THE SALUTATION
I. Business. — 1. The salutation should be so written as to line with the first line of the address, on the left. {117}
2. Ordinarily it should occupy a line by itself, but when the address requires three lines, the salutation may be made a part of the body of the letter, being followed by a colon and a dash: e.g., Gentlemen:—
3. When the salutation is in a line by itself it calls for a comma if the letter is informal, and for a colon if it is formal.
4. The proper form of the salutation is Gentlemen, Dear Sir(s), My dear Sir (if the letter is signed by an individual name), Dear Madam or My dear Madam (to a married or single woman), Ladies.
5. The proper capitalization is here shown.
II. Informal. — 1. The salutation Dear Sir is less formal than My dear Sir, although in England the opposite opinion prevails.
2. The capitalization is the same as in business letters; i.e., the first word and the word which stands in place of the person’s name are capitalized: e.g., My own dear Sister, My dear Aunt Mary, or Dear John, My dear Friend.
3. In an informal letter the comma is usually used after the salutation.
4. Do not use abbreviations in the salutation: e.g., write Dear Doctor Smith, not Dear Dr. Smith.
5. Do not omit the salutatory phrase: Friend James, or Mr. James Smith is too abrupt.
III. Formal. — 1. A letter to the President of the United States or to King George {118} should have the salutation Sir; to the Pope, Your Holiness; to the Vice-President, Mr. Vice-President, Sir; to a duke, My Lord Duke; to a baron, My Lord; to a cardinal, Your Eminence; to an archbishop in England, My Lord Archbishop, in the United States, The Most Reverend ——, Sir; to a bishop in England, My Lord Bishop, in the United States, Most Reverend Sir; to a dean or to an archdeacon, Reverend Sir; to a senator, congressman, mayor, or judge, Sir or Dear Sir; to an ambassador, To the —— Ambassador, Sir.
2. A colon should follow the salutation in formal letters.