Arizona republican., 1899-10-29

tween this country and foreign nations
and his official correspondence will
foreign governments is conducted
through the state department. In the
conduct of the negotiations the secre-
tary of state represents the president
and foreign ministers at Washington
must transact their business with the
secretary and not the president. II
would be improper for them TO address
the president directly on matters OF
public business, and if they should I'M
dertake to do so they would be referred
by him to the secretary of state.
The secretary OF state in his CORE
| spondence with other states may ad-
dress his communications to the rep
resentatives of those powers at Wash
ington, to be communicated by them to
their home office, or, if he prefers, he
may use our own ministers abroad, al
lowing them to address the foreign of
fee of the government to which they
are accredited and to conduct the cor
respondence under instructions which
they have received from him. All for
eign states recognize the fact that the
state department is the legal organ of
communication between the president
and foreign countries, and that official
communications with the president can
be only through the secretary of state
The state department. it is we'll under
stood, can receive no communication
from subjects of another country on
| international matters. except through
the minister of the country to which
such subjects belong.
The constitution provides for the ap-
pointment of ambassadors, other pub
lie ministers and consuls.'' But prior
to 1898 none of our diplomatic repre-
sentatives were of the grade of an am
bassador. In that year congress passed
an act empowering the president to
raise the grade of our ENJOYS to cor
respond with the rank in which for
eign countries accredit their agents
here. During that year Great Britain.
France Italy and Germany conferred
upon their represe natives at Wash
ington the title of ambassador and the
president responded by accrediting the
agents of the United States to those
countries with the same title. Since
then similar action has been taken in
the case of Russia and Mexico.
AS a rule no state sends to a coun-
try a minister of higher grade than
that country sends to it, although each
nation is free to consult it's own will in
regard to the grade of the diplomatic
representatives it sends abroad. The
grade adopted is understood to meas
ure it's sense of the Importance of the
relations with the power to which the
representative is accredited.
When a foreign minister arrives at
the seat of the government to which ne
is accredited he obtains an interview
with the secretary of state for foreign
nj oirS oil hi Of
his letter Of credence That official ar
ranges for the presentation of the min
lister to the sovereign or executive of
the nation to which he is accredited.
Until q minister has been officially re-
ceived he cannot act in his official ca
pacity.
The ceremony observed at Washing
ton in receiving a new minister has
been described by Mr.. Harrison as fol-
lows: 'On a day appointed by the
president the new minister drives with
his secretaries and attaches to the
state department and is thence escort
ed by the secretary of state to the ex-
ecutive mansion and conducted to the
blue room. The secretary then goes
to the presidents office and advises
him that the minister is in waiting.
The president. on the arm of the secre-
and, the minister and his suite stand |
ing, the secretary Introduces the min |
lister, who, after bowling, proceeds to |
read his address and at the proper |
time hands to the president his letters |
of credence, which are Immediately |
passed to the secretary of state. When t
the address of the minister has been
read the president reads his reply and,
after few moments spent in informal |
retires with the secre-
tary, who, rturning, conducts the min
lister from the executive mansion
The following desirable reforms may
be mentioned:
l. The United States should place
the diplomatic service on a more per-
nanent basis and our representatives
abroad should be advanced from sub
ordinate positions to the highest places
according to their experience and ca
oacity. A change of administration at
means change of ambas-
sailors and ministers at foreign courts.
This would not be tolerated as respects
he army, and as respects the diplo-
matte service it is quite indefensible.
change of government in England or
france Is not followed by any change
# ambassadors.
2. The salaries paid TO our ambas-
adors and ministers should be materf-
lily increased. The highest salary
'aid by the United States to an am
is only S17,50o, as compared
With $4,000 paid by England The
American ambassador pays his own
ent. The Englishman is not obliged
o pay any rent. as he has his house
furnished by his government. The
american ambassador at London or
'aris, if he lives as other ambassadors
i've, uses up the largest part of his
alary in paying rent and cannot re- {
urn the hospitality he receives with
ut making heavy demands upon his .
rivate means. This is not right and
effects no credit upon our government
t means, in effect, that only rich men
an afford to go abroad as ambassa-
ors or ministers.