Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-26

They Have Important Work to DO, Par
ticularly With Government Secrets.

They Have Important Work to DO, Par
ticularly With Government Secrets.
SEVERAL OF THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE
~ printing shops of their own, which are
branches OF the government printing office.
The biggest of them is attached to the treasury.
employing eighty men and women. Others are
annexed to the War, Navy and Interior The
Department of State has the smallest of all,
with only about dozen employees. This last.
however, does much important work of q secret
nature, setting type for great many documents
which are kept most strictly from the view of
the public.
The Department of State is the great deposit
tory of the secrets Of the government. 1t does
and knows many things which are not commu-
nicated to the people nor even to Congress.
Obviously, there are numerous instances where
the publication Of diplomatic business would
Illustrate the purposes in view. For example,
when negotiations were set on foot for the pur-
chase Of Alaska it would never have done to
tell the reporters for the press what was the
nature of Prince Gortschakoff's confidential
reply to Mr.. Stewards preliminary overtures
That might have spoiled the whole affair. Pend
ing treaty matters even the Senate il not per-
mitted to have knowledge Of
One function of the Department of State is to
maintain the peace of nations. With q view to
this end 1t usually preserves silence respecting
breaches of diplomatic faith. Many q time
when the United States has been treated with
want OF courtesy and even dishonesty by foreign
governments all knowledge of the injury done
has been kept from tho public. The printing
OF the facts in such cases would merely have
aroused popular Indignation and inspired an
unhealthy sentiment of hostility. On the other
hand, Uncle Sam has more than once treated
other nations with unfairness, and thew
have said nothing. He really purchase
the Island Of St. Thomas from Denmark q fe "
years ago, the bargain being SO far completed
that the residents unfurled the American fag;
but he crawled out of it rather discreditably at
the end. Nevertheless, Denmark took it quietly
and made no fuss whatever. Whatever has
been written or printed on such subjects re-
mains buried in the secret archives of the
State Department. The question whether there
could occur case where the Secretary of
State would feel obliged to refuse in forma-
ton demanded by Congress has been disputed.
Probably he would be able to escape the di-
lemma by diplomatic evasion.
A rather important part of the State Depart
ment's printing is the system of consular re-
ports. 1t is not generally realized that this
branch OF the governments employs on its staff
the finest corps Of reporters in existence. They
are scattered over all parts of the globe and,
being constantly in communication by tele-
graph with the Office at Washington, they are
ready to combine, at moments notice, in Civ
ing information on any conceivable subject
All the consuls, consuls general and even our
ministers abroad are instructed to regard this
as portion of their duty, and thus MIR. Blaine
is enabled to get out a number Of publications
yearly on whatever topics may be regarded As
best calculated to afford useful information.
most OF them being OF commercial interest