Evening star., 1909-07-16
NO ORNAMENTAL PLACES
State Department Wants Vigorous
Men of Capacity.
ELIMINATION OF FOREIGNERS
Lower Positions to Be Filled With
Americans-Policy in Select
ing Ambassadors.

Hereafter there will be no purely orna-
mental places in the foreign service Of
the United States. Although that cannot
be said to be new policy, it is the declared
intention of the present administration.
and especially of the State Department,
that there shall be no deviation from 1t.
The rule will be made TO apply not only
to the diplomatic service, but to the con-
suiar officers of the United States from
the highest to the lowest. In years past
there has been very general complaint
that the consular service of the United
States was generally inefficient and Of a
lower grade than that of many foreign
countries having representatives in the
United States The State Department off,
cials themselves in previous years have
acknowledged that, and although the
service has improved of late, it has not
made the rapid advance that is notice
able in the service of some of our for
eign trade competitors.
Trying to Raise Standard.
AT present this government has in for
egn countries 29s consuls and consuls
general, with a large number of vice and
deputy consuls, clerks, interpreters. ETC.,
making a total of about LOO. and it is
the expressed determination of the pres
ent officials of the State Department to
elevate the service In every possible way.
A working familiarity with the subjects
with which they will have to deal is
demanded TO a greater extent than ever
before. Consular officers are expected to
keep this government informed of all
matters in which manufacturers In this
country are interested. A short time
ago general instructions were issued re-
Quiring them TO use the cable freely in
communicating any important CONNER
cial information, the purpose being to
make Immediately available the informa-
tion communicated
1t is the purpose OF the State De-
partment TO unity the work of the Dip
lomatic and consular services in the in-
terest Of greater efficiency. For many
years 1t has been a matter of regret
10 the government that so many native
foreigners occupied subordinate positions
In our consular service as deputies and
clerks. That, however, has been largely
matter of inadeauite compensation.
The policy from now will be to sub
stitute Americans for foreigners wherever
IT is possible to do SO. Considerable
progress already has been made in that
direction. Within a comparatively short
consular service has been reduced from
46.1 per cent to 1873 per cent, and the
percentage OF Americans in that service
has resuitingly been increased from $50
10 S1.2 per cent.
These percentages, however. apply only
to clerkships paying $500 a year or less
but the work of wedding out foreigners
will continue as long as Americans OF
the requisite capacity can be secured to
NIL the places. The department is very
much in earnest in it's efforts to secure
for every branch of the service vigorous
men of capacity, who are willing to work
and able 10 show results, and no effort
will be spared to bring about that de-
sired result.
Selection of Ambassadors.
The same general policy will also be
made to apply TO the diplomatic serv-
ice in the selection of ambassadors and
ministers. Great wealth will not be the
determining factor, nor will It be re-
garded as altogether desirable.
IL is announced that no further ap-
pointments of ambassadors will be made
ber In the meantime the department
will make use of every available source
of Information in order to obtain the
right men for A number of embassies
which will probably become vacant about
that time.
Already the department has taken up
the subject of better quarters for our
foreign consuls: better buildings are
being insisted upon, and in many in
stances American furniture is being sup
piled.