Executive Order 4705—Rules of Official Precedence

The following rules of precedence will henceforth be observed as between (1) Ambassadors, Ministers, and officers of the Foreign Service of the United States; (2) officers of the United States Army; officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps; and (4) Foreign Commerce officers of the United States. Previous executive orders inconsistent herewith are rescinded. 1. In the country to which he is accredited, the chief of the diplomatic mission takes precedence over all officers of the Army, Navy, or Foreign Commerce Service. 2. In diplomatic missions the following ranking will be observed: Counselors take place and precedence next in succession after the Chief of Mission. Military and Naval attaches take place and precedence next in succession after the Counselor, or at a post where the Department of State has deemed it unnecessary to assign a Counselor, after the senior first secretary. Military and Naval attaches take precedence as between themselves according to their respective grades and seniority therein. Commercial attaches rank with but after Military and Naval attaches. Assistant Military and Naval attaches take place and precedence next after second secretaries. Assistant Military and Naval attaches take precedence as between themselves according to their respective grades and seniority therein. Assistant Commercial attaches rank with but after Assistant Military and Naval attaches. In the absence of the titular head of the mission, the senior diplomatic officer will act as Charge d'Affaires ad interim, unless otherwise directed by the Secretary of State, and as such will take precedence over all members of the staff of the mission. At ceremonies and receptions where the members of the mission take individual position, in the lists furnished foreign governments for inclusion in their diplomatic lists, and in the Register of the Department of State, place and precedence will follow the ranking indicated in the paragraphs above. At ceremonies and receptions where diplomatic missions are present as a body, the Military, Naval and Commercial attaches will form distinct groups and follow in that order the diplomatic personnel of the mission. 3. In international conferences at which the American delegates possess plenipotentiary powers, the senior Counselor of Embassy or Legation attached to the delegation, takes place and precedence immediately after the delegates, unless otherwise instructed by the Secretary of State. 4. As between officers of the Departments of State and Commerce:— (a) The senior Foreign Commerce Officer functioning in a consular district in which there is no diplomatic mission, shall rank with but after the senior Foreign Service Officer functioning in that district. (b) Foreign Commerce Officers in a consular district, other than the senior officer, shall rank with respect to the Foreign Service Officers in the Consular District other than the senior officer as follows: (1) Foreign Commerce Officers of Class I, with but after Foreign Service Officers of Classes I and II; (2) Foreign Commerce Officers of Class II, with but after Foreign Service Officers of Classes III and IV; (3) Foreign Commerce Officers of Qass III, with but after Foreign Service Officers of Classes V, VI and VII; (4) Foreign Commerce Officers of Qass IV, with but after Foreign Service Officers of Classes VIII and IX, and unclassified Officers of the first grade; (5) Foreign Commerce Officers of Qass V, with but after unclassified Foreign Service Officers of the second and third grades. (c) In the absence of the Foreign Service Officer in charge of a consular district, the Foreign Service Officer acting shall enjoy the precedence regularly accorded the former, and in the absence of the ranking Foreign Commerce Officer, the Officer acting shall enjoy the precedence of the ranking Foreign Commerce Officer. 5. In the districts to which they are assigned, Foreign Service officers in charge of Consulates General take place and precedence immediately after Brigadier Generals in the Army or Marine Corps, and hold rank intermediate between Rear Admirals and Captains in the Navy. In the Districts to which they are assigned Foreign Service officers in charge of Consulates take place and precedence immediately after Colonels in the Army or Marine Corps and Captains in the Navy. CALVIN COOLIDGE THE WHITE HOUSE, August 10, 1927 .