Mr. Hitchcock to Mr. Sherman.

No. 54.]

Sir: During the coming month a new list of the diplomatic corps at this capital is to be issued by the department of ceremonies of the court at this capital, and inquiries have been made by the officials whose duty it is to prepare it, as to the designation of the members of the embassy. The official who requested this information considers that it would be anomalous should the first secretary of an embassy not be designated as conseiller. In view, however, of the Department’s No. 153 of December 16, 1895, to my predecessor, I do not feel justified in sanctioning this designation without authority from the Department.

In referring to the dispatch above mentioned, it is but fair to say that the ruling of the Department appears to have been given upon a somewhat incomplete understanding of the premises. The diplomatic list here does not emanate from the ministry of foreign affairs, to which the secretary of embassy is accredited, but is a list of the officers of the various missions accredited here, with their families, including ladies, published by a bureau of the court as a social convenience, the names being communicated to an officer of that bureau informally and only semiofficially.

I regard it as highly desirable that the first secretary of our embassy here should be designated as conseiller, in conformity with the almost universal usage at this court, and in support of the dignity of the mission. The French and British Governments have, with this policy in view, given their first secretaries here the rank of “Minister Plenipotentiary performing the duties of conseiller,” with advantage to their missions both when the ambassador is present and when abroad on leave of absence. While the rank of conseiller does not exist in the British service, the first secretary of that embassy here has for many years been so designated upon the diplomatic list until the present change was instituted last winter.

As, in addition to all the embassies, four of the legations at this court designate their secretaries as conseillers, not to so designate our own would be socially disadvantageous both to the secretary and myself.

As pointed out in the Department’s No. 153, the title of conseiller is a special designation applied to a secretary of embassy or legation by certain governments only. Martens says (Guide Diplomatique, Chapter V) “Some governments give to the first secretaries of their higher missions the title of conseiller of embassy or legation.” The functions of conseiller and secretary are identical, differing only in name, and no legal character or office is implied by the former term.

I trust, therefore, that in this first list in which this mission appears as an embassy it may be found permissible for the first secretary to be termed conseiller.

I have, etc.,

Ethan A. Hitchcock.