Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-07
TO TEACH DIPLOMACY
Proposed to Train Young Men
for Government Service.
EXAMPLE SET BY MEXICO
Approval Expressed by the President
and Secretary Root.
SUREST WAY TO SECURE PEACE
Importance of Having Men Educated
in the Great Questions of In
ternational Concern.
SUREST WAY TO SECURE PEACE



Written for Tie Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Any patriot of means who desires to pro-
mote the character of our diplomatic and
consular service, who desires to serve
the interests of ambitious young men, and
is willing to acquire merit among the
gods" as the Buddhists say, has an excel
lent opportunity offered him at the George
Washington University, in this city, where
1t is proposed to elevate the School of Pol
tiles and Diplomacy to the dignity of a col
lege and expand the course of study to four
years. In order to achieve the success that
this movement merits an endowment Is nee
cessary, and any patriotic person who APP
preciates the value of learning and training
can easily convince himself that there is no
more worthy or profitable investment among
educational institutions. We insist that
lawyers doctors, clergymen and the mem
bers of the other professions shall have a
special training before they begin work.
In the mercantile business several years Of
experience and thorough knowledge must
be acquired before man is intrusted with
responsibility. All industrial, financial and
commercial enterprises compel their en-
ployes to begin at the bottom and learn the
business, but the government OF the
United States makes no such requirements
for Its diplomatic and consular representa-
political influence they can bring, and, in
addition, to secure the portfolio of an am
basSador a man must have money enough
to maintain high degree of magnifcence.
No one will aim so high as to hope that
ambassadors and ministers will ever be re-
CURED to obtain degrees from schools OF
diplomacy before entering upon their ca
reers, but it is not too much to expect that
young men who seek positions in the con-
sular service and appointments as secre-
taries of legations will desire to prepare
themselves TO perform their duties, and I
know of no other school In this country
that offers special training for that service.
The government of Mexico has recently
established a school for the education of
candidates for its consular and diplomatic
service and, while II does not agree to
appoint all the graduates of that institu-
ton, or limit appointments to them, 1t has
been officially announced that they will re-
ceive preference. There is no probability that
the United States government Will follow
this example but the department of poll
tics and diplomacy in the George Wash
ington University has received the encour-
agement and communication of President
Roosevelt, the late Secretary Hay and
other officials of the Department of State.
1t is warmly supported by members of the
foreign committees In both houses of Con-
gress and Secretary Root, in a letter to
the president of the university not long
since, said:
Secretary Roots Endorsement.
am SlaQ express nearly approval
of the work the university proposes to do
in politics, economies, international law
and diplomacy. The Importance of having
a large number of men thoroughly edu-
Gated in these respects grows continually
with the increasing complications of mod
ern life and government and international
relations. Questions of internal govern
ment are becoming less simple and more
difficult of solution. and there is more
need that they should he thoroughly studied
than ever before. Questions of peace or
war are determined now by great masses
Of people forming popular governments ac-
cording to their own opinions and feelings
about supposed injuries and insults. 1t Is
of the highest Importance that the people
who really determine such questions shall
have a correct view of what their interna-
tional rights and duties are. The surest
way to secure permanent peace founded
upon just conduct, Is to have such an I'M
Outstanding, and the surest way to secure
that is through the kind of work which
your university is proposing to do.
Il know of no place in the country which
has such great advantages for the prose-
cution of this work as the national capital"
Mrs Hay, recalling the deep interest
which Col. Hay always felt in the school,
has recently presented it with his library
of diplomacy and International law, very
important collection of books.
Work of the School Described.
Prof. F. L. Day of the George Washing
ton University, in answer TO my questions,
described the work of the school as fol-
lows:
THE technical course consists of two
years work In politics and diplomacy and
leads to the degree of master of diplomacy
For entrance d college degree In arts or
sctefrce an equivalent training Is re-
quired; and for graduation the successful
completion of the prescribed work and the
submission of a satisfactory thesis. AS in all
technical schools, a certain number of pre-
scribed courses must be taken before the
degree will be conferred the balance re-
naming elective. The required courses now
include international law, diplomacy, poll
tics history, statistics, economics COM
mercial geography. international trade and
comparative constitutional law.
In order to strengthen this department
and more widely extend the advantages of
this city to the students of political science,
1t is proposed to make the work exclusively
| technical both graduate and undergrad
| uate, and to place all courses in political
| science designed primarily for candidates
| for the degree of doctor of philosophy, I'M
| der the jurisdiction of the division of grad
| uate studies. The purpose is to organize
| this department into a college on an indie
| pendent financial foundation as soon as
| such an endowment can be secured. Such
| a college would probably have a three
| years undergraduate course, leading to the
| degree of bachelor of science in politics,
| and fourth year graduate course, for
| which masters degree would be con-
| ferred. The standard of admission for the
| proposed technical course will be the same
| as that of the professional courses in medi-
| cine or law. In It's reorganized form ii is
| believed the school will attract still larger
body of young men ambitious to enter the
| consular, diplomatic or civil service.
Merit System to Apply.
I'm the past there has been little TO en-
| courage young men to prepare for public
career Selection for a government post
| ton was determined by political considera-
| lions chiefly and not always by the fitness
| of the candidate. 1t is said that Secretary
Root intends to undertake the reorganiza-
ton of the consular service as soon as the
new law for that purpose goes into effect
on the LIST of July. and so far as il will
permit. he will apply the merit system te
| all promotions. Hereafter an examination
will be required to ascertain the qualifica.
| tons of the candidate. and he must be
| able to speak the language of the country
- q. tc Ing aA~f IT, l..