The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-02-23
Reforms in Diplomatic Service.

K Reforms in Dill
| From the Autobiography Of Andrew ID.
White. Copyright by The Century Co.
As the very first thing to be done.
whether our diplomatic service remain
as at present or be improved, l would
urge. 81 a condition precedent to any
thoroughly good service, that there be
in each OF the greater capitals OF the
world at which we have a representa-
tive. a suitable embassy or legation
building or apartment. owned or leased
for q term OF years by the American
government. Every other great power,
and many OF the smaller nations, have
provided such quarters for their rep
resentatives. and some years s Pres
dent Cleveland recommended to con-
gress a similar policy. Under the pres
ent system the head of an American
embassy or mission abroad Is at n
wretched disadvantage. In many CAPT
tails he finds 1t at times impossible to
secure a proper furnished apartment:
and. in some. very difficult to find any
suitable apartment at all. whether fur
nished or unfurnished. Even II he finds
proper rooms, they are frequently In
an unfit quarter of the town, remote
from the residences of his colleagues,
from the public offices, from everybody
and everything related to his work. His
term OF Office being generally short, he
Is usually considered a rather undesir-
able tenant. and Is charged according
ly. Besides this. the fitting and fur
nishing of such an apartment is a very
great burden, both as regards trouble
and expense. 1 have twice thus fitted
and furnished a large apartment In
Berlin. and In each case this repre-
SentaH. an aYnonditl1 ~. anP yyonro than tho
salary for the first year. Within my
OWL knowledge. two American minis
tiers abroad have impoverished their
families by expenditures of this kind.
Evils Of Existing System.
But this is not the worst. The most
serious result Of the existing system
concerns our country.
1 have elsewhere shown how, in one
very important international! question
at st. Petersburg. u mistaken policy
in this respect once cost the United
States a sum which would have forever
put that embassy, and. indeed. many
others besides. on h very best foot
ing. II al American ambassador is
to exercise a really strong influence for
tons. he must be properly provided for
as regards his residence and support
not provided for. indeed. 80 largely as
some representatives OF other nations:
for I neither propose nor desire that
the American representative shall imi-
tate the pomp OF certain ambassadors
Of the greater European powers. But
he ought to be enabled to i've respect
ably. and to discharge his duties effic-
tently. There should be. in his respect,
what Thomas Jefferson acknowledged
in the declaration Of independence as
q duty-"a decent regard for the opin-
ions OF mankind" The present con
dition OF things Is frequently humiliat-
Ing. In h great capitals of Europe
the general public know the British,
French, Austrian. Italian and all other
important embassies or legations, eX-
cept that of u country. The Ameri-
can embassy or legation has no settled
home, is sometimes in one quarter of
the town, sometimes in another. some-
times almost in an attic, sometimes al
most in a cellar, generally inadequate in
Its accommodations. and frequently
unfortunate in its surroundings. Both
my official terms at ST. Petersburg
showed me that one secret of the great
success OF British diplomacy. in all
parts of the world, is that especial
pains are taken regarding this point,
and that, consequently. every British
embassy is the center of a widespread
social influence which counts for very
much indeed in her political influence.
Present Crying Needs.
The United States, as perhaps the
wealthiest nation In existence-a ma
ton far-reaching in the exercise of it's
foreign policy, with vast and increasing
commercial and other interests through
out the world-should, in all substantial
matters. be equally we'll provided for.
Take our recent relations with Turkey.
We have insisted on the payment of an
Indemnity for the destruction Of Amer
ican property, and We have constantly
$500 ,-,A4 ~ "a %L@
very best sort. and especially our mis-
sionaries. who AVE to be protected
throughout the whole OF that vast en-
pire. Each Of the other great powers
provides its representative at Constan-
tinople with a residence honorable.
suitable and within a proper Enclosure
for it's protection: but. the American
minister lives anywhere and every
wherein such premises. over shops
and warehouses, DIS can be secured
md he is liable, in case of trouble be-
tween the two nations. to suffer per-
sonal violence and to have his house
sacked by q Turkish mob. No foreign
pie, can highly respect q diplomatic
representative who. by his surround
ings, seems not to be respected by his
own people. The American government
a easily afford the expenditure
needed to provide proper houses or
apartments lOE us cIllTe ulplOIldllC
corps. but it can hardly afford not to
provide these. Full provision for them
would not burden any American citf-
zen to the amount Of the half of a
Boston biscuit. Leaving matters In
their present condition is, in the long
run. far more costly. I once had &C
casion to consider this matter in the
light OF economy. and found that the
cost OF the whole diplomatic service OF
the United States during an entire year
was only equal to the expenditure in
n Of our recent wars during four
hours; so that II n member Of the
diplomatic service should delay a dec
laration nf war merely for the space of
a day, he would defray the cost of the
service for about six years.
Charles Francis Adams. by hts ad-
nirab1e diplomatic dealing with the
| British foreign Office at the crisis of our
civil war, prevented the coming out OF
the later confederate cruisers to prey
upon our commerce. and. IN all prob
ability. thus averted a quarrel with
Great Britain which would have length
ened our civil war by many years. and
l do,lhtIosc have cost la hup3roHo of mil.