Secretary of State Frank Kellogg has been scolding Mexico over its supposed mistreatment of American property and citizens and property. Also property. President Plutarco Elías Calles called him out over the condescending nature of his statement, excuse me, “insult,” so Kellogg is preparing an insulting riposte.
Prince Edward, still in Swaziland, gets gifts, including a leopard-skin kilt. He suggests to Paramount Chief Sobhuza, who has been promoting education, that he focus a little less on book learning and a little more on learning from European farmers.
Lord Cromer, the English theatrical censor (the Lord Chamberlain), bans the performance of Luigi Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author, but only in English. It’s not clear why, and indeed it has been staged in London before, in English. So it has now been performed at the New Oxford Theatre in London in Italian. It’s not clear how many in the audience actually know Italian.
Sometimes a man's gotta issue a statement, not a note. Secretary Kellogg issues a statement that Mexico must "restore properties illegally taken and to indemnify American citizens." "A great deal of property of Americans has been taken." To answer this, President Calles issues his own statement, something about a "joint commission that might consider said damages...So long as the aforesaid commissions do not adjust the cases submitted to their decision, it is irrelevant to charge Mexico with failure to protect American interests." Because nothing says "relevant" like a joint commission. And I love how in today's news, "Administration officials studiously refrained today from comment on the sharp reply by President Calles." Instead, they decide to send him a "formal note" instead of resorting to a far-more damaging "statement". A note? A note! "The general opinion was that if the views of the United States were embodied in a note, the disposition of the Mexican Government would be to 'pigeonhole' the communication and heed it no more than the numerous communications in which Ambassador Sheffield made representations for this government while he was in the Mexican capitol."
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