New Delhi, Dec. 11 -- The United States government has changed its typeface again-yes, literally its typeface-and in doing so has reignited a cultural skirmish few outside graphic-design world could have predicted. With a directive that has the energy of a university registrar demanding essays in double-spaced Times New Roman, the Trump administration has officially abandoned Calibri, restoring the serif stalwart as the State Department's mandatory voice to the world.

But as with most things in Washington, the choice of font is not just a choice of font.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered State Department officials to return to Times New Roman in 14-point type, effective immediately. A spokesperson told CNN that this shift al...