The Washington herald., 1908-01-19
]. Martin Miller Charges
MaladminiStratiOn.
HOLDS IT FATAL TO MORALS
Advises that the Surgeons Knife BE
AppIied-WOuId Put Blame ON the
istratIOn-Critieism for the
Inspection Tour of IL. II. ID. Peirce.
Calls Senator Lodge TO Account.

consul IN Germany, and more recently IN
in France. at Rheims. believes the con-
sular service is in urgent need OF a com
plete reorganization.
In an article just given to the press he
charges ''maladministration and gross in
competency" He declares It is more
than a scandal: it is disaster: disastrous
to the morale of the service, and to the
commercial interests OF this country.
The credulous public" he says, for
three years has been misled to believe that
merit was the rule In the service, and
that spoils politics had been wiped out. A"
Much has been printed about inspee-
ton, reorganization, and reformation but
he asserts, these claims on behalf Of the
consular service are lacking in real foun-
dation. He holds the administration pri-
mariiy responsible. but finds that Con-
gress is not altogether blameless.
He advises that the surgeons knife be
applied at the root of the evil, and adds
that nature, so 10 speak. VIII then take
care Of the comparatively mild form OF
the malady affecting the extremities Of
the patient scattered all over the world. "
PeIFce Inspection Tour Criticised.
He charges that former Third Assistant
Secretary Of State Herbert H. D. Peirce
now holding a high diplomatic post.
made a report TO the department in 1903
in which he claimed TO have made an in
spection Of the consulates in Germany.
and in which Mr.. Peirce said. IN no case
was the consul forewarned Of my arri-
val"
AS a matter Of fact" Mr.. Miller says.
several Of the posts were not even Wis
tied by Mr.. Peirce, but he gave a dinner
at Cologne to which ne invited eight Of
the nine consuls,' and that was the ex-
tent Of his inspection
He further declares that consuiates in
other countries that Mr.. Peirce was re-
ported to have inspected were not even
visited at all The tour Of inspection"
encircled the globe and cost the govern
ment several thousand dollars. According
to Mr. Miller, the report made 10 the de-
partment disgusted the consuIs and really
created a scandal throughout the service.
Mr.. Peirce had the responsible duty"
Mr. Miller says "of allotting the money,
amounting to nearly 10000 a year, which
Congress appropriates for the contingent
expenses Of consulates. as well as a por-
ton OF nearly half as much more for
clerk hire and the control Of the distribu-
ton of such supplies as typewriting ma
chimes. safes" &c.
He asserts that in spite Of the disburse-
ment Of this large fund many consuls
did not have a sufficient contingent ex-
pense 10 Co-eT their postage account
Some OF them paid a portion Of the ex-
pense OF their posts out of their slender
incomes through zeal for the service and
warm patriotism for the country.
They found that contingent expense al
Iowances went by favor.
Comparatively unimportant consulates
often Jared the best he says.
He goes into detail on this point and
insists that an investigation would with
out doubt demonstrate that Congress had
appropriated an amount ample for ali the
legitimate contingent expenses @. the
service hut for the juggling methods used
in the Department Of State.
Consulate Figures Compared.
Continuing. he says:
The figures quoted in the compari-
sons following are taken from the re-
port Of the Auditor for the State and
Other Departments for 1905. ard illus
trate a condition that has existed in
the service for several years.
Eleven consular posts could be
placed In Antwerp. Belgium, consular
district. and each one would transact
as much business as the Munich. Ger
many, consulate Munich was given
an expense allowance in 1905 Of 81
I51-5O, or S444.1O more than the great
seaport consulate general at Antwerp.
The Liege. Belgium, and the Con-
sulate Of Ghent. I'm the same country,
afford another comparison Client has
about forty different articles of export
from the United States. while Liege
has twenty-six. The value of the ex-
ports from Liege TO the United States
in 1905 was $l,s56,s36, while from
Ghent they amounted to S2,271.1S7.
Liege drew from the United States
Treasury, for money with which TO pay
the expenses of the consulate. s1.605.7S
while Client sent to the treasury $3.-
227.7O in fees earned after all expenses
were paid Upon this showing Liege
| had a contingent expense allowance OF
| S1.139.2S. while Ghent had $221S0. In
other words. IL required five dollars in
expenses TO earn S2,13450 in fees al
Liege. for every one dollar expended
at Client TO earn $5,94s.50 in fees.
Lodge Held to Account.
| Because United States Senator
Henry Cabot Lodge. of Massachusetts
stands back of Peirce. the administra-
ton has exerted itself TO keep the
holes stopped up so the limellght OF
/ publicity could not be turned on too
strongly Meantime. consular officers
who are having sermons preached to
them on efficiency and merit are
keenly aware Of the fact that Peirce
Is stiIl Envoy Extraordinary and Min
lister Plenipotentiary of the United
States to Norway
| Mr.. Miller declares that the appoint
ment of Mr.. Huntington Wilson as the
successor of Mr Peirce as Third As
sistant Secretary of State was due en-
trely to social and personal influence,
although widely exploited as the result
of the merit system At the beginning
Of his incumbency Mr.. Wilson proved a
prolific writer or signer of circular let
ters to consuls, but in June last the cir
cular instructions of Mr.. Wilson ceased
to flow, and all dispatches and official
correspondence thereafter bore tF sig
nature of Mr. Wilbur J. Carr, the chief
clerk
Now the duties of Mr. Wilson" ac-
cording to Mr. Miller are not clearly
understood. but ne is Third Assistant Sec
retary of State, in name at least. and
enjoys a strictly homemade pull that is
more enduring and exclusive than any
Senator or political machinist has exer-
cised'