National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-07-24
REPRESENTATION ABROAD.
a Lesson From Bismarck to the United
States - What Foreign Minister'S
Duties Should BE.

Duties Should BE.
EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: Patriotic
American citizens have long felt that there
was something radically defective in their
representation abroad and that American In.
terests suffered severely in consequence of the
"musterly inactivity" of their ministers at
foreign courts. Many of these representatives
have seemed to think that the only objects OF
their missions were to amuse themselves, toady
foreign nobility, aud exchange empty compli
ments with the royalties TO whom they have
been accredited. Hitherto, however, although
some of them have accepted presents from
foreign potentates indirectly through near
relatives las President Cleveland has lately de.
clined to do), thus far no one of them has
openly lobbed his office for his own personal
benefit. But, AT the same time, they have been
purely ornamental appcndages to foreign
courts without in any way advancing the
great commercial interests OF our COUNTRY
whose nolitiCal interests abroad arc PERFECTLY
nil, owing to the mighty barrier which divides
America from the other continents,
The old English definition OF au ambassador
was "a person sent abroad to lie for the benefit
OF his country"
phrase, "the benefit OF the country" ever has
been the main object aimed at in sending per-
sons abroad to represent the country. THIS OBJ
iect certainly cannot be attained by closing the
aud making dummy of him in all matters
relating to the most essential interests of the
country he is supposed tO represent,
The instructions of the Department of State
are urged by American representatives In eX-
tcnuation OF their inactivity in promoting
American interests, which are terribly haudi-
capped thereby aud those instructions shDl I'D
be made 80 definite las the German ana Eug.
lish have BEEN as not to admit Of any such
construction hereafter.
1t is unjust and degrading to American m.
| NUnfn Ia hat
| use would be made by our representatives OF
| the power TO aid in the extension of our COM
| mcfcial and industrial interests, or that such
| influence would he eXertcd for personal or cor
| England and other powers have never lain un.
| der such impuGatiOns, however actively they
may have assisted IN the extension OF their na.
| tional commerce. the neinstruCliJnsas rs now con-
| strucd and acted on by our ministers abrOl at
| the sGme time cripple their usefulness and shut
| the door against American enterprise and
tnincd, can defy all successful composition
every where.
The consular corps OF the United States ha,
| ever done and Is still doing good service IN
| American commerce and industry abroad. Bat
| in many countries the ministers accredited u
| those courts can speak with Tar moro pn.
| tCntiNl voice than the consular representatives
| and the great master of GCTmuu slntacrltt well
| understood what he was doing in making II
| obligatory on his ambassadors 20 interest thom
|
| duty of protecting and pushing forward tue
| commerce OF his country. Shall the United
| States, Which Is proud Of It's practical good
sense, and equally proud Of It's commercial
| and aristOCTatiC England In this regard and
| preserve the deCayed traditions of diplomatic
| duties at the expense of intnltc loss and in
| jury to American commerce and Industry II
| not, let the German lesson bc studied and fol
| lowed. The plea put up by our foreign repro
| sentatiyes for their Inactivity and failure
1 A nj
| Is that their INSTRUCTIONS from the Department
| OF State forbid their intervention In any m ".
tiers not purely POLITICAL while the r3presens,
| aiiVes OF foreign powers actively Interest them
| selves in the advancement of the commercial
/ interests of their respective countries, an
| both Prince Bismarck aud Lord RosOOerF
| have especially enjOined on the representa-,
| tiyes of Germany aud OF England sneGill care
| and energy on this very point. Whie there
| fore, the representatives OF our great CONNER
cial and industrial rivals in supplying The
world are actively enlisted in pushing focwurt
| their own products, II would seem vitality in
| poTinni that tie American Department of Stltt
should modify its Instructions, and 50 reyls
| them, while sternly punishing any improper
| use OF influence for the personal benefit of thl
| representative, to make II his duty 10 DroteC
and put forward American commerce ant
| inventions, unless such positions are designed
simply TO be foreign tours, made ut publ,
| expense, by few favored friends or partisan
| of successive administrations
| The restrictions imposed by our state Depart
| ment would not stand In the way of currup
| men, who could easily eynde them; but thil
| only paraly2o the honest ones. Years RtD Ii
IN eastern country, an energetic American rep
| resentatlye promoted and assisted in intrOiut
| irg American locomotives and carriages on tn
| railway lines, entirely replacing the Eugllsl
| ones, previously used exclusively, few
| years later, after his resignation for pliticl
reasons, the English rolling stock again super
| seded the American, possibly in COusGlu9uCj
| Ofthesc nOninterYentOu instructions.
The proof that our representative whose In
| Inglpp introduced pluuVA lu N
| peCuni0ry interest in the affair Is that ne Il
! poor man to-day, while American manufaGlu
! Ters made large profits ont of the transaction
| repeat that. while there can bo no depart
mental regulations which can prevent abusN
! on the part OF unworthy dopoeitarles of pibl!t
| trusts the suspicion implied by such rUstrlGtly,
! rules carries with 1t an insult 10 a body of gen
| tlemen, supposed to be selected for their sups
| rior Intelligence and high character from tht
mass of our people, Respectfully,
! PARIS, July 9, 1886. AN AMERICAN.