Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-06
Business Men Abroad
Condemn Our Consuls
Special Correspondence of The Star.

LONDON, September II, 1907.
~ HAT the American consular service
fully lives up to its reputation for
= inefficiency Is the conclusion of DR..
Richard Davenport Harlan, former pres1-
dent of Lake Forest University, ILL.,, and
eldest son Of Justice Harlan Of the United
States Supreme Court. He has been max
ing a tour Of England and France in the
interests of the George Washington Uni
versity and has interviewed hundreds Of
business men, both American and foreign.
who almost without exception have roasted
the United States consular service to a
brown crisp.
Typical of many who talked to DR.. Har-
Ian, an American-born building contractor.
one of the largest in his line, who does
business in almost every large country IN
Europe, though asking that his name be
withheld. declared that sad experience had
taught him that it was only waste OF
time to deal with an American consular
office So certain had he become Of this
that he now practically ignored the repre-
sentatives Of the United States, and when
ever he had need Of the service Of a con-
sui he repaired to the Office of the British
agent. his company being registered under
the laws of Great Britain. The same man
declared that for patriotic reasons he
would rather deal with the representative
of his native country, but found 1t I'M
possible TO 90 SO.
The prime purpose Of DR.. Harlans tour.
which has just been completed, was an ex-
animation of the great Ecole des Sciences
Politioues in Paris and the London School
of Economics and Political Science. 1t is
the intention of the directors OF the George
Washington University to model that in
tyE0 a
and DR.. Harlan, as the representative Of
the movement in the United States. has
been having a look around He has been
studying the features that are likely to
appeal to the American needs. Just be-
fore he sailed for Canada. where he will
visit his father at Murray Bay, Dr. Har-
Ian granted me very full talk on the
movement in the United States and on
what he had seen in France and England.
Speaking of the Paris school he said:
THE story of the foundation and growth
of the Ecole des Sciences Politiques
makes one of the brightest pages in re-
cent French history. At the close of the
Franco-Prussian war, the one thought up
permost in the minds of every intelligent
patriotic Frenchman was. What can be
done to lift our country out OF the dust
and make a new France?
at came into the heart of Emile Boutmy
that the best way for him to help his coun-
try was to found a school where her sons
nations of the world (France included). of
diplomacy history social questions and the
political sciences With this end in view.
Boutmy founded the Ecole des Sciences
Politiuues in 1871. and gave generously of
his means and all his energies and time to
its upbuilding.
THE success of this school was instanta-
neous 1t now employs fifty professors and
instructors and has 1000 students. SO i'm
portant has been its service to France that
during the past ten years all Of the ap-
pointees to the French foreign service,
whether diplomatic or consular, with only
three exceptions have been graduates of
this school.
Its diploma not only helps to open the
door TO the public service, but has enabled
its graduates to carry off many of the rich
est prizes in large commercial enterprises
in France and Emile Boutmy's name will
always be remembered as one of the ben
efactors of modern France
1.-THE growth of the London School OF
Economics has been even more rapid than
that of the Paris school. 1t was founded in
1893, and within one year had to move to
larger quarters. In 1900. when the Univer-
Of alaIa