TRAFFIC IN ORDERS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9138, 10 July 1908, Page 4

TRAFFIC IN ORDERS.

The Viennu correspondent of the Lordon "Times" reports a little comedy of Orders. The German Princes who visited Vienna to congratulate the Emperor Francis Joseph, distributed no fewer than 400 Orders. Among them was the Order of the Prussian Crown of the Third Class conferred by the Kaiser on Dr. Weiskirchner, President of the Austrian Chamber

of Deputies. Now the Prussian ; Crown is itself a third-class Order, and the Third Class of such an Order would, "according to the Byzantine calculations that govern the di°tribution of these trinkets, be adapted for a police official." It is not surprising, therefore, that Dr. Weiskircbner should have declined the honour. There is an uncomfortable feeling in political circles, that the Kaiser, in bestowing so insignificant a decoration, meant to administer a snub to Dr. Wei.'ikirchner for his sympathy with the Prussian . Poles. The "Times" ha? some interesting comments on the incident. At the close of such gatherings of Princes what can only be described as a Decoration Exchange is established. The representative of this or that Empire or Kingdom lets the representative of a neighbouring Monarchy know that if he will be good enough to give two Crosses of the Second Grade of the Golden Owl, three Crosses of the Second Grade of tb.3 Order for the Meretricious, and four of the Third Grade of the .Cast-Iron Throne, the proposer of the transaction will advise his master to make a suitable return with the Orders of the Blue Rock and the Elephant and Castle." There is a rule forbidding any British public servant soldier, sailor, or diplomat—from wearing any foreign decoration, but it has been broken down. Though .it is to be regretted, acceptance of foreign orders can hardly be avoided. When a diplomatist refuses a decoration courteously, pleading the above rule, the Monarch' in question appeals to the British Court, which has to choose between breaking a sound rule or offending a friendly, but sensitive, Monarch. It never occurs to the latter that the Briton does not want to W3p.r thi decoration.