were, extracted
a promise to fall in with the proposed
arrangement"
In the language made classic by
Punch when he hit Judy over the head
with his baton: That's the way to do
| It'll" So China, without waiting for the
American method of courtesy, antici-
pates our Navy and actually seeks the
punishment 'The heather Chinee is
peculiar" since he wants a full-f1edged
Ambassador, without even waiting until
our Navy threatens bombardment in
case of refusal. Didn't Japan open her
doors automatically when our Navy told
her to do so? Occidental civilizationl
Diplomacy is carried on by certain
claSsifications of diplomats. Tho
highest is the Ambassador, as settled in
international practice by a congress
held at Vienna in 1915, modified b,
another at Aix-la-Chapelle in 1881
Ranking with an ambassador is the
papal nuncio. Now that Italy has con-
| coded a free state again to the Pope,
there will be papal nuncios sent abroad.
Let the Alabama statesman take note
and crate accordingly, for when this
Government gives recognition to the
Papal State, as some governments
have already done. the nuncio will be
here to take rank with Sir ESme How
ard and other ambassadors, above all
mere ministers plenipotentiary and en-
voys extraordinary and so far above
charge d'affaireS that such will not sit
at the same dinner table.
In olden times, when an ambassador
of European monarchy Travelled he
was as great as a sovereign or as Col.
Lindbergh, for he must go forth in
warship, as the sole passenger, aside
from his own ceremonial retinue. He
was the sovereign pro tenn. All the
honors that could be shown royalty
must be given an ambassador, according
to the former customs, and the dean of
the ambassadors was, as it were, king Of
kings and lord of lords. Naval and fort
guns doomed for an ambassador the
full royal salute.
So high and mighty was the rank OF
Ambassador that the United States
never used it at all until 1898, when,
by direction of Congress, the President
was authorized to give that rank to
representatives to any country which
sent an ambassador to our country.
So now our representatives to Mexico,
Brazil, the Argentine Republic, Cuba,
Peru and Chile, in this hemisphere. are
ambassadors and also those to Great
Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy
and Japan. Russia would rate an am
bassador If we held diplomatic rela-
tons with the Soviet government at all.
An ambassador receives a salary of
ST. and is obliged to entertain and
bear other expenses requiring an in
come two or three times that salary.
A minister receives from 5000 to $l2,-
600 and is not required to be quite so
lavish, but neither usually maintains
savings bank account.
y \ 4
There has been much discussion
lately over the question of diplomatic
immunity from the operations of our
liquor laws. It is assumed, generally,
that the British Ambassador had set
radical example In deciding not to
continue to claim such extraterritorial
immunity for importing intoxicants for
embassy use. without even request to
that effect from our State Department.
In Calvo's "Dictionaire du Droit In
ternationale,' published in French, is
the following paragraph (Vol. l,
page I'D
now going to say has to do with the
exemption of the jurisdiction, civil and
criminal. ="
at is not permissible for the people
(of embassies or legations) to follow
the commerce of prohibited merchan-
disc, nor to engage in any business
that could carry prejudice with the
inhabitants of the country. They
should, in a word, conform with all
laws and ordinances OF the police which
are not incompatible with their dignity
and character. Solely in case the con-
travention interferes with him by way
Of his pursuit and in constraint should
one claim the principle of extraterritori-
atty, and claim relief from the action,
either civil or criminal"
Sir Esme Howard declares that he
is not acting as dean of the diplo-
matte corps in deciding for the British
embassy that no more importations
of intoxicants viii be authorized in
violation Of the spirit Of United States
law for Americans. Perhaps he has
been reading the above quoted French
authority on diplomatic practice and
law.
shall President Hoover send forth
unchaperoned ambassadors and expect
them to remain equally sober in this
age Of American restrictions at home?
In spite OF Sir Esme's precedent will
there not be an uncomfortable rush
for anbassadorial, extraterritorial ap-
pointmentS2
tcopyriSht, Ia2s. BY Paul v. couinsl