"Remember thou art Mortal!"

Ambassadors and Ministers accredited at Berlin received, last week, an aide memoire from the Foreign Office, reminding them that Germany's greatest statesman Foreign Minister Dr. Gustav Stresemann, "can no longer accept evening invitations."

Presumably this circular reminder meant that some Ambassadors or Ministers have recently been so obtuse as to bid plump and pudgy Dr. Stresemann to their 9 o'clock banquets, forgetting entirely that his once bibulous and night-owlish habits have completely altered since he barely escaped Death (TIME, May 28) from a prolonged and acute kidney attack.

Today the round face of the "German Lloyd George" is not ruddy with noontime beer and midnight champagne, but pale. He may eat only sparingly of dietetic food prepared by a special cook; and every evening he is bundled off to early bed by an efficient, uncompromising trained nurse. Recently it has even been noticed that Dr. Stresemann's personal physician is always closeted with him privily for five or ten minutes before he makes a public appearance or speech of any kind. Intimates of the House of Stresemann profess to know that the doctor spends these five-minute periods in reminding the statesman that he must curb his temper, eschew his favorite fiery oratory, conserve his strength.

Similar was the famed function of those ancient Roman slaves assigned to crouch in the chariot of each Conquering Proconsul as he enjoyed his Triumph. "Remember," the slave would whisper, "Remember thou art mortal!" Thus were swelled heads and rash, prideful deeds averted by an art now all but lost.