Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1909-12-07
ENT TAFTS SWEEPING MESSAGE TO CONGRESS URGING
WIDE PEACE AND PREDICTING CONTINUED PROSPERITY

commercial nations and that TO deny
them to the Secretary OF State would
be to place this Government at a great
disadvantage In the rivalry of CONNER
cial competition. :
The consular service has been great
ly improved under the law of April 8,
1905. and the Executive Order of June
~, 1906, and / commend to your con-
sideration the question of embodying
in a statute the principles of the pres
ent Executive Order upon which the
efficiency of our consular service is
wholly dependent.
In modern times political and COM
mercial interests are interrelated, and
in the negotiation of commercial trea-
ties. conventions and tariff agreements,
the keeping open of opportunities ana
the proper support of American enter
prises, our diplomatic service Is quite
as important as the consular service
to the business interests of the country.
Impressed with this idea and convinced
that selection after rigorous examina-
ton, promotion for merit solely n
the experience only to be gained
through the continuity of an organized
service are Indispensable to a high de-
gree of efficiency in the diplomatic
service, ! have signed an Executive
Order as the first step toward this very
desirable result. Its effect should be
to place all secretaries in the dipio-
matte service in much the same posi-
ton as consular officers are now placed
and to tend to the promotion of the
most efficient to the grade of minister,
generally leaving for outside appoint
ment such posts of the grade of ar
bassador or minister as it may be ex-
pedient to fill from without the service.
1t is proposed also to continue the prac-
tise instituted last summer OF giving
to all newly appointed secretaries at
least one months thorough training in
the Department of State before they
proceed to their posts. This has been
done for some time in regard to the
consular service with excellent results.
Under a provision of the Act of Au-
gust 5. 1909, | have appointed three
officials to assist the officers of the
Government in collecting information
necessary to a wise administration of
the tariff act of August 5, 1909. AS
to questions of customs administration
they are cooperating with h officials
of the Treasury Department and as TO
matters of the needs inc the exigen-
Giles of our manufacturers and x
porters, with the Department of Com
merce and Labor, in its relation to the
domestic aspect of the subject of
foreign In the study of
foreign tariff treatment they will as
sist the Bureau of Trade Relations of
the Department of State. 1t is hoped
thus to coordinate and bring to bear
upon this most important subject all
the agencies of the Government which
can contribute anything to its efficient
handling.
AS a consequence of Section 2 of
the tariff act of August 5, 1909, 1t be-
comes the duty of the Secretary of
State to conduct as. diplomatic bust
ness all the negotiations necessary TO
place him in a position to advise me
as to whether or not a particular
try unduly discriminates against the
United States in the sense of the sta
tute referred to. The great scope and
complexity Of this work. as well as the
obligation to lend all proper aid to
our expanding commerce. is met by the
expansion of the Bureau of Trade Re
lations as set forth in the estimates
for the Department of State.