The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-10
KINGS IN A HUGE GROUP DEAL;
: CONGRESS MEANWHILE PLANS MERGER INQUIRY
DAVIDSON QUITS;
JOB TOO COSTLY.
Consul Says He Cant Afford to
Draw on Private Purse for
Nations Glory.

Washington, Feb. 10" Opposition
in congress to an improved consular
service with permanent tenure of Of
fee has caused the loss to the consul.
lar service Of one Of it's most efficient
and experienced officers by the resigna
ticn, announced with regret by the de-.
psrtment of state today, Of James w.
Davidson of Austin, Mimi, consul to
Antung, Manchuria, who after a service
ability longer to draw on his private in
come to maintain the consulate. In his
letter of resignation Mr.. Davidson says:
The salary of my post as consul to
Antung is insufficient, even with the
increase which the new consular bill
now pending in congress provides, to
maintain any consulate in the orient
with becoming dignityand efficiency, in
view Of the necessity Of competing with
the consulates of other powers which,
owing to the Importance of this great
and growing field Of commercial and po-
litical activity, have larges sums expend-
ed upon them by their respective gov
ernments. -
Salary Too Small
Mr.. Davidson adds that the salary at
each Of the consulates he has served has
! been too small to conduct in a satisfac-
tory way the several offices he has held
and had he not possessed some private
income obtained from literary work, it
would have been impossible for him tc
have continued in the service this long
He concludes:
My relations with the department
I OF state have been so pleasant and
have found consular work so interesting
that I take this step with regret.
/ have postponed this action for some
time, feeling that congress would recog
nize the necessity of reorganization
of the service with salaries commensu
rate to a degree to the Importance O.
the position and the work required. -
Forced to Accept.
Had it been possible to retain MI
Davidson by transfer to q more lucra
tive post, the department would hav
done SO, but the offers he has had are s.
far in excess Of what he could receiv
with the consular service that the de
{ partment has been forced to accept hi
7 resignation.
Mr.. Davidson entered the service a
consular agent at Tamsen in 1896 an
he served sue essively as consular agen
4 at Shanghai, Marking and Antung.
+. Native of Minnesota.
Mr.. Davidson was born in Austi,
Min, and is 33 years old. He was
member Of the Reary Arctic expedite
of 1894. During the Chinese. japan
ese war, as a speciol correspondent G
! an American press syndicate, he was a
! tached to the Chinese army for tw
|, months, and to the Japanese army fl
two years. For services rendered to tn
Japanese army during the capture {
the capital of Formosa, he was deco
ated by the mikado with the order {
!, the Rising Sun. In December, 189
: he was appointed by President Clev
land as. consular agent at Tamsui, Fo
mosa, and in June, 1898, wkas promote
to be consul by President Mckinley.
!, In 1908 he took an extensive trip thu
: Manchuria, obtaining information r
:. garding conditions there, and in Jal
uary, 1904, was appointed by Preside1
; Roosevelt as consul to Kntung, one (