The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-09-22

Co-da,, U,,u French Ambas-
sador Henri
Have and Japanese Ambassador
Nomura call at the state depart
ment nearly every day now.
These calls doubtless are a chore
from the ambassadors standpoint
Still, they involve only one daily
visit per ambassador. Secretary
Hull, though, lone individual, has
to deal, one after another, with the
whole batch OF EN-. They arrive
in queues, almost. Not that they
literally wait in line. They have
appointments. but they have TO be
kept moving along, just as they'd
have to be alta box Office window,
and Secretary .Hulps at the receiv-
ing end Of 1t. A foreign plenipo-
Tertiary can't very we'll be hustled,
either, in a discussion Of such in
ternational problems as todays.
Members OF the diplomatic corps
have their worries, OF course. Their
various home governments nag EN-
persistently. They have to ask for
lots Of things that we're not overly
willing to give 'em. They're a
good deal in the position Of PAN
handlers, Fostering Uncle Sam,
which must be humiliating to EN-.
Nevertheless a diplomatic berth
does have certain redeeming fea-
lures.
The chap who occupies one is
socially very classy.
He gets his auto tags free. He
also can violate trafic laws. He
can't be arrested. He's immune
from arrest for ANYTHING. He
can't be arrested even for murder,
If he should see fit to commit one.
II he did, Washington would be
pretty sure to demand his recall
by his home government, but moth
ing could be done to him at this
end Of the line.
Profound Apologies
Now and then a foreign diplo-
mat does commit something or
other out in the sticks and gets
into temporary trouble. The Wash
ington police know all about dip
lomatic immunity and keep their
paws off in such cases, but rural
cops aren't all so well posted. n
lustratively, not long ago an at
tache Of the Persian correctly
Iranian) legation transgressed local
automobile regulations over In
Maryland and was pinched for 1t.
But the minute Washington heard
of the incident, the guy was re-
leased, with profound apologies to
the Teheran government
Like everybody else, diplomats
have TO pay for gasoline, but
Americans likewise have to pay a
tax on it. Foreign diplomats don't.
Uncle Sam provides EN- with little
books Of coupons, exempting EN-,
so far as the tax is concerned.
1t takes an especial international
reciprocal agreement to exempt an
embassy or legation from payment
for American postage stamps. Quite
q few countries haven't such bar
gains with US. but quite a few of
'em have, too, and their malls ham
died free by the postofdce depart
ment.
Several Americanly recognized
diplomatic representatives in WASH
ington at present aren't acknowl-
edged by their home governments
diplomats whose countries have
been overrun by the Nazis. Min
lister de Kauffmann's case is typi-
cal. After the German invasion Of
Denmark, speaking for Copen-
hagen, he agreed TO Yankee &C.
cupation Of Danish Greenland.
Copenhagen, Of course, coerced
from Berlin, promptly repudiated
the dicker. on the ground that Min
lister de Kaufman no longer is
its envoy here. "Oh, yes, he u.s."
rejoined Secretary Hull, and the
occupation proceeded.
General Charles de Gaulle's Free
French organization unquestion-
ably would be recognized IL the
general would put some oficial
system into it, and send US a min
lister or ambassador. What Vichy
Ambassador Henri-Haye's status
then would be is problematicaL
Finland a Puzzle
Finland's case is another puzzle.
We were 100 per cent pro-Finn
when the little nation was having
its recent war with Russia-partly
because we liked the Firms and
partly because we were so ardent