PROBLEM FOR OUR DIPLOMATS

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5289, 30 December 1946, Page 2

PROBLEM FOR OUR DIPLOMATS

AMERICA ON U.S.A. OBJECTIONS TO ALP'HABETIC ' BACK SEAT BY SOVIETS When the 'United Statbs attends ■ dfplomatic receptions of international conferences, how should the placecards read: "The United States of America" or "America, the United States?" asks a correspondent in the Christian Science Monitor. This problem in social precedence has twice upset the international balance at the Paris Peace Conference. It put in the shade that cele-brat-ed feud between Dolly Gann, sister of Vice-Presideilt Curtis and Alice Longworth, wife of the Speaker of the House, which had social Washington in a turmoil a decade and a-half ago. Latest reports have it that the Russian and Ukraine Republie delegates to France's celebration of the liberation of Paris walked out because they got second row benches, whereas the United States sat in the front row. It is recalled also that when the Paris Conference opened in Luxembourg Palace the Soviets found Secretary of State James P. Byrnes sitting down in the front row under a placard "Etats Units d'Amerique," whereas Moscow's men were back in ; the, rear. Some lifted Soviet eye- ! brows and Russian representatidns quickly brought forth a1 new card for Mr. Byrnes' desk — "Amerique — Etats Unis." What, then is the official listing Washington1 should get at international. receptions? Is it "the United States," or "America"? Examinatio.n of this Government's latest handbook on protocol and coi?rect manner of listing countries* discloses that as the old saying goes "50,000,000 Frenchmen can't be wrong." In other words, this Government lists itself as "America, the United States of" in diplomatic mat-. ters. It points out in a footnote that with three other "United! States" in this hemisphere, Washington can--not claim monopoly rights to that term. They ,jare: (1) the United States of Anrarica; (2) the United States of Brazil; (3) - tEe United States of Mexico; (4) the United States of Venezuela. I,t is also pointed out here that it is the French who had put Washington delegates in the front rows at Pafis, that if Mr. Byrnes had heen listed with the "E's" for "Etats Unis" or with the "U's" for "United States," he would • have „ unquestionably taken the seat assigned him. Out at San Francisco, the United States sat with the "U's" alongside the Soviet Union, or "Union of Soyiet Socialist Republics," and the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." There, it seems to have waived its rule for the sake of Big * Three clubbiness. However, the Paris meeting wairori by the French as host' nation. They followed the rules pre'cisely and put Mr. Byrnes in a front seat. For the Soviet Union to get a front seat it needs netv rules or a new name. Bui that* is something else again.