DIPLOMATIC LANGUAGE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 27, 1 February 1930, Page 8

DIPLOMATIC LANGUAGE

am, etc.,

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Your correspondent "Diplomato" iv his criticism, of my letter, appearing under Alphabetical Order, is unfortunately inconsistent. As I pointed out previously, the name America is a misnomer, yet "Diplomats" persists in using it in his opening remark, and places the correct name U.S.A.—United States of America —in brackets, presumably as a means of identification. The Continent of America is a vast land. The United States_ of America comprises an important portion of it, but it is surely correct to say that Canada, Chile, or Brazil are also Amer-

Your correspondent proceeds to mention that it has been customary to classify nations according to tho diplomatic language, French, which comment is true. It must be remembered, however, that at tliis particular Naval Conference, as was stated in the cabled news, English was to be spoken and a French translation given 'later. This eventually was the case. If French had been tho diplomatic language of this Conference 6urely the translation would have.been from the French language into the English language? Hence my arrangement of the names according to the English language. Again, even classifying the United States of America under its French title Etals Unis, I fail to perceive how alphabetically it would take precedence over the now official name of our Empire. The British Commonwealth of Nations.-I