The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-08-03
nus1Nnss11Kr srArn pEPARrMnNr
Presidents Anti-Red-Tope Commission
 On Their Job.

The establishment of a Far Eastern Bureau in the State Department of the United States government Is direct- Ky in line with the general disposition at Washington to put the public ser vice on a more businesslike basis. The Presidents anti-red-tape commission has accomplished something; Secretary Cortelyou in the Treasury department and Secretary Garfield tn the Depart ment of the Interior have for several months been wedding put wasteful methods and introducing Few Standards of efficiency; and the organization of this new bureau in Secretary Roots department should have similarly beneficial effect, It signifies determin- ation to keep the government in close touch with the spirit of Oriental affairs inasmuch as MT. Wilson. who is to be at the head of the bureau, and Messrs, Heintzleman and Phillips, his associ- ates, are familiar with the Japanese and Chinese languages, have served us ol the Asiatic shores of the Pacific and in an emergency may be depended up- on to approach the question under dis cussion in an intelligent and effective way.
 MT Huntington Wilson, the Third As- sistant Secretary of State, who is to have charge of the new work, comes from Illinois and succeeded Mr. Peirce in the State Department two years ago. At the time of his appointment 1t was said to be in pursuance of Secretary Roots policy of exchanging places be- tween officials within and without the department, so that those who intended 10 make q life career of diplomacy might become familiar with all branch es of the work. Mr. Wilson is a native of Chicago and is considerably under forty ears of age, He has been in the diplomatic service ten years, having served as second and first secretary of the legation at Tokio. He was graduat- ed at Yale in 1897. Mir. Percival Heint- zleman, one of his assistants, has been student interpreter at the legation in Pekln and vice and deputy consul at Canton and Dalny Mr William Phil lips of Massachusetts, the other assist ant, was at one time private secretary to Ambassador Choate at London and for two years has been second secre- tary of the legation at Pekin. It is worth while to dwell thus on the ser vice of these young men-for they are all in the earlier phase of their diplo- matic careers-because it shows that they come to their new labors with excellent training. They have been on the ground, and if they possess, as may presumed, native ability for di- plomacy they ought to make the Far Eastern Bureau a useful institution in deed,
 1t hardly needs to be said that our relations with Asia are increasing in importance and that we must approach the diplomatic and commercial prob lens of the future with discretion and care. There should be no more haphaz- ard treatment of the Far East from Washington. There should be no more pOiltlcdl appointments lO important berths in China and Japan. And the Asiatic work at the national capital should be under the direction of men who are fitted for it by training and temper. Let us hope the day has gone by when John Smith of Jenkins Cross Roads, Indiana, could be sent as consul to Annoy or Shanghai for his partisan services in a presidential campaign, or when any speIlbinder whatsoever, or district heeler, or party organizer, could be rewarded with an appointment in Manchuria or Japan. These are dan- ger spots, places where tact and skill are necessary where intelligence and education count and where the begin nlngs of fine new American diplomat ic and consular service are now to be seen. The Far Eastern Bureau marks a step in the same right direction. Its career will be watched with approba- tive and hopeful interest.-Providenee Journal.