The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-10-19
WHERE UNITED STATES
 C0NSULS ARE TAUGHT Secretary Roots Institution For the Training of
 Novices. CONSULs TO ORDER Very Different From the Old Way of Making Those
 Officials.

Fuil-dedged consuls made to order in thirty days is the promised achieve ment of the consular school of applica- tion recently established under the consular bureau of the State depart ment by order of Secretary Root It marks the most recent step in the up- building of this branch of the govern ment service, in which the present sec retary of State Is so deeply interested.
 Hitherto it has been the custom for newly-appointed consular of- flcer to spend the thirty days grace allowed him under the law from the time his salary begins until he starts for his post, in winding up personal affairs, saying good-by to his friends and enjoying a holiday at the expense of the government, saving only enough to give himself pocket money until payday again rolls round. The thirty day holiday dates from the consular law of 1856, when congress repealed i the law permitting the government to advance expenses to a newly-appoint- cd consul.
 This left many an appointee strand ed before he ever entered on his du- ties. So the law was amended by per- mitting consular appointees to remain at home thirty days after their salary began They were supposed to be training themselves for their new du- ties, but this generally proved to be only supposition. Last year congress provided for the transportation ex- penses of consuls The thirty day holi- day was recently called to the atten- ton of Secretary Root by the former chief of the consular bureau, Wilbur i J. Carr now chief clerk of the depart- ment. Mir. Carr suggested the desir- ability of putting the new appointees through the paces during the thirty days preceding their departure for their posts. The secretary replied by issuing an order establishing the consular school of application. Here after, he has directed, the pay and the work of a consular officer shall i begin simultaneously.
 What is the result? Within few weeks large room in the State de- partment has been fitted up as a lec- ture room, and upward of twenty-five "consular freshmen" are in regular attendance. They report at o'clock every morning, and are in school un- til 4:30 in the afternoon. A consular clerk of wide experience is in charge of the school, and the faculty consists of the heads of those branches of the government service in whose work consular officers are or should be in- terested. The course is limited to thir- ty days because of the provision of the law under which the school has been established. It is not unlikely that experience will prove the desir- ability of lengthening the course by another month
 Of course, successful applicants for consular offices are required, under ex- ecutive order of last year, which sup plemented the act of congress reor- ganizing the service, to pass a stiff examination, oral and written, the former being for the purpose of de- terminlng the candidates personal fitness, his alertness and general adaptability, and the latter covering such. subjects as French, German. or Spanish at least one language besides