The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-18
AS TO ABoLIsHIbe OUR FOREIGN SERVICE.

The New York Herald comes to the
front with the oft-repeated suggestion to
abolish our foreign service as meas
ure of economy. Every little while this
suggestion is made by somebody and
urged as earnestly as if it were a new
proposition and a valuable measure of
reform. 1t is urged mainly on the
grounds that the foreign service is an
unnecessary feature of the government,
involving needless expense, that it is
anti-republican to maintain representa-
tives at foreign capitals, and that our
foreign interests can be perfectly we'll
managed from Washington by mail or
telegraph.
The suggestion is foolish and the rea-
sons given in support of it arc unsound.
Our foreign service, though on its face
expensive, costing about 100000 a
year, is worth more than it costs to the
government, and could not safely or
properly be dispensed with. OF course.
its efficiency and value depend in large
measure on the character of the persons
who compose it, but it is no argument
against the service that our foreign Of
ficials are sometimes incompetent, in
efficient or unworthy. If that is an ar
gumcnt against anything it is against
popular government and our method of
filling Offices. 1t is, indeed, an argu-
ment in favor of civil-service reform.
But in spite of the defects of our sys-
tenn We repeat that our foreign service
is worth to the government more than it
costs. The trade reports of our consuls
are very valuable, and have been the
means of opening up many new avenues
of foreign commerce. The services of
our ministers are often valuable. Some
notable instances of this have occurred
during the present administration in the
removal of the restrictions imposed by
foreign governments on importatiOns of
American beef and pork. These results,
which are of incalculablo value to the
country, were brought about by the per-
sistent and well-directed efforts of our
ministers abroad, and never could have
been accomplished in any other way.
Such negotiations cannot be success
fully carried on at long range. There
are too many details to be arranged, too
many sharp points to be smoothed away,
too much dependent on person al contact
and management to admit of u success
full negotiation by mail, much less by
telegraph. These cases are cited as ex-
amples. Many others have arisen in
which the personal efforts of our minis
tiers have been of great value in pro-
American rights.
Foreign nations would regard the
abolition of our foreign service as notice
that the United States did not care to
maintain friendly international rela-
tions with the rest of the world. 1t
would be regarded as churlish with
drawal from the family of nations.
Other nations would respond by abol-
ishing their legations in this country,
and we should soon find ourselves in
disfavor and disrepute all over the
world, and in a state of continual fric-
ton with other nations. In short, the
suggestion for the abolition of our for
eign service will not stand the test of
scrutiny and is unwor Thy of serious con-
sideration. 1t is highly probable that
the foreign service will be very worth
less during Mr.. Cleveland's administra-
ton, as it was during his last, but that
is no reason why it should be abolished.
Let us retain the service and hope for
better DAYS.