Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-08-08
The Yankee Consul
Needs Schooling
Positions
site ducationa Qualifications.

advice and consent of the senate, re-
eived annual salaries; namely, the
three in the Barbary states, three
more in China and the consulates at
London, Alexandria, Beirut and
Smyrna. The fees, however, received
at other posts were sometimes sub,
stantial and attractive. The consular
post at Liverpool for example, to
which Nathaniel Hawthorne was I'D,
pointed by President Pierce in 1853
was estimated to be worth $4,000 a
year. Nowadays, all of the several
positions in the service have fixed
salaries.
The first attempt to systematic
the service was made by Congress in
1855. Blaine was a conspicuous cham.
pion of consular reform The practice
of examining candidates for posts of
any Importance began under Presi-
dent Cleveland Later, largely
through the efforts of Secretary Hay
this practice was still further extend
ed during the first administration of
President Roosevelt. Today, under
Secretary Root, the purpose of the
state department, which since the
beginning has controlled the consular
service, is to make the examinations
more searching than ever and In
this way enhance the effectiveness Of
the service.
At first the examination or proba.
tiOnary period was swas supposed to
last from two weeks to a month The
candidate reported at the office of
one of the assistant secretaries of
state, showed his notice of appoint
ment, received a copy of the Service
Manual, and, if the man in charge
happened t be in good humor. was
asked a lot of grammar school ques-
tons. Sometimes the appointee went
straight to his post without bothering
ABOUT these fOrmalities, paying his
| own way, of course, as all consuls do.
Thus it came about that good many
unfit men still got into the service
| But nowadays there is no escape
| from the examinations, during which
| the appearance and character of the
candidate are studied as carefully as
his intellectual capacity. Conse
quently the tone of the service is be
ing raised rapidly.
Although the consular and dipIo
matte service is not yet on perman
emf basis. the organized school Of
| diplomacy under the auspices of the
| George Washington University has
been in existence since 1898 1t was
: opened in the presence of President
Mckinley and large gathering OF
american and foreign diplomats TN.
der the name of the school Of com
paratiVe Jurisprudence and diplomacy
| This was the first school of political
science in the new world. Since 1898
this preparatory school for diplomats
has been greatly enlarged and
strengthened, so that today under its
new name of the college of politica1
sciences, it is to all intents and pur
poses a recognized adjunct of the
state department.
This natl NAL training ground for
diplomats of high and low degree
seems, SO Tar as us faculty IS con
cerned, like a government institu
ton. Two members of the United
States supreme court, John M. Harlan
and David J. Brewer, conduct courses
the former on American constitution.
al law and the latter on international
law. Hon. John w. Foster, former
secretary of state and probably the
most experienced diplomat now In
private life has the course in Aneri,
can diplomacy. James Brown Scott
one of the solicitors in the state de.
partment, and recently one of the lie.
gal experts of the American delaga,
ton of the peace conference at the
Hague. is professor Of international
law and diplomacy Oscar Phelps
Austin for many years chief of the
United States bureau of statistics,
and a recognized master Of the sub
ects of commerce, colonization and
transportation, couples the chair of
commerce and finance. Mr.. Austin,
who is also SERGE, airy of the national