Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-26
TO MEET HERE JUNE |
Consular Board WIN Consider
Reorganization Plans.
SIX TOPICS NOW IN VIEW
Object Of the Order Issued by secre-
tary Root.
EDUCATION FOR THE SERVICE
Arrangements Made at Two Univers-
tiles to Prepare Young Men
for Consular Duties.
SIX TOPICS NOW IN VIEW
EDUCATION FOR THE SERVICE

oSSicldiy ISoOt lids AtduC PuOAC I'll VA0tA
intended to mark great advance in the
consular service of the United States and to
carry out the most important features OF
the plans for the reorganization OF that
service which were not dealt with in the
act recently passed by Congress. The order
creates a board of five officers. comprising
some Of the most experienced consuIs. which
will meet in Washington June to prepare
board Is charged with the consideration OF
six topics. the first being regulations for
the new inspection service"
The New Inspection Service.
Congress provided for the appointment
of five inspectors, who are to travel around
the world looking after the various consul
lar offices with view to keeping the serv-
ice at the highest point Of efficiency The
board is expected to frame regulations.
strictly defining the scope of activity of
these men.
The second topic is 1.-THE relations be-
tween consulates and the embassies or le-
cations in the countries where they are
located"
Heretofore there has been no rule gov
ern1ng such relations. Some amba ssadors
and ministers have shown a laudable In
terest in the consulates with great benefit
to the service; in other cases there has
been no connection whatever between the
consuls and the ministers and ambassa-
doris. The board will undertake to say how
far the latter shall go in the matter of in
speeding consulateS.
Promotion and Appointment.
The third topic is: "The Rules which
Should Govern Promotion and Appoint
ment." Here the merit system is to have
a test. Consuls are to be promoted In &C.
cordance with their service records and
adaptability for certain work, but the prob
lem Is a complex one, for what seems to
be substantial promotion on account OF
the difference In salary Is frequently not SO,
owing to climatic conditions, differences in
language and other factors. Often too.
consuls decline such promotions. The
board Is to consider whether 1t is good pol
Icy to retain consul Indefinitely at one
post, and whether he does not thereby get
out of touch with his own country and be-
come less efficient
The fourth topic is: ''rhe Scope and
Character of Examinations for New APP
pointments." Secretary Root has already
laid down certain general rules, such as a
requirement that the applicant shall have
knowledge of more than one language
he desires to supplement these rules by
others, based upon the personal experience
of members of the board.
Fees for Consular Services.
The fifth topic is: 1.-THE tariff of fees for
consular services" Considerable changes
in the fees formerly arbitrarily fixed by law
are now possible under the discretion con-
ferred upon the President by the reorgani-
zation act, and for one thing 1t will be pos
sible to vary the charges for invoices ac-
cording to their length and completely,
something very much desired by the COM
mercial world.
The sixth and last topic is self-explana-
tory, being Amendments of existing reg
ulations rendered necessary or expedent by
the new statute"
The board Is ordered to report to and con-
| fer freely with Wilbur J. Carr, chief of the
consular bureau, State Department. Its
detail is: Frank II. Mason. consul general
at Paris; Charles M. Dickinson, consul gen.
| eral at Constantinople; Robert S. Chiffon
| jr., consul at Toronto; Edward II. Ozmun
consul at Stuttgart, and George II. Murphy,
consular agent at ST GATHERINGS Messrs.
Dickinson and Murphy are two of the new
| inspectors of consulates just appointed.
Education for the Service.
Secretary Root, in connection with the
| development of his plans for the improve
ment of the consular service, is giving some
attention to the education of young men
| for a consular career, and is in consulta-
| ton with some of the leading educators
of the country that subject. DIR. Itch
! oias Murray Butler has informed him that
arrangements have been made already for
a combined course at Yale and Columbia
universities to carry out that idea. and tho
Secretary has suggested some important
features to be included in the course of
study, notably looking to the special
training of the students in such economic
subjects as the cost of production of the
great staples of-the United States for ex-
port and the best markets Of the world
for the placing of such commodities, and