The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-01-20

this government ABROAD, Wh1cn rae
President Roosevelt is prompt in recog
nizing. The same is generally true o
lawyers, who have had active practice
and are familiar with the gathering
of evidence. In selecting WhitelaV
Reid, editor and proprietor Of the New
York Tribune, for ambassador to Grea1
conspicuous example of the usefulness
of newspaper men in the diplomatic
service. OF course Mr.. Reid has the
other necessary qualifications to repre-
sent this country creditabIy and with
dignity. But Mr.. Reid has had active
newspaper training, beginning with the
duties of an ordinary reporter, and
rising by stages to the duties of Wash
ington correspondent and proprietor of
the Tribune. He knows well how to
gauge and how to interpret official aud
public sentiment. These days when
the press associations and newspapers
have alert correspondents abroad, it is
necessary for the ambassador or min
lister to forestau the dispatches and
even to look farther into theA future
and to be even more accurate than the
Well trained correspondent. When the
President or the Secretary of State are
about to take up a question of foreign
policy, ne must have all the details
of the situation abroad to be able to
handle it intelligentIy. 1t is the am
bassador who supplies them with that
important information, or who should
supply them if he is performing the
duties of his office
Ambassador Mccormick, at ST. Pet
ersburg, is also a newspaper propri-
etor, but he has not had an active and
practical newspaper training. He is
to be reappointed and the President
will give him further opportunity to
prove his usefulness. Thus far Am
bassador McCormick's bureau of in
formation at St. Petersburg has rot
been very satisfactory, but the Presi-
dent is disposed to overlook that, be-
cause the Russians are a very secre-
tive people and it takes time and pa
tience to secure their confidence. The
resentment of the Russians against the
pronounced sympathy in this country
for the Japanese has also hampered
Ambassador Mccormick.
In furnishing governments authori-
tative and early information, the en-
bassies and legations of the great
powers are rapidly approaching the
functions that consulates have in a
smaller field. The consuls however,
make public forthwith much of the
knowledge they gain and aI7 are. in fact, |
reporters for the Daily Consular Re
ports published six days in the week
here in Washington by the Department
of Commerce and Labor and now run
ming to the 2150th number. Assistant
Secretary of State Loomis, in discus |
sing the Consular service a few days
of the consuls were newspaper men. |
Shortly afterwards President Roose- !
Welt attested the assertion by making |
it known that Consul General Mason |
at Berlin, an old newspaper man and
the most efficient consul this govern
ment has would be promoted to one of |
the most lucrative posts in the service. |
that of Consul General at Paris
In recent years European ambassa-
doris and ministers have taken I'D the |
information bureau feature to a won
derful degree. Here in Washington
they gather the news of what is doing
and of what is going to be done with
surprising thoroughness. There is, of
course, a vast deal OF the editorial
opinion injected into their private re-
ports, with some of which the major
ity of Americans would not agree. If
one were privileged to inspect the
private files of the British or German,
or other embassy here in Washington.
he would find a deal of mighty inter-
esting reading. There would be enough
of it, too, to run through several edf-
tions of daily newspaper.
1t has not yet come to pass by any
means that every ambassador and
minister, representing this govern
ment has "a nose for news but it has
come TO pass that those who would be
successful in those highly ornamental
places must not only have that instinct
well developed but. along with it. good
judgment. Keen powers of observation
and comprehension of men must go
with these qualifications as a matter
Of course ERNEST G. WALKER