Rick: Well, Churchill could hardly have addressed Stalin as “Comrade,”
could he? WSC was a punctilious man, in any case. His letter to the
Japanese Ambassador declaring war on Japan caused a minor scandal. After
saying the necessary (“Your Excellency, In view of recent events in the Far
East, it is with deep regret that I must inform you that a state of war now
exists…”), Churchill signed off in proper diplomatic style: “I beg to
remain, Sir, with consideration, your most humble, most obedient servant,
Winston S. Churchill.” There were complaints about this in the House of
Commons, to which Churchill responded: “When you are setting out to kill
someone, it doesn’t do any harm to be polite.”