Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-01-20
Custom Of Appointing supsrannustes to
PrsHtabls Berths Source of weakness
WOULD FILL PLACES N PROMOTION
Young Men Should Be Given Chance t.
Make Service Life Work.
END or RECIPROCITY BUREAU FoRfToLD
secretary of state says that He Has
All Needed Information Re-
RurdtnG Trade Condi-
tfons in China.
TOO MANY OLD MEN IN SERVICE

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1a-secretsry Root.
while appearing before the house appropris-
tlons committee In relation to the expenses
Of the State department, spoke frankly
concerning the shortcomings of the Amer
lean consular service. The sta tements OF
Mr.. Root, which have just been made pub
lie, show that in response TO questions by
Representative Livingston, the secretary
said;
There are a great many consulates that
have been in that condition, and there are
some that still In that condition. and
the fact arises from several causes. one
cause is that consuates are used and re-
garded here not as places in which active
and sufficient work Is to be done, but are
!. used as places in which to shelve estimable
and elderly gentlemen whose friends find
It necessary to take care Of them in some
way. QAughter)
Now. 1 have got old enough to be able
to say that sort OF thing without anybody
being offended. 1 do not think that when
a man has lived out the activity of his
life and passed beyond his ambition and
his energy and his desire to make a career
for himself-I do not think that then Is the
time to start him out in a new place. where
he has got to learn new business and
push the commerce of the country"
The following statements were then made
by Mr. Root in reply to questions Of mem
bers of the committee:
Mr. Brundidge-I quite agree with you.
Mr.. Secretary. as to that, but upon whom
rests the blame for that condition?
Secretary Root-It rests upon a long
standing custom. whereby the executive is
expected to appoint to important consul
ates important men from the different
states.
MIR. Graff-But you have a system of ex-
amlnation7
Old Men Make Trouble.
Secretary Root-Yes. so far as the young
fellows go. You can put the screws on
them and make them come UP for examina-
tion. But when an eminent citizen
Mr.. Livlngston-An eminent senator or
member Of congress?
~ Secretary Root--Yes, when an eminent
rltixnp c0asea<erasssd, .yeus cannot examine
Rim in geography and arithmetic. He re-
sents II, and there is the dickens to pay
all along. Uaughter) 1t is a custom that
has grown up. just like this deficiency Gus
tom. When you step into change a custom
you cannot change it by piecemeaI: yol
have to jar something. Take this con
sular bill which Is now pending. When q
was introduced IL contained a series Of
provisions under which the consulates wer,
to be graded The original appointment
made we're TO be only to the lower grades
and the upper grades were to be filled b,
promotion. 50 that we would catch fellow,
young while they still had some motiy,
power left in them. These provisions hav,
been stricken out and the bill reported
without them. still the bill makes a grea
advance over the present system.
"A The approaching end of the active worl
Nlaa
Mr.. Roots statements about the expens
for its maintenance
Representative Llttaur asked Mr. Roo
II the bureau would be permanent. and tn
secretary OF state provoked a laugh witt
the following reply: THE Indications ar
that 1t will not be- The making Of a sys
TEN of reciprocity treaties does not ap
pear to have the elements CT eternal life"
Conditions In China.
II In discussing trade conditions in Chin
aud the necessity for gathering informatio
. concerning commercial troubles there Nj
Root said:
There Is no occasion for sending "a com
mission TO China. Our ministers and con
suls at the treaty ports OF China are con
sas;a !9ssionSd nov now in u these b gentlemen wi
so that they could not dig out for a weeI
We have bushels and bushels OF report
from perfectly trustworthy American vii
HtSS"S az 70 Nlldl iAsls DEGn happening
China and as To the cause thereof. I'm
trouble now II not ignorance as TO wha
the conditions are; IL is in applying m
quite plain and simple remedy rhe1
have been two troubles: One, arising fro
the fact that the law. the Chinese excl
sion act, contains some provisions whic
experience mas shown 10 be i!l-advise,
and the other Is that the .iaE. has bee
administered in harsh and inconsiderat
way.
The president has remodied the admins
tration. / think, just as far the law pci
mits him TO do, and the thing TO be dor
now is for you TO change the law iu son
respects; not so as 10 permit the Chine,
iaborers TO come in. but so that the chin !.
laborer can Be Kept out without insult m
indignity and hardship TO the Chinese me
chants and scholars and the men who o,
Cupy the same position IN the Chinese con
inunity the people In this room occur
IN ours. They have been subjected 10 gro:
indignity and gross hardshlps in mar
cases and do not wonder that they are n
dlruant "A