Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-18
OUR FOREIGN OFFICE
How It Has Risen to It's
Present Importance.
VERY BUSY JUST NOW
SOME OF THE INTRICACIES OF
MODERN DIPLOMACY.
Duties of the Secretary of State and
His Several Assistants-Routine
of Treaty Making.
VERY BUSY JUST NOW

Copyright 1905. BY John Elfreth watkins.)
Written for The Evening Star.
1t Is another story of decline and fall;
but of revival and transcendancy-is that
OF diplomacy.
Even critics who foresee peril for the
ship of state do not gainsay that our
State Department. the smallest but most
important of our MINISTRIES. is today
more potent factor in Notwithstanding than
Is any European foreign office, with its
diplomatists tried and trained. Yet, in the
memory of our grandfathers, or some of
our very fathers, We were helplessly weak
as an earth-power; were paying millions in
cowardly tribute to pirate kings: were al
lowing hundreds of our sailors to lam
guish in filthy Moslem prisons. Almost on
the eve of our war with Spain were We
gagged by Europe as but a third-rate pow
Or. When NJ. Patenotre, the French am
bassador to Washington. was removed to
Madrid, his transfer was made as a de-
6erved promotion.
Today We are warning the oldworld pow
ers to keep their greedy hands off China;
are whipping them into line for a revision
Of international law. and, more TO the
point, our warnings and summonses are
being respected. Our reawakening 10
strength commenced when Mr.. Cleveland
twisted the Hons tall in the Venezuelan
matter. Since then has steadily developed
within the national spirit a reversion 20
the diplomacy of the revolutionary epoch,
30 splendidly virile and successful in spite
Of inadequate home government to back
Our first great diplomatic stroke. the al
Nance with France, was negotiated in a
committee room of Carpenters Hall, Phila-
Qelphia. which building was the meeting
place OF the Continental Congress. This
boom was our first foreign office. In it
met the committee OF secret correspond
,tol
created the committee of foreign affairs, -
With the function of keeping our agents
abroad advised respecting events in Ameri-
Ca And then, four years later, a depart
faent OF foreign affairs was organized and
Robert r. Livingston of New York was
elected secretary. The department had no
power independent of Congress and was
merely the medium of correspondence with
our agents abroad
Perils of Revolutionary Diplomacy.
In British eyes the American patriot was
merely rebel and the cruisers of George
III secured the seas for each American dip
iomatist known to have embarked for for
eign capital
Our first diplomat, Silas Deane, delegate
20 the Continental Congress from Connect
out secretly went abroad before the Dec
taration OF Independence was signed. He
was ordered to France as secret pontical
and financial agent. but when his presence
In Paris became known the British gov
prnment asked that he be seized and de-
uvered into its custody. Benjamin Franklin
after being given the French mission took
aail in the Reprisal. small war vessel
belonging TO the Continental Congress. On
her cruise over the Atlantic the Reprisal
took two prizes OF war and several times
cleared for a brush with British ships. In
deed that was a perilous and exciting sail
Of Franklin's and had he been taken he
eever would have seen French SOIL or very
probably, have returned to America
ont Aipln n
those DAYS were written at our foreign Of
Ace in invisible ink" 1ngeniously con
{rived ciphers were also used, whlle a,
feast four and sometimes seven, copies OF
svery such letter were sent over seas tc
lessen chances OF loss by capture On each
backet of letters was written:
ITo be sunk In case of danger from the
enemy" ...,..
many packets fell into British hands.
Franklin. Adams. Jefferson, Jay and the
other revOlutio nary plenipotentiares SEM
TO the great powers OF Europe received
G1l11 per year for their trouble. although
the minister to st. Petersburg was only al
lowed 81 III.
Under the Constitution our first foreign
office was known as the Department of
Foreign Affairs" and John Jay was the
first secretary. The same year. 1883. the
name OF this executive experimentation
euch II now became-waS changed to DE-
partment OF State" and such 1T remains
until this day. few months later Jay
gas appointed chief justice, and Thomas
Jefferson assumed the State portfolio with
8 salary of $500 which was raised to
5000 for Timothy Pickering. under the first
Adams; to 5000 for John Quincy Adams;
f2 500 for Mr. Marcy. under Pierce; to
10000 for Hamilton Fish, under Grant
The next year II was reduced again to
1900. where II has since remained.
The State Department occupies the mar
row south end Of the great State, War and
EavY building. adjoining the White House
ID the west, whittier It was removed in