New-York tribune., 1901-04-09
An ENF4NT TERRIBLE.

No doubt imperial government in the United
States would be much less dangerous If POult-
ney BigelOw or his friend the German Kaiser
was placed in authority and our affairs were
managed with real intelligence Unfortunately
we have never been able to obtain for a gov
ernor anybody who is exception to Jowett's
rule that no one, not even the youngest of U.s.
is nfallible," and so we blunder on in ways
that often call forth the rebukPS of POutney
Both our land and naval operations in the Span
ish war were the work Of amateur bunglers
Judged by the trained military eye of POutney
The Taft commission in the Philippines is
half baked sort of an affair which doesn't even
refer in its reports to important problems which
Poultney has foreseen and worked out. Taking
rapid but masterly glances in every direction,
Poultney set right as fast and as infalli-
bly, as We unaided. will surely go wrong few
days ago at Yale he cut wide swath in the
rich meadow of our mistakes by an address on
Colonial Administration" and, pausing for
breath with a now as to our consuls," he pro
ceeded, just incidentally as a relief in the midst
Of more serious efforts, TO apply his impressi-
bic powers to Illuminating the errors of our
consular service. From him we learn that
American consuls are mostly drunkards, embez-
Zlers or incompetents. and that throughout the
world to-day the American merchant finds the
consul an obstacle unless he is a dishonest
merchant, and he finds the consul in lis posi-
''ton for the purpose of getting more out of it
than his salary would Indicate"
Now, this is pretty serious situation, and
we should not have believed it if anybody older
and less sure Of himself than POultney had said
it. Even 1t is fear that modesty has led
Poultney to limit overmuch his concession that
we have had a few good consuls. mostly liter
''ary men, like Bret Harte and W. ID. Howels
'and Washington Irving" He would probably
on second perhaps on first, thought except
from his sweeping condemnation the Hon John
Bigelow, who was United States Consul in
Paris until President Lincoln promoted him
from that post TO be Minister to France. Per
haps he would also except Mr.. John g. Nicolay
who succeeded Mr.. Bigelow. What would he
say, though. of making spoils of the Paris con
sulship to furnish place for retiring private
secretary? Something might be said for Mr.
George Walker, the banker and telegraph presl-
dent, who after performing confidential foreign
financial missions was also consul In Paris; and
for Major ]. l.. RathbOne, West Point gradu-
ate, and for Mr.. Frank Mason who long adorned
consular posts In Europe. Possibly. coming
down even 10 our own degenerate day. he might
think that Mr.. Herbert Bowen was creditable
consul until he was promoted and sent 10 Persia
Mr.. Dickinson at ConstantlnopIe, Mr.. Osborne
at London, Mr.. Sprague, who has served at
Gibraltar since 1913, and Mr.. Hay. recently at
Pretoria; though, speaking OF the latter post
Poultpey does say: In South Africa we have
practically 10 consul Bryant Lindley told me
that during his many years there he never
knew an American consul 10 keep sober after
- o'clock, and II was the usual thing for the
English consul 10 close up the days work Of
'our incompetent official"
No doubt the American consular service could
he improved. Greater care is needed 10 select
men equipped TO transact business In foreign
countries But with all it's shortcomings the
service is the envy Of European manufacturers
and merchants Even in England they com
plain that with all the regular system I'm
which,, as Poultney says, .her consuIs grow
up and are trained like business men," they
cannot get commercial reports such as our con-
sIls make, which are Of the utmost -,a In