National Affairs: Master of Ceremonies

Last week the name of James Clement Dunn, long bowed to in Washington, spread through the land. James Clement Dunn, high school graduate, lawyer, Manhattan architect and U. S. Navy lieutenant, entered the State Department after the War. He received assignments to Madrid, Port au Prince, Brussels. Then he went to Washington and it was discovered that he, smooth of hair, chiseled of chin, impeccably attired, was expert at mapping out White House ceremonials. It was he, for example, who lately and finally ranked “the ladies of the land,” as follows: Mrs. President, Mrs. Vice President, Mrs. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Mrs. Speaker of the House, Mrs. Secretary of State, etc. etc.

At purely Congressional parties, the above ranking does not hold good. Not even James Clement Dunn ever split the hair of precedence between Mrs. President of the Senate (who is also Mrs. Vice President of the U. S.) and Mrs. Speaker of the House, who remain equally august in their husbands’ bicameral spheres. Perhaps this hair will never be split, for, last week, James Clement Dunn’s efficiency at policing drawing rooms was recognized by his promotion to the head of a newly created “Division of Protocols” in the State Department. His newly added duties will be to arrange the dates and agenda of U. S. participation in international conferences; to issue ceremonial statements to the officers and officials of other powers.