In response to "confused and dubious" there is a wonderful story about
the US and Russian representatives walking down the steps of the
United Nations in New York - ONe of them on observing a representative
from a new nation in Africa asked " is that one of our neutrals or one
 of your neutrals?"  More than a little bit of the museum exhibit
construct is like that.
Maurice D. Smith,
Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston.