The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-09-16
By Ernest G. Walker.
(Man Special to the Advertiser.

ambassador by the time he journeys
through Manchuria to conduct some OBJ
servations the President has entrusted
TO him. Ambassador T: J. O'Brien, OF
Michigan, who has just paid his re-
spects TO the President at Burgess
Point and voyaged on to Europe for
short period before returning to Japan,
is to remain. Accordingly the dipio-
maize list in the Orient is now pretty
well arranged. 1t has already been an
nounced that Henry Lane Wilson, now
Minister to Belgium, win be the new
Ambassador to Mexico to succeed David
Z. Thompson, of Nebraska. These with
a dozen or more changes in the list of
United States Ministers are likely to
round out the roster of important Dip
Iomatic nominations for the beginning
of the Taft administration. Many NOM
nations of secretaries and minor dip
lomatic officials were made to the SEN
ate before Congress adjourned, and
where changes are to be made, but
have not been announced, the incum-
bents are now pretty generally inform
ed of what is going to happen. So by
the time the winter season sets in Pres
ident Taft viii have his diplomatic
forces arranged about as he intends
to have them. These comprise repre-
sentatives at some forty-four capitals,
scattered, of course, all over the world.
All in all, the President has retained
a large percentage of Roosevelt diplo-
matte appointments. He sent one of
President Roosevelt's cabinet, Secre-
tafy of Commerce and Labor Oscar
Straus, as Ambassador to CONSTANT
nople, and offered to make Secretary of
the Navy Newberry Ambassador to st.
Petersburg. He has retained Ambassa-
dor O'Brien in Japan and Ambassador
Hill at Berlin, transferred Ambassador
John G. A. Leishman from CONSTANT
nople to Rome, and SO on through a
long category. His aim has been to i'm
prove the diplomatic service in every
possible particular, while also naming
a few men of his own personal choice.
In other words, he has continued the
efforts of President Roosevelt to place
the diplon tic service Of the United
States govs fnment on a higher plane
than it has had before, at least for
many years. These efforts have gone
along with efforts to advance the stand
ard of the consular service, which Pres
ident Roosevelt interested himself in.
A day or two age the President remark
ed at BuJ CESS Point that he felt par
ticularly lratifed at the character of
consuls this government now has in
China A number of important posts
there are now filed by experienced men
of acknowledged ability in a consular
capacity. This remark followed a visit
to him by Consul Amos P. Wilder, of
Wisconsin, who has been spending
few days of his leave upon the Maine
coast. Mr.. Wilder was for quite time
Consul at Hongkong, but has been trans
ferred to Shanghai. The latter has
been one of the most difficult consular
posts in all the Orient to fill satisfac-
torily.
In the Orient, foundations are being
laid by President Taft for a diplomatic
and consular service of the highest eff
hciency. 1t may not be too much to
say that he regards the diplomatic and
consular service in that quarter to be
of more Importance ultimately to the
United States than its diplomatic and
consular service in any other part of
the world. Once the Chinese come to
recognize the ability and integrity of
our minister and our consuls, it is not
too much to believe that these officials
will rival in prestige and influence
there the representatives of the British
and German governments. China re
CARDS the United States as her best
friend among &he nations of the earth,
and there is plainly opportunity for
our influence to be as potent in China
as it has come to be in Europe of re
cent years.
The Importance of this in the domi-
nation of the Pacific and in the great
trade struggle now imminent on that
ocean can not be overlooked 1t can
develop into tremendous influence for
the shaping of American policies in the
Far East, for checking the aggression
of European nations there. and for en-
couraging the late John Hays policy
of the open door. The object of di-
plomacy in the East very generally has
been for the increase of trade. and
without doubt that is the ultima thule
OF President Taft S Oriental policy. The
chances for American trade in the
Orient are almost beyond eomprehen-
sion.
As an incident of this new eastern
policy President Taft will encourage
subsidies to American ships, much like
the bill which almost passed Congress
last winter. That means chiefly sub.
sides for ships on the Pacific Ocean
trading with the Orient and South
America. The campaign in favor OF
that bill has already been begun in the
Middle West, where hitherto the strong
est Republican opposition has been. It
is quite probable that the President
will voice his friendship for the sub
sides at different points in his travel
across the Middle West. Secretary O.
the Navy Meyer, who was participant
in the two cabinet meetings recent,
held at Burgess Point, has brough
some suggestions to the President fo
speech along those lines. The secre
tary wants the ship subsidies urged i
connection with the enlistment of
naval auxiliary force That is some
thing like the ship subsidy bill brough
out some years ago and then abandone
for pure postal subvention while
would be an extension of the presen
law affecting the transmission of ocea
mails. The Navy idea might give tn
subsidy bill impetus in the Middle Yves
where the navy is very popular wit
the masses.