The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-12-06
FOREIGN SERVICE WANTED Young Diplomats to Get a
 Chance. PRESIDENT ISSUES ORDER Secretary Knox Promdgates New
 Set of Regulations. Under Latest system Effort Will Be Made to Test More FsIiy auali- fications of yoang Men
 Desirous of Entering
 Service.

washington, ID. c., Dec. b.-lnteht upon improving the diplomatic ser vice of the United statts and upon bringing 1t up to the standard set by other world powers. President Taft, at the request of Secretary of State Knox. has Issued a number of new regulations governing the promotion of consular officers.
 It is believed by the administration that under the new regulations and | under the new system of promotion. a much higher efficiency in the ser- vice will be secured.
 In his letter to the President on this subject. Secretary Knox says: My Dear MT. President: The re- markable growth of the political and commercial foreign relations of the United States and the increasing diff l ficulty of the problems growing out of these relations which have to be dealt with through the instrumental | ity of the diplomatic service. make it apparent that some improvement should speedily be made in the or ganization of that service. It seems particularly desirable that In the in- terest of a more efficient foreign per- l sonnel an effort should be made to test more fully the qualifications of young men desirous of entering the diplomatic service as secretaries. and | tO pTONiut WHICH Sudtt | tend to encourage such a degree of efficiency on the part of secretaries as may justify their promotion to the higher grades and ultimately to the grade of minister. It Is also of the highest importance that there should | be a closer relationship between the | two branches of the foreign service and the Department of State than has hitherto existed.
 Submits New Rules. With a view to the attainment of these objects I have the honor to submit for your approval draft of an order providing board of ex- aminers for the diplomatic service. in- dicating the subjects and methods of examination and prescribing certain other rules conducive to that increase | in the efficiency of the departmental. diplomatic and consular personnel, which appears to be So desirable. ''I have the~honor to be, Mir. Pres ident. with great respect,
 Very sincerely yours, 'P. c. Knox" The following are some of the reg | ulations which have just been issued | by President Taft in an executive or | der:
 \ directed to report from time to time to the President. along with his re- recommendations. the names of those | secretaries of the higher grades in I the diplomatic service who by reason | of efficient service have demonstrat- ed special capacity for promotion to be chiefs of mission.
 | Keep Efficiency Record. There shall be kept a careful ef- ficiency record of every officer of the diplomatic service. in order that there
 may be no promotion except upon we'll established efficiency as shown l in the service, and that retention in the service may be conditioned upon the officers maintaining a degree of efficiency well up to the average high | standard which the interests of the | service demand.
 Initial appointments from outside the service to secretaryships in the diplomatic service shall be only to the classes of Third Secretary of Embas- sy, or, in case of higher existant va cancies. of Second Secretary of Lega- tion. Or of Secretary of Legation at such post as has assigned to 1t but one secretary. Vacancies in secre- | taryships of higher classes shall be filled by promotion from the lower grades of the service. based upon ef- ficiency and ability as shown in the service.
 ''To make 1t more practicable to ex- tend to the appointment, promotion, transfer, or retention of secretaries in the diplomatic service the civil ser vice principle of promotion on the basis of efficiency shown in the ser vice. and in order that the action of the department may be understood by the officers concerned. all secretary ships in the diplomatic service shall be graded according to the impor- tance. volume, difficulty, or other as- poets of the work done by each mis- sion in proportion to the number of men allotted to it. and this classifi- cation shall be made known to the members of the service.
 May Be Reinstated.
 "A person separated from a secre- taryship in the diplomatic service without delinquency or misconduct at his own request in writing may, with in a period of one year from the date of such separation, be reinstated in the grade from which he was separ- ated, provided he shall have been or lginally appointed after the prescrib- ed examination for that grade. In the event, however. that such sepa- ration shall be for the purpose of un- dertaking other work under the De- partment of State, the limitation of one year from eligibility for rein statement shall not hold. This rule shall be applicable as regards rein statements to the consular service aNd also to the Department of State
 when transfer shall have been to an- other branch of the foreign service.
 "The Assistant Secretary of State. the solicitor for the Department of State, the chief of the Diplomatic Bu- reau. and the chief of the Bureau of Appointments, and the chief examin- CT of the civil service commission or some person whom the commission
 shall designate, or such persons as
 may be designated to serve in their