The National tribune., 1900-03-15
BY JAMES MARTIN MILLER

To the great mass Of educated people IL
Che United States the not infreQuent refer
ence to "olr Consular service has httlt
meaning, and even TO merchants and busi
ness men the ideas conveyed by the fern
ore very vague. However to the wide
awake traveller, especially if such traveller
Is in any important way connected with
or interested in trade, the words open 10 the
mind Il vast field for inquiry, or, in case OF
the experienced traveller. for retrospect.
There are scattered throughout the Vari.
Gus importan; parts of the civilized ana
uncivilized world, OF salaricd Consular
officers who are not permitted 10 engage IN
business. IS COnSuG-ticucral 1876 ConSnlS,
and 10 Commercial Agents. whilc there are
10 Salaried officers. 81 feed officers and %
Commercial Agents. who are permitted to
engage in business. This makes a total
OF 234 salaried aud 100 feed, or a total OF
1884 Consular officers.
The salaries run from $4,000. rs in the
case of Calcutta. lndil-ttlc highest down
to 81 ZOO at Bs..:::.via. Java. which IS among
the lowest.
In fees these Consular officers earn from
over S65 900 al the British capital. Londol.
down S12 at the Persian capital. T"herln.
To the average American who travels
abroad, even though a business man, the
Consul is rarely seen or considered. To
other people abroad, the Consulate of their
country is rather rallying point and the
QesSular representative is the easy means
through which social and business intro
ductionS are usually made, while with the
average American traveller the Consular
representative is usually not sought after,
not visited, and not even heard Of. Strange
as it may seem, it is nevertheless true.
that the most extensive and experienced
travellers are the least likely to call at the
Consulate on arrival at a new place, while
they are the most ready to excuse such
neglect by frankly remarking that expert
ence has given them a poor opinion OF the
class of men usually occupying Consular
positions. AS people in foreign lands
naturally like to meet those from their
own country, there must be very sub
6tantial reasons for the too general lack
Of respect which Americans travelling
abroad, as well often as American business
men residing abroad, entertain for the
Consular officer and even for the ConSU!8r
position.
Judging by the reports so induStrlouGly
gathered from all the scenes of the worlds
progressive operations, there is certainly
a goodly amount of Intelligence in the
aggregate Consular body, but, Judging by
very many other things, vast majority
of the individuals composing the aggi egate
are so lamentably lacking in many quail
ties as 10 reduce the service, as a whole,
to plane quite unworthy OF our preten-
sions.
BY universal consent our country stands
the most conspicuous and important among
the nations, and our people have right 10
expect that in every commercial part OF
the globe they may find American officials
proudly upholding the dignity of our flag,
and personally possessing atleast in a fair
degree the qualities necessary to impress
foreigners with the respect due TO our
Nation.
Genius has annihilated time and space;
in accessibility the world grows smaller
every year. and as our industrial system
has far outgrown our domestic require
ments, never was the desire so strong or the
necessity for our people TO get abroad with
their surplus so great as now.
Primarily the Consular service is an
essential force in the carrying out of com
mercial operations, and now that we are
actively invading every competitive field,
many markets among comparative
strangers, the necessity for an efficient
Consular service is still becoming more
pressing. Commercially we are not
novices, but vast ma joTity of our exporters
are not only entering new markets as
strangers with new goods, but they are
sending new goods into new markets by
new agents, who must meet new conditions
and conduct business by new methods.
and human ingenuity could not devise a
scheme more useful in the present struggle
in weathering successfully this transition