Ottoman Diplomats

Synopsis

On the occasion of the Universal Exposition, the city of Anwerp held a big banquet. Etienne Carathéodory Effendi reports about an incident that occurred at the banquet. For unknown reasons, there were no seats reserved at the table of honour for the heads of mission of the United States of America, San Salvador, Japan, Mexico and Romania. The representatives of the United States of America and Japan turned to Carathéodory and the German minister, who helped to eliminate the source of understanding. Eventually, the American and Japanese envoys decided to take the seats at the royal table that were assigned to them at the last moment. Those of San Salvador, Mexico, and Romania, however, decided to leave the room without any further explanation. The newspaper Journal de Bruxelles published a rectification concerning the motives of the Mexican minister, Nunez Ortega. (In attachment is the newspaper clipping.) Nunez Ortega said to Carathéodory that a representative of the government should convey the government’s apologies to the mission heads concerned. Carathéodory remarks that the incident was only due to the inexperience of the communal administration.

Attachments

Newspaper clipping (title unknown, 07-05-1885, Journal de Bruxelles, Rectification: the Mexican ambassador, Nunez Ortega, left the banquet in Antwerp because the card that assigned him a seat at the royal table could not be found.)

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