The Detroit times., 1910-10-11

ment In cabinet ar uA---s--A--A1
fairs, but as q rule, the official pre-
cedence has carried with II the actual
premiership.
The state department has its Off.
cial existence In Washington. but the
larger portion OF It's activities take
place In other countries. The diplo-
matte and consular services represent
the most important work Of the de-
partment. and while the plans are
mapped out In Washington, they are
largely executed abroad. II was
found advisable from the earliest his
tory OF the American colonies to have
representatives among the nations OF
Europe to look after the colonial In.
terests. Benjamin Franklin at one
time represented several OF the col.
onies In this capacity abroad.
The contingent fund OF the state
department is the one appropriation
made by the federal government that
requires no accounting to the people.
This IL a secret fund established for
the purpose OF enabling the secretary
OF state to keep close track upon the
secret doings Of other nations. N
order that the government may at all
times be appraised OF any foreign de.
velopments which might affect its in
terests. The diplomatic representa-.
tives OF the United States In foreign
| countries are supposed to keep them
selves In close touch with the officials
OF the countries to which they are &C.
credited, and TO so conduct themselves
In the discharge OF their duties that
they will be on good terms with those
foreign officials with whom they have
to deal. This has In q measure brought
about a demand for wealthy Ameri
cans to AL the important foreign posts
As the personal representative OF the
President OF the United States. the
American ambassador Is supposed al
all times to have access to the Offices
Of the ruler OF the government To
which he Is accredited. III he Is 70
make the most Of his position he
needs to be well fitted for taking part
In the social affairs Of the capital. and
this calls for expenditures far In ex-
cess Of the emoluments Of the office.
IL II said that Ambassador Reid, In
maintaining the American embassy at
the Court Of st. James, spends $780,.
900 q year-more than ten times his
income from the Enthusiastically.
Many rules and regulations are pre-
scribed to govern the conduct OF Amer.
ica's diplomatic representatives
abroad. They are required to be
chary In the matter OF giving out In
terviews or making speeches involv'
ing questions at issue or questions
which might be raised between their
government and the ones to which
they are sent. They are forbidden to
become responsible for the debts OF
fellow-Americans or to allow their
names to be csed as references. Meth
er- can they endorse bills OF exchange
for American tourists abroad. In all
important correspondence between the
department OF state and Its diplomatic
representatives abroad, mail Is not en-
trusted to the ordinary channels OF
communication. Special locked and
sealed pouches are used, and wherever
possible these are entrusted to Ameri-
can citizens in the international mail
service. In times Of threatened war
between our government and any
other nation. special messengers are
often employed to carry the dis
patches. Secret cipher codes are used
I'm correspondence when war threat
ems. III case vi uCStotoeAch VI WI
the American representatives abroad
are afforded q safe conduct to the
frontiers OF the country at whose cap
ital they are stationed. and the repre-
sentatives OF some other nation under
take to look after American interests,
pending the conclusion OF hostilities.
The consular service Is In many
ways the most interesting part OF
Americas representation abroad. The
consuls bear the same relation to
American business interests In for
eign countries that the diplomatic
service sustains to governmental in
terests abroad. Their duties are many
and varied, and even In remote cities
the consul finds much to do. There
are invoices to be made out on all
shipments OF goods to America, and
such a consulate as that at Hong
Kong will make out as many as TO-
600 in q year. The days routine In
a consular Office is as varied as that
of a newspaper office. There are pass
ports to be looked after. calls on war
vessels to be made, complaints OF
American tourists to be heard, strand
ed seamen to be provided for. MIN
iature postofice to be kept, pension
payments TO claim attention, notarial
service to be performed, trade reports
TO be written. extradition papers to be
acted upon, marriages TO be witnessed
and certified to. and a record OF all
tbaaa thin "a TO be kept