Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-12-27
TO IMPROVE CONSULAR SERVICE.
Mr.. Garfield Wants 1t Taken From
Politics.

| Mr.. Harry A Garfield, president of the
Cleveland chamber of commerce. is on a
| visit to this city in connection with the
enactment of legislation TO place the con-
suiar service of the United States on a
| permanent basis. with view to it's re-
moval from politics so far possible. Mr.
| Garfield is the son of eX-Presdent Gar
| field, and has the cooperation Of many
| prominent men in the movement I'm which
| he is now engaged.
| Mr.. Garfield has made statement i'm re-
gard to the movement for reform in the
consular service, in which he says:
The proposed reorganiza ton of the con-
sular and diplomatic service is one of the
| N )st important things now under consider
alton.
The consular service has TO do with the
material development of our resources 1
| by no means would have 1t supposed that 1
regard commerce as the most important
part of that which justiiles, and even de-
| mands. that We reach into other lands.
Commerce relations are, after all, but the
bread and butter relations
Trade carried into foreign lands brings
us into personal contact with the traders
of other countries, but the vital and lasting
| thing is the resulting influence in the home,
| in society and upon the institutions: and
what this influence shall be is of infinitely
greater Importance both to us and to the
rest of mankind than the success or failure
| of commercial enterprises, and. moreover
Will determine in the end whether th. en-
| terprtses are permanently successful or not
Heretofore our merchants and manufaC-
| turers have dealt largely with one another
Henceforth. in a greater or less degree, de-
pendent upon our wisdom or the lack of ill.,
we are TO trade with the peoples of remote
lands. No longer is our farmer satisfied to
exc out a precarious, or even certain, living
for himself and family; his sons demand
the opportunity to ship surplus product
to all the world.
DAY iJb If
laden trains, operating over half as many
miles Of track as the remainder of the en-
tire world, bear iron from the north. cotton
from the south. coal. petroleum and the
products from the factory from the east
and center, and grains from the west.
of the 13,0o0,000 bales of cotton produced
by the whole world, the United States
alone produces 100000 bales, only $500
900 of which are consumed at home. Who
is TO take the remaining enormous product
Of 100000 bales. and on what terms?
OF cereals We produce more than one
fourth of the crops of the entire world.
One-third of the worlds product of coal
comes from the United States. More than
one-fourth of the commercial appliances
employed by the world to aid and supple
ment human labor are employed by the
workers and operators of our country.
The native production of iron ore is
equally significant One-fourth of the total
output of the world comes from the United
States, and, what is especially important to
the business men Of Cleveland, 40 per cent
of the total production Of the United States
or nearly 20 per cent of the world $ output,
of iron ore comes from the great lakes re-
Sion and passes our very door.
Last of all, and most significant, the eX-
ports of the United States exceeded the eX-
ports of Great Britain for the fiscal year
ended June 30, 1898, to all countries by $780,
100000. The fact is the more impressive
because this is the first time in the records
of trade that British exports for twelve
months have been surpassed by those of
any other country. Our commerce has as
surely burst the confines of a limited ma
tionaf market as the swelling trunk of the
oak will sunder the strongest band of iron.
But what has all this to do with reor-
ganized consular service? Everything. Our
consular service is the nerve fiber extend
ing from the common center to the eNtrem-
tiles, and just so far it is well trained
and sensitive TO the least change in outside
conditions will we be able TO act promptly
and intellgently
The present status of our consular serv-
ice and the benefits which will accrue I'M
der intelligently ordered system cannot
be better set forth than in the report SUBJ
mitted by Senator Lodge of the foreign
lati0nS committee.
Il venture to assert that there is not a
manufacturer here who will not hail with
delight the Inauguration of a system which
Will assure him prompt, intelligent and
honest execution of commissions which are
now ill-done or neglected altogether. and
which can only be well done by sending
special representatives abroad
And this is only part of the evil of the
present system. Our merchants are unin-
formed. The unframed consul however
worthy, falling to appreciate the character
of our foreign markets, sends no Informal
ton, and our merchants, their attention be-
ing fixed mainly upon the situation at
home, or because they are unable to obtain
the necessary data, miss their opportunity:
while in the broader field of national affairs
We cannot hope to satisfactorily solve the
problem set for us under any foreign policy
that is adopted, no matter how wisely
framed, unless these same instrumentalities
are made potent factors of the active de-
partment."