Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-23
Copyright, 1907. by John Elfreth watkins)

tCopyr1ght, lSOi, Dy John El1retn WatklnsJ
- UR new school for consuls, re-
Gently conceived by Secretary
Root is now open and class
~ of nine men is in attendance.
This educational institution
Inique in America. occupies little room
n the consular bureaus suite. on the first
loor of the Department of State.
The nine student-consuls daily group
themselves about long table, whose
lead is occupied at intervals by various
government officials chosen to instruct
hem. Bureau chiefs of the State De-
'artment deliver lectures on the keeping
" accounts. the framing of reports on
commerce and trade relations, the pro-
ection of our customs revenue, the set
cement of the estates Of Americans
living abroad, etc.
DIR. Wiley. the father Of the pure food
aw, comes over from the bureau OF
chemistry and talks to them about the
roper invoicing of food imports, and MI
avid G.. Fairchild. the explorer of the
agricultural Department. instructs them
concerning valuable foreign plants
which he desires them to collect for in
reduction into this country. Upon the
vail of the schoolroom is a schedule OF
government offices to b. visited by the
,,udents during their course. Appointees
- seaport posts must go to the immlgra-
ion bureau and learn how to keep tab on
liens booked for our shores; also to the
l-aduuarters of the public health and
marine hospital service. where they are
aught the laws concerning dls.nfectlon
# contaminated baggage and the quaran-
iac OF diseased immigrants.
Is Model Consulate.
The consular school room is arranged
represent a model consulate. There
.rr pigeonholes containing all official
orms which the American consul uses
3llls of health, invoices and the like, ar
anged as they should be according to the
lew system of uniformity which is here
| ter to prevail in the consular corps.
here are shelves of the references books
lcedsd by each consul. and their uses are
u1ly explained. There are also three
arse registers in which. under the new
naturalization law, each American cit
Zsn residing in u consular district must
inter- his name. There is bookkeeping
iesk, with one set of shelves for seaport
md another for inland accounts, and each
itudent-consul must make up and bal
tnce a typical set OF accounts before
taVing the school.
Aside from the special lectures there is
routine OF instruction in the official con-
dr. Augustus Il Ingram. who has had
experience in eight or ten of our I'M
)ortaut consulates. and who is an expert
consular procedure. In instilling the
"details of the regulations he uses the
case system which some OF our mod
IN law schools are now substituting .or
he textbook system. In other words
hypothetical cases. based upon important
uestions which have Lately arisen in our
sa-ious consulates, are stated to the
students, who are then asked as TO how
Ley would act under such circumstances
lust before leaving the school the new
sonsuls are given a final lecturing on
act and discretion. promptness In report
ng foreign trade openings for An orleans
SIC, by Mr.. Wilbur J. Carr. lately ap-
pointed TO the general direction of the
consular service. and by Mr.. Herbert c.
Hens stler. new chief of the Consular
bureau and principal of the consular
school.
The full course occupies but thirty days
Congress years ago provided by law that I