Evening star., 1940-06-09
Woshineton's Shadow
Diplomatic Corps
By Frederic J. Hdskin.

has DeeQ CdlleQ a SHADOW ulplOIIldIlC
corps. For many years the Ambassadors
and Ministers at this National Capital
have constituted one of the most brilliant
groups anywhere to be found. But now
the conquests of Nazi Germany have
made some of these representatives al
most men without countries.
Each year the diplomatic reception at
the White House is the most brilliant
social affair of the season. There one
sees the representatives of the various
nations in their uniforms Most ma.
tions, it must be remembered, dress their
diplomatic representatives in court uni
forms. They appear loaded down with
gold braid, with scarlet-lined capes and
with fore -and-aft hats which would lend
lmpresslveness to any individual, but,
also, most of the individuals are impres.
sive men themselves, selected out of the
best the various countries have to offer.
The extraordinary fact in the present
situation is that the United States Gov
ernment has declined to recognize the
practical disappearance of the countries
which some of these diplomatic repre-
sentatives are in Washington to serve
Monthly the State Department publishes
what is known as the diplomatic List"
1t is a catalogue of the foreign repre-
sentatves accredited to Washington Al
though even the capitals which have
sent some of these men here now are in
German hands, the State Department
goes right along and ignores the fact
They visit the Secretary of State and
are received as bona fide representatives
of what formerly were their governments.
rule. One is in the case of Austria.
That postwar republic had Minister
at Washington. but when Germany abb
sorbed the country he made no pretense
OF continuing to represent his old gov
ernment. The affairs of the Legation
were taken over as matter of course by
the German Embassy. The other case
is that of the Kingdom of Albania
Since Mussolini moved in and seized AL
bania there has been no separate diplo-
matte representative al Washington. The
Italian Embassy handles affairs arising
out of Albanian business because Albania
now is part of Italy.
On the other side, the most conspicu-
Gus case of Minister without a country
is furnished by Czecho-Slovakia. The
United States continues to recognize
Vladimir Hurban as Minister of Czecho-
Slovakia although that republic has
ceased to exist as an independent nation
and now is part of the German Reich.
Mr.. Hurban continues to call at the State
Department and be received as a Minis
ter in good standing.
The case of Poland is somewhat differ
ent. There is today a Polish govern
ment The capital of Poland now is the
old city of Anglers in France. where there
is an entire official organization with
building after building occupied by the
government Offices. Moreover, France
has granted Poland extraterritorial rights
so that in Angers and its vicinity Polish
rather than French law prevails Angers
is one little spot of territory which. by
courtesy of France, is actually Poland.
Thus the Polish Ambassador, Count
jerry Potocki. occupies very definite
position. Although Poland itself now is
entirely in German hands, the Count
Potocki continues to function as Ambas-
sador to the United States. The fact that
Poland is supposed to have about $780,
000 900 in gold in the Bank of England,
the fact that units of the old Polish Navy
are cooperating with the British and
f,,r tbor foot hot &c
of Poles in the field with the French all
give reality to the position.
Count Robert van der Straten-Ponthoz
still functions at Washington as Belgian
Ambassador to the United States in spite
of the fact that there is scarcely a rod
of the Belgian homeland left free of
German occupation. Here there is a
difference, as compared with Poland or
cho-Slovakia, because Belgium has
extensive colonies overseas which still
are held by Belgians.
In a similar position is Dr. A. Loudon,
Minister of the Netherlands at Wash
ington. His capital is in German hands
and his sovereign has fed to England
but Holland has extensive colonial pos
sessions in both the Orient and the Occi-
dent and the Dutch government has re-
sources and credit throughout the world.
Henrik de Kaufman carries on at
Washington as Minister of Denmark
although his King is virtually prisoner
and his country is wholly in German
hands. Outside the homeland there is
Greenland, largely an uninhabited coun-
try, but, nevertheless, a Danish possess
sion, so there remains a shadow of SOW
ereignty there and the Minister continues
to be recognized at Washington.
x X X
In somewhat different case are Estonia,
Latvia and Lithuania. the succession
states of the Versailles treaty on the
Baltic. They retain scarce vestige Of
independence. Yet Estonia is represents
ed at Washington by Johannes Kaiv,
the Minister; Latvia by Minister Alfred
Bllmanis and Lithuania by Minister Po-
villas Zadeikis. All are retained as active
diplomats on the State Departments
official list, country or no country.
Hjalmar Procope, Minister of Finland,
remains at Washington despite the fact
that Finland has fallen largely under the
Russian yoke. Wilhelm Munthe de Nor
genstierne continues to be recognized as
Minister of Norway although Norway's
capital and most of her terrain Is under
tho heal of ipvodor ond bo~ D;~z