The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-07

the laughing-stock of the world which in
cludes men of the character attachments
and capacity of Patrick A. Collins, late con-
sui general at London; Charles De Kay,
consul general at Berlin: Wallace 5. Jones,
consul general at Rome; James T.. Neal,
late consul at Liverpool; Frank ii. Mason,
consul at Frankfort, and W. 5. Carroll,
consul at Dresden not TO speak OF scores
of others OF similar standing, an affront Is
sense of the public, Take the consular serv-
ice in France, for example. OF the fourteen
conSulS nine are univerSity-bred men. ne
incumbents of the principal consulates dur
ing the last four years-such men as DR..
Chancellor al Havre. John NJ. Wiley at Bor-
deaux, Frank E. Hyde at Lyons, and claude
Thomas at Marseilles-measure up 20 the
highest standard CT character and emclency.
Our consular service is made up largely OF
professional men, lawyers, journalists, mer-
chants etc, whose practical knowledge ana
experience of affairs serves them in good
stead of the special training possessed ny
the consuls of other countries. The quick
intelligence and the natural adapta bllity or
the American character count Tor very
much, and while they do not wholly coun-
teract the evils inseparable from existing
methods of selection, they certainly mini
miZe them.
Various measures have been proposed in
Congress for the reorganization OF our con-
Sular service, some of which contain much
merit. In my opinion, as already animated,
the service should be put upon different
basis. Where practicable, the appointeeS
to consular offices should be familiar with
the language of the country to which they
are accredited and should have some knowl-
edge of its manners and customs, and es-
pecially of its business methods. Unofficial
fees should be abolished and salaries cor
respondingly increased. The personnel or
the leading offices should be materially
augmented. A system OF frequent and rigid
inspections of consulates should be eSetab-
lished, to be conducted by consul generals.
The latter should indeed be given larger
authority in their respective jurisdictions
and held to stricter responsibility Tor the
manner in which the consular service Is
led ont =
ficials are miserably paid and their com
pensation should be materially increased.
necessary to secure the best results from
our consular system. The Importance OF
this department of the public service, which
has never been fully appreciated by Con-
gress or by the American public, is increas-
ing every day in proportion as the CONNER
cial intercourse of the United states with
other countries becomes more intimate |
believe that the time is ripe for the intro
duction of these reforms, but do not think
they are to be FASTENED by wholesale ana
indiscriminate depreciation of service
which, all things considered, and in view
especially of the inadequate provision made
for it, is highly creditable TO the United
''To your question about the diplomatic
service, l can only reply that believe 1t
would be wise policy for the onlted states
to acquire suitable and permanent quarters
for our embassies and legations in all the
important capitals. Every great power eX-
cept the United States owns Its embassy
buildings in Paris and in other leading cap
itals. In these buildings, with few excep-
tons, the conSulateS are also located, ana
the arrangement is i'll every way convenient
and advantageous. hope Congress will see
it's way clear at no distant day to adopt
the same policy, and that the salaries OF
our diplomatic representatives will be in
creased to a respectable figure. The exist
ing scale of diplomatic salaries is niggardly
paltry 1t compels the appointment of
wealthy men as ambassadors and ministers,
or places our diplomatic representatives at
a hopeless DISADVANTAGE as compared with
their colleagues of other nations"