Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-19
CONSULAR SERVICE
Secretary Root Discusses Its
Shortcomings.
He ASSIGNS THE REASONS
Places Often Regarded as Refuge for
the Helpless.
A LONG STANDING CUSTOM
Advance Made Over the Present Sys-
tenn by Pending Bill, Which is
Not All That is Desired.
LONG STANDING CUSTOM

the House appropriations committee In re-
lation to the expenses Of the State Depart
ment, spoke frankly concerning the short
comings of the American consular service.
The statements of Mr.. Root, which have
just been made public, show that in re-
sponse to questions by Representative Liv-
ingston the Secretary said:
There are great many consulates that
have been in that condition, and there are
some that are still in that condition, and
the fact arises from several causes One
cause is that consulates are used and re-
garded here not as places In which active
and sufficient work is to be done, but are
used as places in which to shelve estimable
and elderly gentlemen whose friends find it
necessary to take care of them in some
way Qaughter)
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 the activity of his life
and passed beyond his ambition and his
energy and his desire to make a career for
himself-1 do not think that then is the
time to start him out in new place where
he has got to learn new business and push
the commerce of the country"
The following statements were then made
by Mr.. Root in reply to questions of MEM
berS of the committee:
Mr. Brundldge-'1 quite agree with you,
Mr.. Secretary. to that, but upon whom
rests the blame for that condition."
A Long Standing Custom
secretary Root-'It rests upon a long
standing custom, whereby the executive
is expected to appoint to important con-
sulates important men from the different
states"
Mr.. Graff-"But you have a system of
examination"
Secretary Root-"Yes, SO far as the
young fellows go. You can put the screws
on them and make them come up for ex-
animation. But when an eminent citf-
zen-''
Mr.. Livingston-"An eminent ex-senator
or member of Congress-"
Secretary Root tcontinuingl =" Yes
you cannot examine him in geography and
arithmetic. He resents it, and there is
the dickens to pay all along. QAaughter)
1t is a custom that has grown up--just
like this deficiency custom When you
step in to change custom you canSot
change 1t by piecemeal; you have to Jar
something.
Take this consular bill which is now
pending When it was introduced it con-
tanned a series of provisions under which
the consulates were to be graded The
original appointments made were to be
only to the lower grades, and the upper
grades were to be filled by promotion. so
that we could catch fellows young, while
they still had some motive power left IN
them Those provisions have been stricken
out and the bill reported without them
STILL the bill makes a great advance over
the present system 1t grades the consue
lates and provides for the abolition or
fees and it provides against the employ
ment of any clerks, except those OF the
very lowest grades, who are not American
citizens: provides against what / think
is a very great abuse-namely, the fact
that a great number of American consul
lates are run by clerks of the country In
which they are situated. 1t also does vari-
inp |
it will pass or not ~, Gov
ate2 T.
Secretary Root-"Yes, in the senate. II
has been favorably reported
The Reciprocity Bureau.
The approaching end of the active work
of the reciprocity bureau was sounded In
Mr.. Roots statements about the expense
for its maintenance. The salaries of clerks
in the bureau are carried on the emergency
roll of the State Department, and the Sec
retary said the bureau was regarded as an
unforeseen and unexpected emergency es-
tablshed by Mr.. Kasson NUMBER or years
ago.
Representative Lttauer asked Mr.. Root
If the bureau would be permanent, ana the
Secretary of State provoked laugh with
the following reply:
''The indications are that 1t Will not pe.
The making Of a system of reciprocity
treaties does not appear to have the ele-
ments of eternal Hfe."
Conditions in China.
In discussing trade conditions in China
and the necessity for gathering information
concerning commercial troubles there Mr..
Root said:
There is no occasion for sending a COM
mission to China. Our ministers and con-
suls at the treaty ports of China are COM
missioned now. If these gentlemen will
come up here 1 will bury them in papers
SO that they could not dig out for week.
We have bushels and bushels of reports
from perfectly trustworthy American wit
nesses as to what has been happening in
China and as to the cause thereof. We
have had special Investigations made as to
the causes. Investigations made by compe-
tent Americans who have lived in China
and understand the language, and know the
'Chinese people; and the trouble now is not
ignorance as to what the conditions are,
1t 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-contains some pro-
visions which experience has shown to be
i'll advised. and the other is that that law
has been administered In harsh and In
considerate way.
"The President has remedied the admin
istration, / think, just as far as the law
now is for you to change the law in some
respects; not to permit the Chinese
laborer to come in, but SO that the Chinese
laborer can be kept out without Insult and
indignity and hardship to the Chinese mer-
chants and scholars and the men who oc-
cupy the same position in the Chinese COM
munity as the people In this room occupy
in ours. They have been subjected to gross
ihdignity and gross hardships in many
cases. and do not wonder that they are
indignant at 1t.