New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-18

ILSH CONSUI.S AND THEIR SERVICES
WHAT THEY IRE IN THE LEvANT.
Although many years have elapsed since the
late Lord Palmerston, speaking in his capacity
as Secretary Of State for Foreign Affairs in
formed the British House of Commons that
consuls We're mot gentlemen" it may be ques-
tened whether either the official social status
of these es;imable and most useful functonaries
has been improved to any extent since that
date. They are still treated as a sort of poor
relations Of the members of the regular diplo
matte service, are despised as such by the young
est OF attaches, and usually referred to as
chose damned consus." In some monarchical
countries their Office is sufficient to debar them
from presentation at court, it being held that
the acceptance of a consulship is equivalent TO
an admission by a man that he Is not
"hoffaehig" Chat is 20 say, not enough Of a gen
tleman TO consort with princes and nobles),
while IL is rare TO find a consul dining az the
table even Of his own ambassador or envoy.
save on state occasions and then only as an act
OF particular condesceasion.
1t is not the consular service of any par
ticuar country that is meant, but the consular
corps as a whole. 1t is a profession which dur
ing the last Atty years so has become OF such
vital Importance 10 the welfare and prosperity
OF the nations by which it is employed that IL
has frequently been argued OF late that it might
be Of political well as economic advantage to
abolish the diplomatic missions and TO devote
the money thus saved TO the development and
extension Of the consular service. The useful
ness Of ambassadors. of their secretaries and OF
their attaches. except for ornamental purposes
IS open TO discussion. whereas there can be none
as to the value Of the consuls-providing. OK
course they do their duty.
For consuls are Indispensable factors in the
intercourse between all countries that are IN
commercial relations with another The
greatness, the prosperity, the power and the
welfare Of nations depend NOT so much upon the
area Of their territory the number OF their
cruisers and soldiers as upon the extent OF Their
trade and industry BY none can these be more
developed and fostered than by their consuls
and 1t may be pointed out that precisely those
ambassadors have been regarded aS the
most capable and successful who. trespassing
50 10 speak. upon the consular sphere have en-
dsavored 70 secure facilities and advantages for
the commerce Of their native lands. Thus an
envoy who induces the government TO which he
is accredited TO abolish restrictions imposed
upon the importation Of the produce of his coun-
try unquestionably renders a more valuable
service 10 the latter than an ambassador who.
for instance presents elOquenty wOrded notes 10
the Sultan urging the Introduction Of reforms
in the internal administration Of Turkey-notes
which are never acted upon. and which are
merely filed away among the archives Of the
Sublime Porte.
LORD PALMERsToN's MEANING.
When Lord Palmerston made his sweeping
assertion 10 the effect that consuls were mot gen.
temen" he did not. OF course. mean TO imply
rI,a
for there are many men Of birth and Of breeding
among them. But what he evidently did mean
10 say was that it was not Indispensable that a
consul should be a gentleman. as is the case with
an officer Of the Army or Navy. with member
Of the bar or Of the diplomatic service. More
over, il cannot be denied that so little care Is
taken in making the appointments to the con-
sular service that II has become endowed so far
as social status is concerned, with exceedingly
had name Probably the best organized and
most efficient consular service in the world at
the present moment is that Of Germany. Yet
even there the nOblary element is conspicuous
by the paucty OF its members, the vast majority
If the members OF The corps being, unlike the
diplomatic profession. OF bourgeois birth. and re-
cruited from the middle classes Certain Of the
latest Offices Of consul-general are held by I'M
portant and titled digntaries Of the Foreign Of
Zoe a, Berlin whom il is desired 10 give a brief
smell OF service abroad for the sake OF Droade ming
their minds But the ordinary consuships are
filed bv men who bear names that are pebeian
and unknown save in commercial circles. The
few aristocrats among the number are eX officers
Of the army who. having run through their
money 10 such an extent as TO rendsr the reteh-
ton Of their commissions impossible have maze
use Of what influence they possessed 10 secure
Government employment. and above all a i've
..hood. abroad.
Yet no matter how the German consular ser
vice is composed, il is snguarly efhclen, ana Is
kent with its nose to the grindstone by the con-
slant demands that are being made upon IL from
Berlin. Its officials are expected TO have their
ewes omen and 10 be on the watch for every ne"
opportunity OF pushing German trade. they
are required 10 keep the merchants and manu-
facturers AZ home fully posted as 10 the changes
,D the economic condition OF the country and DIS
tricts In which they stationed, and Wherever
possible 10 induce local traders and manuiactu'-
ers 10 open up communications with the German
markets They advise their counrymen as 10
the best way Of presenting their wares they Sc
cure contracts for them whenever possible ana
furnish them with all the points that they can
need In one word. they constitute themselves
the mentors the guides and the frlehds OF the
German trader and OF the German producer'
that too In q thoroughly disinterested manner
without looking FOR any other reward than pro-
motion, or perhaps a decoration from the EN-
peror. I, Is thanks TO them that German trade
has developed 10 such extent that 1t has now
become the principal competitor Of that OF Great
Britain all the world over. ousting the Enghsh
from many Of the markets. Indeed German
trade would probably be victorious all along the
line were the quality Of the produce and manu-
facture offered equal TO that OF the BRUSH arti-
c!e or more worthy Of the exertion mace IN us
behalf by the hard-workng. energeuc leuton
consuls
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN CONSULS-
IT,. r,-..1i.h oo-,a,1iar service presents q good