The National tribune., 1900-03-15

Friday.-Go ship, compromise difficult
on board, 11:3O. Lunch with Lord =
lis. Hear evidence in case OF -,
Dine with Premier -, Z.
Saturday.-See ladies from -, 4
, sharp. Delegation skin shippers. Il
= Speak at Marine Mission with Lord -
at 8.
These are only the conspicuous demands
on the Consular officer, TO be noted anc
remembered while from 20 to so calls a da!
are made by all classes and conditions o
people, from the rich American doing tn,
world" TO the starving eX-actor, the desti
tlIte wife and the globe-trotting adVentlIrer
and from the great inventor who is L
revolutionize warfare by a gun that viii
shoot below the water-line. to the ambitious
maiden who desires to write stories fol
American youths, but lacks funds TO get
there. Every caller must be seen. must be
| heard and must be i'll some way satisfied, or
| the Consul is failure.
Our people will be most surprised at the
story of the daily calendar, as quoted above.
and many will question the propriety of
responding TO such varied calls, especially
those OF a social nature. But We must
not forget that modern progress Is largely
based upon the law Of lust equivalents.
Every mans influence must depend upon
his standing among those whose influence
and friendship may be desired.
Tie dignity of Office carries with the
Office certain powers which the varleSt
mediocrat may exercise, but the real value
of the Consular service IS not in what the
written instructions may direct, but i'll what
they suggest. The Consular Office is all
right but it is the Consular officer that
may make or mar. advance or retard Amerl-
can interj SITS abroad. and the officer who
may raise or lower the respect i'll which our
people, our business methods and our
institutions are held by strangers. In no
for 10
dSassociate the social from the business
side of life and as in 999 acts of orr lives we
are guided by our impulses, our desires, our
likes or our interests, where We are guided
by mandatory laws i'll one, the cultivation
of mutual confidence and respect and friend
ship is of the most paramount importance,
and the service OF Il Consular officer TO the
commercial or social or individual interests
of his countrymen depends almost entirely
upon the personal estimation in which he Is
he'd by the ruling. the official, the business
and the social classes Of the community TO
which he is accredited.
Almost any Consular officer may Success
fully secure the legal rights OF his country
men. but only the Consular officer possess
ing the rarest attainmentS can realize the
possibilities of the position. or can secure
measure of success, commensurate with the
possibilities of the position.
Persons soiouriling. travelling. or even
liable 10 meet with the most surprising and
yeXatiouS incidents, and very often the
reputation. tie financial interests, the
liberty, and sometimes even the life OF a
man may depend uEOn the respect and
influence which the Consul has won i'll the
community. by his social and official con-
duct.
As very few people seem TO have proper
conception of the value of the Consular
service. so very few Consuls seem To have
proper conception OF the possibilities for
good placed in their hands with their COM
missions abroad.
Twill not say as many observing Ameri-
cans do SaT-that the average efficiency OF
our ConsuS is below that of other countries,
but will say that very fewof them reflect
any credit upon the great Republic, or are
held i'll any fair degree OF respect by their
own people in foreign lands.
Too many American COnSuls are bcor-
iShly offensive i'll their disregard of the
social customs Of the people among whom
they are sent temporarily to reside and over
whom they are expected 10 have au influence.
In the British colonies the social demands
are rigid; in their own tastes the people are
uncompromisingly fastidious.
] knew OF United States Consul to sail
to his post in a British colony by Storage,
and he still sncers at the idea Of wearing
black even at dinner or at a concert. Re
spect? Hardly. Another is sent toa great
and wealthy city who boasts that he never
wore an evening suit, and, more" that the
never will. The Leople among whom lie
should associate, if he hopes to have in
fiuence, attend the theater, the concert, the
lecture, the banquets and private and pub
lie dinners i'll full evening dress. He is
not there; ne is not cared for; he is not known.
How can he expect to be useful 10 his coun-
trymen or to be respected by them! For
such a man is sure to be as careless among
these strangers in other things as in dress.
There are some strange anomalies i'll our