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New Zealand Mail, Issue 1510, 7 February 1901, Page 65

Dr Mackin, who left Wellington some time ago on a world tour, received the* appointment of medical officer- on an excursion steamer proceeding to the Holy Land. Dr Watters, formerly Rector of St. Patrick’s, happened to be a passenger on the same boat, and the two Wellingtonians are now visiting the East'in company. *

Mr James Rout, who has been city representative of the Singer Manufacturing Company in Wellington for near-; ly three years, will leave this week for Adelaide, where he will take tip the position of city manager for the company/ 1 Mr Rout is succeeded her© by Mr J. A. Cairns, who has just arrived from Fremantle, Western Australia.

The announcement that the Japanese Minister to the Court of St. James will, at the beginning of the century, take rank : 1as an Ambassador, is quite likely to be correct (says the London “Daily Chronicle”). Few will now deny the claim of Japan to be ranked! among the first-class Powers of the world, as she is admittedly one of the most ancient empires. It is only twenty-five years since the first Japanese Minister was received by the Queen, but the “ England of the Easthas made such vast strides since then that there is no reason why she should not be admitted to the highest diplomatic rank. It is mainly a matter of sentiment, for the only official distinct ion between an Ambassador and al Minister is that the former is entitled! both to public and private audiences o i the Sovereign, while the latter can claim }. private audiences only. If this change takes place the British Minister at Tokyo will also be raised to the rank of are - . Ambassador, and this will make the number of British Ambassadors nine. Thirteen years ago there were only six, accredited to* the Court® of Vienna, Paris, St. Petersburg, Constantinople, Berlin and Rome. Shortly after the enthronement of the infant King of Spain in 1888, however, our Envoy to' that Power was nominated Ambassador, and in 1893 the diplomatic representatives of Great Buraftain and the United States, who haa formerly been only Ministers, were by a simultaneous agreement promoted to Ambassadors.