Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-07
FOR FOREIGN TRADE
Nh. DUBoIg VIEW OF CONSULAR
REORGANIZATION.

In an address before the Potomac Liter
airy Society last evening Mr.. James T. Du-
Bots. former United States consul general
to Switzerland, had many interesting things
to say about the Lodge consular reorgani-
ration bill now before the House OF Repre-
sentatives
II hold" said he, In part. that the hour
for commercial optimism has passed away
and the hour of commercial opportunism
has come. For instance. the government OF
the United States Is digging the Panama
canal, but the government of the United
States is itself not an exporter. and when
the canal Is In operation you will find the
finished products OF the orient floating as
freely and easily this way as thes 'ished
products of the occident will float toward
the japan sea-
"You will find many things coming our
way naturally and without the least exer-
ton on our part. but you will not find
many things going our way unless we push
them. Up to now our export system has
been In the kindergarten class as COM
pared to that of England and Germany.
Our exporters have simply supplied voiun-
tary demand Soon they will front a
mighty struggle for the worlds markets and
must win If their surplus products are TO
be sold and American labor to be employed
at fair wages If the commercial forces
of this nation are to win our share or the
it and hold it, when won. by constant
watchfulness.
Consular Corps to Aid.
ITO do this. believe the American con-
sular corps should be deployed along the
commercial picket lines of the worlds trade
under a control and discipline as rigid as
that of the army and navy This being
the case, the question arises. how can We
best improve the consular service to meet
this task? And right here I beg to state
that the subject Is too important and the
needed reforms too varied and pressing to
be explained in the time limit of this ad-
dress. And yet, In the presence of this
Intelligent audience l am willing to say
that IL the Congress of the United States
will do four things and do them thoroughly
well, the American consular service will
become pre-eminently the best In the
world; and these four things are as fol-
lows, and they are practically embodied In
the new Lodge bill that has passed the
Senate:
'.First Properly classify all of the po-
stions; then readjust and pay reasonable
salaries to all Of the incumbents, and place
the service under a rigid inspection by able,
fearless and impartial consuls general.
Congress must arrange for this.
Second. Cover all fees, official and I'M
official, into the treasury of the United
States, every cent of them. Congress will
have to legislate for this.
Third. Construct and pass law that
no man holding an American consular com
mission, who does his whole duty, can be
catapulted out Of the service without warn
ing and without cause upon the political
change of an adnlinista alton. or for TIT
matter, at any other time. Congress must
act upon this.
Representative American as Helper.
Fourth. Beneath every American con-
sular shield place capable representative
American citizen to care for the interests
of the American people. Congress can
make this thing possible. and If Congress
will do these four things the patriotic CHIEF
magistrate OF this nation, with his great
Secretary Of State. will do the rest and DO
1t well.
IF Congress VIII make these four sug-
gestfons operative the commercial forces or
this country with realize what they have
long and earnestly sought, a properly or
ganized, we'll disciplined and thoroughly
efRc{apt consular cOrpS