Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-07
SLCRET ARY ROOTS AIM
Reorganization of the Consular
Service.
BETTER QUARTERS NEEDED
Rent at Hankow $7Ss More Than the
Allowance.
POOR PLACE AT SHANGHAI
Higher Salaries for Consular Clerks
Urged-Rascality of Foreign EN-
ployes-At Their Mercy.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Secretary Root has undertaken the reor-
ganlzatlon OF the consular service with the
same energy and determination that he
showed in recognizing the army, and he
proposes to sit up with Congress until
he has succeeded in securing a complete
revision Of the laws now governing that
branch of the government. He not only
asks for several important changes, but
urges the appropriation of $685., 600 for the
construction of buildings for consulates in
China and Japan, and points out the i'm
perative necessity of this provision.
No American travels in the east or any
where, for that matter, without feeling
of humiliation at the manner in which
American consuls housed. Under an
ancient law an allowance equal to 20 per
cent of the salary of the consul, is made
for rent, and in most cases the consul is
Obliged to limit his expenditure to that sum,
even though he is compelled to suffer In
convenience and often ridicule. Several
consuls have been patriotic enough to pay
portion of the rent out of their own
pockets in order that their government may
appear respectable, but the salaries are so
small that few of them are able to af-
ford it. Secretary Root says: This state
of affairs has long been one of great an
noyance to the government, and at times
in some cases, almost intolerab BILE. 1t has
been aggravated of late years because of
the immense increase In the value of land
and buildings. At Hankow for example
when the present lease of the consulate
expires, the rent will be increased to 81 3SS
year, which is S7sS more than the maxi
mum allowance for rent there 1t is
pSillf TO
him to pay from his own pocket the sum
of STSS out Of salary of $1,000
The city of Hankow is growing rapidly
and Secretary Root calls the attention of
the committee foreign affairs to the
probability that the government will find
it more and more difficult every year to
obtain a suitable consulate unless 1t buys
q plot of ground and builds one. Thirteen
hundred dollars is a very small rent to
pay for such a building we ought to
have in such a city as Hankow. There
should be an allowance of at least double
that amount if an appropriation for the
construction of a building Is not made.
Situation at Shanghai.
At Shanghai the situation is even worse.
The allowance for rental there is so small
that the consul cannot get a suitable house
in a respectable quarter Of the city, and is
compelled to take what Secretary Root de-
scribes as location behind lot of ware
as bad as can be. The JAIL he declares,
is a disgrace to a civilized nation. 1t is
insecure, without light or ventilation, and,
according to modern ideas il Is inhumane
to confine men in such place"
The Secretary has not overstated the fact.
end it is refreshing to know that he has
taken up this matter in such a thorough
manner. Every American who goes to the
consulate at Shanghai feels a humiliation,
and the influence of our government is di-
minished very much by the way in which
our consul lives. This is particularly true
in Shanghai, because, unfortunately, he is
compelled to sit as judge and try lawsuits
and criminal cases, as we'll perform the
ordinary duties Of a consul. He is also
postmaster for the American colony, hand
ling at least thousand bags of mail every
month and sometimes two or three hundred
bags from a single steamer. The public
have to go to this post Office and to the
court room, and. as Secretary Root says
''the whole situation is most detrimental
to the conduct Of business and extremely
Notifying in every way to Americans and
ridiculous in the eyes of the Chinese and of
foreigners" Upon the expiration of the
present lease the rent of the present build
ing will be doubled, bad it is, and there
is no other place for the consul to go ex-
cept to the Chinese quarter, Where cond-
tons are almost intoIerabIe
Secretary Root calls the attention of Con-
gress to the fact that there is only one suit
able piece of ground to be had in the bust
ness section. The owner will not sell to a
mercantile firm, but he will let our govern
ment have It for consular purposes, and
the Secretary urges an appropriation for
this purpose and for the erection of slita-
BILE building for the consulate, the court
room, the post office and the Jail, similar
to those occupied by the representative of
European governments.
1t should be explained to those who do
not understand the situation that, under
the doctrine of extraordinarily, all for
eigners charged with offenses in China are
tired under the laws of their own country
before the consuls Of their governments,
and in lawsuits the defendant must be
taken before his consul instead of the Chi
nese courts. If an American is arrested by
the police he is not placed in Chinese jail,
but is delivered to his consul. Hence it is
necessary to have Jail in which American
prisoners may be confined
All that has been said about Shanghai
and Hankow applies 10 every other consul
ate in China, and, to a measure, is true of
India, Singapore, Egypt, Turkey, Japan
and other countries of the east.
A Million Dollars Available.
Last year, when there was some talk of
returning the indemnity paid by China for
the Boxer troubles, l suggested that por-
ton of the money be used for the erection
Of buildings in different Chinese cities for
American consulates. There is million
dollars of this fund lying idle in the Treas
ufY To-Day WHICH might DC USED Tor InaI
purpose if Congress would only pass a reso-
luton placing it at the disposal OF the Sec
rotary of State We need at least fourteen
consular buildings in China for the use of
our consuls at Annoy, Antung, Canton, Che
foo, Chung-lliang, Fuchau, Hangchow,
Hankow, Hongkong Mukden. Marking,
Niuchwang, Shanghai and Tientsin, and
they should cost not less than an average
of S1C0,OO0 each, more or less including tile
land. This expenditure would absorb only
small part of the Chinese indemnity If
that fund were to be used for the purpose
and there is no reason why 1t should not be
used Every consulate would then be
perpetual monument and reminder of the
Boxer uprising, like the arch erected in
Picking to the memory of Baron Kettler,
the German minister.
Conditions at Constantinople.
The situation In Turkey, particularly II
Constantinople, is quite as serious as 1t is
In China AS was stated in one of these
letters the other day, the United States is
the only government of any Importance
which does not have its own legation build
ing and consulate there, and there is only
one building In the entire city which can
1