The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-06-08
APPOINTMENTS ARE
MATTERS OF PATRONAGE
AppOIniegS on Civil SsTVIcg
Basis and Consular
School Urged

| tBy Mason II. Starring, president Of
the Industrial club OF Chlcago,)
For how many years past we
know not, tho consular service Of
the United States Mas hoen more or
less reproach 10 the country and a
matter OF humiliation 10 hs citizens
travelling or living abroad do not
mlsunderslaitl me as stating that
this applies to every member OF tht
consular service While there are
many able and efficient men in the
service. men who are the peers o.
those in amy walk Of HE, there arr
also numbers Who are unfit TO acl
for our ccunirymen IN any capacity
whatsoever Those numbers are be
lleycd 10 be IA the majority, an0
destined SO to be as long as Rp
pointment 10 and retention and pro
motion In consular service are mat
ters Of patronage and not based upol
moral integrity educational require
monts and business capacity, AM
saieguarded by proper civil service
rules.
Relieving that with an improve
ment OF the consular service by cen
iain clear cut and positive staWtorl
regulations as to prerequisite require
ments, tenure Of office and promo
tiun, that service could be made q
credit 10 our Nation and profit e
It's business and that sentimental
aud business reasons alike demand
ed such improvement. The Indus
trial club OF Chicago has outlined ,
plan In certain bills introduced Init
Congress January ~, 1909, for thI
establishment of q National consular
school. and for placing anpolntecs te
the consular service upon clyl
service basis.
or the bin for the establishment OF
the consular school, an eminent
member Of the committee on foreign
affairs has recently mid; Your bill
mas already created great deal oN
discussion and bias, therefore al
ready helped in the development 0'
public scahment IN favor Of a reior
nation og the consular service,
Your bin has already accomplished
much III that the novelty Of its Wop
oahion has created widespread CON
men upon the necessity Uf pnr I'm
proving our consular service
So great WnB The demand Tor cople
of these bills lhat Il became necc'
cary 10 print a second edition,
In ae consular school, men wouil
be trained 10 meet on equal grounN
the commercial rivals Of this cOun
try III foreign folds, aud given tha
opportunity 10 perfect themselves 70
ihis work, which u is apparent is
NOT now open 10 them. A unIvcSltl
course Is not oblainahle b. the vas
majority OF young men. or by thei
parents for them; financial reasons
If no other intervene,
Tic Industrial club hopes II tht
necessary legislation should obtain
to open the dOof OF this school u,
mon without regard TO their tln0ncla
condition, and iOr this reason aaks
chat each student be allowed the sum
Of $500 per year By the government
It's bin provides too, so that there
may be no unialrpess 20 t1e govern
ment that the graduate Of this school
she'll remain In consular service ten
ears after receiving his appoint
mcnt TO me service, or to be sub.
lecl 40 call for service by the gov
crnment for five years after gradua
tion.
For war we train soldiers at West
Point and sailors at Annapolis, and
wllat those sailors can do was re-
Gently emphasized I'm the minds not
OF our c0unirynien alone, but OF all
nations, when our fleet made It's trip
around the world. Why therefore,
should Ne not train our soldiers OF
commerce Tor the warfare OF tiade,
Ia governmental school established
especially for this purposei
Dr. James Brown Scott, solicitor
Of the State department, a recog-
nlxed authority upon consular affairs,
Ia a recent address said. The exs
rAnslon Of commerce and the search
for the worlds market require that
c0nsuls be able, competent, devoted
servants In advance Of their selection
for a.e great mission with which
they are intrusted vi present, and
whieh VIII be even more important
and beneficial IN the immediate fu-
tNfNt Nv W tM oWhf NN"etNAA|tAf
and the interests you represent, TO
see 10 II that tho reform be made
permanent: that the lnadoQvacies OF
The present system, for II II but a
first step, be- pointed out and cor
rocted. In order that the consular
system may become q great and pow.
eriul instrumoniality In the expan-
sion Of Anerlcan commerce and In.
duBtry. and Ghat the American prod.
net may dominate the markets ol the
world.
The club hopes 10 Ree the day
when the irreslstihle force Of public
pnl0n will place tho stamp Of lts
approval upon the plans II has 80
carefully prepared and energellcally
advocated. and path thai approval
once obtained Il haa no doubt a. 10
de result