The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-27


years in commenting upon the subject
recently, said; at certainly exoites The
astonishment OF foreigners, and the very
novelty of our methods in diplomacy. the
dlrectness and promptness with which we
10 TO the root Of matters, often gives us
distinct advantage. We have now en-
'ered upon wholly new relation to the
rest Of the world. The old day of $50
lation ended even before the Spanish war
demonstrated to the world the fact that
we were capable of taking a place
among the great powers; they had ended
because we had begun to invade the mar
kets of the world with our goods. At
first we hardly looked upon it as a Sc
rious business. 1t originated in the need
OF our manufacturers to get rid of their
surplus product, The industrial system
or the United States had developed to the
point where its productive capacity large
~ exceeded the demand of the home
markets. Instinctively we sought new
markets abroad. The movement has gone
on with results that have surprised our
selves and amazed the world 1t might
De supposed that 20 claim preeminence
among the nations competing in COM
merce was mere exaggeration, if il
were based upon our own estimate of our
achievements; but the general testimony
OF the very nations who are feeling our
competition most keenly comedies to us
a position of eminence in the world
markets which justify the recent state
ment of the Secretary of State when he
said may result in shifting the center
not only of Industrial, but of CONNER
cial activity and the money power of
the world to our marts.' A few years ago
the remark was often made in connection
with the consular service that official
n 40 10 Of
enterprise. But in the commercial ex-
pansion of the United States it has been
demonstrated that the two have gone to-
gether hand in hand, and that the official
service, far from treading tamely in the
rear, has in many instances blazed the
way for our industries and trade Upon
the one hand American manufacturers
nave shown a surprising capacity to
adapt themselves to the requirements of
the foreign markets, and actually to I'M
dersell the most advanced industries of
Europe in their own homes. A striking
illustration of this is found in the fact
that we are selling cutlery in Sheffield;
tin plate in Wales; boots shoes and hos
iery in Leicester and the shipment of
coal to England may actually be said to
be carrying Goals to Newcastle
Mr.. Cridler says the success of our ex-
porters in thus invading the markets
which might have been considered her
metically sealed has ben largely due to
the activity of our consular officers and
the rapidity with which their reports
have been printed and distributed. That
there is still room for improvement in the
consular system none can deny, but the
consular officers drawn from the
great body of the people have
shown themselves to be intelligent in
comprehending the needs of American
trade and so jealous in promoting it, that
our service, defective though it may be,
has excited the admiration and the envy
of great trading nations like England and
Germany, whose consular corps for years
have been held up to US as models for our
own.
Not So Much Politics Now.
Under former administrations, consular
appointments were made as a reward for
political service, without regard to the
business and commercial fitness of the
persons selected. In many instances young
men with social or political pull were sent
abroad with the idea that their duties re-
quired them to take life easily, obtain
social footing if they could, and perform
such routine service as they could not
Very we4 avoid. They seemed to under
stand that they were appointed for SER
vices they or their friends had already
rendered the party in power and their trip
abroad could only last while their friends
were in control at Washington. New
blood, new ideas, and new aspirations
have recently been injected into our con-
sular service, and there is a commendable
rivalry among the consuls generally for
the privilege of sending to the State De-
pertinent such suggestions and observa-
lions as may be of material benefit to the
al tint Of "a init cd
So long as this spirit prevails, in the con-
sular service, it is the intention of the ad-
ministration to continue in office those
men who prove themselves capable and
anxious to discharge their duties in
manner acceptable to their government
and their country.
This semi-official announcement will
doubtless bring dismay to the long list
of applicants who aspire to appointment
TO the foreign service and there will