ANOTHER CIVIL WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 16, 19 January 1901, Page 5 (Supplement)

ANOTHER CIVIL WAR.

MRS MILES FIGHTS MRS DEWEY

FOR FRKCEDKJN'CK

Mrs Dewey, wife of the only full Admiral in the American .Navy, is engaged in warfare with Mrs Miles, wife of Lieutenant-General Miles, the Comman-der-in-Chief of the Army. They are fighting over a little question of precedence. ■ Mrs Dewey considers herself entitled to walk in to dinner before Mrs Miles, and means to do so. Mrs Mijes contends that, as th.c President has given official recognition to the Army by virtue of its seniority, she and General Miles take precedence of Admiral and Mrs Dewey. The first battle was timed to take-glace at a recent White House function, and Washington society was much excited, and many bets were made as to which lady would see her rival's traih sweep before her. That function was literally a walk over for Mrs Miles, for Mrs Dewey was seri* ously indisposed, and could not attend. This winter Mrs Dewey. is in perfect health, and has provided herself with a dazzling wardrobe, which she believes will prove the best ammunition throughout the campaign. Americans follow the English in matters of etiquette as nearly as they can; therefore it may interest Mrs Dewey to know that if she appeals to any English authority for guidance in this matter she will be told that the matter isn't even worth arguing.

EXPERT'S VIEWS,

Mr A. P. Burke, the editor of "Burkes Peerage and Guide to Relative Precedence," in an interview with an "Express" representative yesterday, declared that neither lady can claim anj' precedence whatever.

The reason is that the "Rules Of Precedence," which were macte out in Henry VIII.'s time, do not allow any precedence to the wives of men of official rank.

Moreover, the rules are meant for Ccurt guidance. In a private house a host may send his guests in to dinner just as he likes, although he tries to follow the Court as much as he can.

At Court the wife of a general who is also a Commoner will take no precedence of the wife of a plain esquire merely from the fact that she is the wife of a general. If a lady is the daughter of a Peer, Baronet, or Knight, sha retains her Innate rank and precedence although married to a Commoner.

In this last case, Mrs Dewey mTght be dreadfully troubled.

Suppose her husband was Admiral of the Fleet and a 0.8., she might find that the second lieutenant's wife was entitled to the "pas" from the fact that she was the daughter of a baronet.

"So," said Mr Burke, "if the President of the United States likes to give precedence to any other lady in the States than Mrs Dewey or Mrs Miles, he would be daing nothing- wrong according to our rnlM.

"But if the lady were to apply to Tfrie, I should say that the Army being the senior service in America General Miles t&k6B precedence of Admiral Dewey.

"It is possible that she may yet do so, for I get more app ications from Republicans and Radicals than from any other class, and more from the States than from England."