The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-07
AMERICANS NOT SLOW
RETIRING CONSUL GENERAL MORSS
AT PARIS HAS HIS SAY.
Believes ''Pure Cussedness" Has Much
to Do with Criticism of the Serv-
ice-RecOmm endatiOns.


of about four years as United States consul
general at Paris, was asked to give his
impressions of the consular service of the
United States-to say how, in his opinion,
it compared with that of other leading COM
mercial nations, such as Great Britain,
France and Germany, and what measures
were, in his judgment, desirable for its
Improvement.
1T would be difficult replied Mr.. Morss,
ito answer very satisfactorily these ques-
tions within the limits of an ordinary news
paper article. The subject is a very large
one and 1 should require considerable time
and space TO discuss it adequately. Since
entered the consular service of the United
States, in the hummer of 1893, 1 have
studied its practical operations pretty close
ly, and have awaited myself of such oppor-
tunities as presented themselves to compare
it with that of other countries. While 1 am
free to confess that our consular service
is not in all respects what it ought to be,
and that there is great room for improve
ment in many ways, it is still my deliberate
opinion that, measured by the results ac-
complished, it is at least the equal of that
of any other consular service in the world
This statement will no doubt seem sur
prising to those who have been led to be-
service that it is utterly bad. The tone
of much current newspaper discussion of
this matter is reflected in d clipping 1 have
before me, credited to Chicago paper, in
which a statement alleged to have been
made by a paper called the English and
American Register that our consular service
is the laughing stock of the world is in
dorSed. Such characteriZationS of the SER
vice. which are very frequent in American
journals and ma gaines, and are sometimes
heard in congressional debates, are rarely,
II ever, made by American citizens who
have had an opportunity TO know how the
service is actually conducted. l may say,
in addition, that so far from the service be-
ing the laughing stock of the world fire.
quent testimony to it's efficiency is given by
eminent statesmen and publcists in Europe.
Important British journals have often COM
pared the work of American and English
cOnSulS to the disadvantage of the latter.
In a German official document recently
communicated to me by Consul General De
Kay, of Berlin, high compliment is paid
OF surprise entirely natural, that such good
results should be produced in view of the
manner in which our consular officials are
selected. Similar testimony has been
peatedly given in leading organs of French
public opinion and in discussions in the
French Parliament The fact is that most
OF the wholesale denunciation directed at
our consular service comes from those who
know least about it. 1t is sometimes the
product of honest ignorance, and some
times, fear, of pure cussedness.'
DUTIES OF OUR CONSULS
"a comparison of consular regulations of
France, Germany, Great Britain and the
United States will show that the duties i'm
posed on American consuIs are more ardu-
Gus and more varied than those exacted of
| the consuls of other countries. For in
| stance the work connected with the certifi-
cation of invoices, which at all our consul
lateS at manufacturing and commercial GEN.
ters is very heavy, and takes precedence
of all other consulate duties, is not imposed
upon the consular officers of other cOura-
tries. Our system of consular certifcation
OF invoices is peculiar to the United States.
Some other countries, believe. require GER
tain consular formaIities in connection with
some invoices, but these formalities involve
very little tax upon the attention of consul
lar. officers or their subordinateS In the
principal American cOnSulateS, such as Lon
don, Paris, Liverpool and others, the cler-
ical force is largely occupied with this work.
Other duties are necessarily made second
airy and are performed in the intervals that
can be snatched in or out of office hours
from invoice work
The revenue from the fees for the GER
tificatiOn of invoices and other official SerV
ives, all of which is paid into the treasury
of the United States, practically maintains
of other countries is not on the contrary,
self-SuppOrting but is maintained in whole
or in large part at the charge of the tax
payers thereof.
THE leading commercial nations other
than the United States maintain a larger
and better-paid personnel at their impor
tant cOnSulateS than we do. For instance,
at the British consulate general in New
York, which is not charged with any labor
in connection with the certifcatiOn of in
voices, there a consul general, a consul
and two vice consuls, in addition to an
ample clerical force At each of the Ameri
can consulates general of the United States
at Paris and London there are consul
general, a vice consul general and deputy
consul general. The two latter are under
paid and the work which devolves upon
them in connection with invoices alone is
sufficient, If carefully and thoroughly done,
to occupy all their working hours. If the
present system of consular Authorization
of invoices is to be perpetuated-and think
it is at least questionable whether it ought
to be-COngress should provide much
larger staff at our loading consulates.
Aside from the invoice work American
conSulS called on to perform many du-
ties and render many services to American
citizens which are not expected from the
cOnsuls of other countries as rule This
is true in Europe at least, and arises in
travel in England and on the continent. For
every Frenchman who travels in the
United States there are, suppose, at least
one hundred Americans who travel in
France. 1t is the duty OF all consuls. and
l believe it is the pleasure of most of them,
to render every reasonable service to their
heavy demands upon the time, and con-
siderable upon the purse, of consular Off
lin. Rome and other centers of American
travel 1t happens not infrequently that
the entire business day OF the consul gen
eral at Paris is taken up in receiving and
attending to the various demands of Amer
lean travellers. compelling him to perform
the routine work of his position outside
of office hours The same is, of course,
true of our consular officials at other i'm
portant posts.
Judge all over Europe that the commercial
and other reports of American consuls
with the reports made by the consuis OF
other countries. Any person who Will take
occasion to examine the reports published
by the Bureau of Statistics during a sim
gle year will be impressed by the great
number and variety of subjects treated,
the intelligence with which they are ham
died and the value of information they
contain-a value which is greatly enhanced
nv the prOmptness with which such lnfor-
nation is usually furnished.
CHANGES RECOMMENDED.
II might say a great deal more very
truthfully in behalf of our consular service.
It is certainly not my wish to exaggerate
its merits or to gloss over its shortcomings.
I simply wanted to point out that the serv-
ice. although very far from ideal, and sus-
ceptible of great Improvement in many re-
spects. is. everything considered, reason
ably creditable and efficient But it can be.
and ought to be, very greatly improved.
The present system, or lack of system, of
selecting consular officers, should be
changed. Selections should be made with
a view TO the character and qualifications
grounds There should be a greater per-
mapence of tenure. and a system of pro-