New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-20
MIR. BOOT ON CONSULS
Says Service Should Not Be Shelf
for Old Men.

| Washington. Jan. 19-Secretary Root, while ap-
pearing before the House Appropriations Committee
In relation to the expenses of the State Department
! spoke frankly concerning the shortcomings of the
American consular service. The statements Of Mr..
Root. which have just been made public, show that
| in response TO questions by Representative LaV-
| ingston the Secretary said:
There great many consulates that have been
in that condition and the fact arises from several
causes. One cause is that consulates are used and
sufeient work is to be done. but used places
In which to shelve estmable and elderly gentlemen
whose friends find it necessary to take care Of them
Now. have got old enough to be able to say
that sort Of thing without anybody being offended
DO not think that when man has LIVED out fne
and his energy and his desire to make career Tor
start him out in a new place where he has got to
learn business and push the commerce OF the
country
The following statements then made by Mr..
Root in reply to questions of members of the COM
mittee:
Mr.. Brunddge-I quite agree with you, Mr. Secre-
tary as to that but upon whom rests the blame for
Secretary Root-1t rests upon a long standing Gus.
tom. whereby the Executive is expected to appoint
to important consulates important men from the
different States.
ton?
Secretary Root-Yes; far as the young fellows
them come up for examination. But when an emil
Mr.. Livingston-An eminent ex-senator Mem
Der of Congress
Secretary Root broke in:
Yes. When an eminent citizen comes around
you cannot examine him in geography and arlthme-
tic. He it, and there is the dickens to pay
al a41 Is Il is custom that has grown nta -
Change custom Won cannot chance # by piece
meal: you have to jar something.
Take this consular bill which is now pending
When it was introduced it contained series Of
provisions under which the consulates were to be
be only TO the lower grades and the upper grades
catch fellows young, while they still. had some mo-
tive power left In them. These provisions have
them. still, the bill makes a great advance over
the present system It grades the consuates and
against the employment of any clerks except
can e citizens; pr provides against what think is
very great abuse, namely the fact that great
Of the country in which they are situated. It also
does various other things. L don't know whether
1t will pass or not,
reciprocity bureau indicated in Mr.. Roots
statements about the expense of its maintenance.
Representative Littauer asked If the bureau would
be permanent, and the Secretary said: THE indi
cations that 1t will not be- The making of
system of reciprocity treaties does not appear to
have the elements OF eternal life"
In discussing trade conditions in China and the
necessity for gathering information concerning COM
mercial troubles there Mr.. Root said:
There IS no occasion for sending a commission to
China. Our ministers and consuls at the treaty
ports of China commissioned ROW. If these
gentlemen will come up here will bury them in
papers SO that they could not dig out for week
We have bushels and bushels reports from per-
fectly trustworthy American witnesses what
| has been happening in China and as to the cause
thereof. The trouble now is not ignorance to
what the conditions are: it is in applying the quite
plain and simple remedy There have been two
troubles: One arising from the fact that the Law
the Chinese exclusion act-contans provisions
which experience has shown to be Ill advised; and
the other is, that the law has been administered In
| harsh and inconsderate way.
| The President has remedled the administration,
think Just the law permits him to do. and
| the thing be done is for you to change the
law in some respects-not TO permit the Chi
| nese laborer come in, but that the Chinese
laborer be kept out without insult and ndignty
and hardship the Chinese merchants and scholars
and the men who occupy the position in the
Chinese community the people in this room occupy
| In