El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-10-05
Work OF State Department
Most Interesting OF All
1.-THE GOVERNMENT AT WORK.

HHE department of state employs
the smallest force of any de-
partment of the government
but it is first in rank, and it's official
head is regarded as the premier OF the
cabinet. As a rule, when the president
makes up his official family, he Sc
lects the ablest man he can get for the
state portfolio. There have been
few Administered in which the secre-
tary of state yielded first place in in
influence to the head of another de-
partment in cabinet affairs, but as a
rule the official precedence has carried
with it. the actual premiership.
International Activities
The state department has its official
existence in Washington, but the larger
portion of it's activities take place in
other countries. The diplomatic and
consular service represent the most i'm
pcrtant work of the department, and
while the plans are mapped out in
Washington they are largely executed
abroad. 1t was found advisable from
the earliest history of the American
colonies to have representatives among
the nations of Europe to look after the
colonial interests Benjamin Franklin
at one time represented several Of the
colonies in this capacity abroad.
The contingent fund of the state de-
partment is the one appropriation
made by the federal government that
requires no accounting to the people,
This is secret fund established Tor
the purpose of enabling the secretary
of state to keep close track upon the
secret doings of other nations, in or
der that the government may at all
times be apprised of any foreign de-
velopments which might affect It's IN
terests. The diplomatic representatives
of the United States in foreign coutries
are supposed to keep themselves IN
close touch with the officials OF the
countries to which they are accredited
and to so conduct themselves in the
discharge of their duties that they will
be on good terms with those foreign Of
ficials with whom they have to deal
This has in a measure brought about
a demand for wealthy Americans to
fill the important foreign posts AS
the personal representative or the
president of the United States, the
American ambassador is supposed to
have access to the offices OF the ruler
OF the government to which he IS &C
credited If he is to make the most Of
his position he needs to be well fitted
for taking part in the social affairs or
the capital, and this calls for expendl-
lures far in excess of the emolumentS
Of the office. 1t is said that Ambas-
sador Reid, in maintaining the Amer
lean embassy at the couEt of St James,
spends s25O,O00 a year-more than
ten times his income from the ambassa-
dorship.
Many Strict Rules.
Many rules and regulations are pre-
scribed to govern the conduct OF Amer
ica's Diplomatic representatives
r101lirpd TO be charY
in the matter Of giving out inter
views or making speeches involving
questions at issue or questions which
might be raised between their govern
nent 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 used as references. In all import
ant correspondence between the de-
partment of state and its diplomatic
representatives abroad, mail is not en-
trusted to the ordinary channels of COM
munication. Special locked and sealed
pouches are used, and wherever posi-
BILE these are entrusted to American
citizens in the international mail serv-
ice In times of threatened war be-
tween our government and any other
nation, special messengers are often
employed to carry the dispatches. Sc
cret cipher codes are used in CORES
pondence when war threatens. In case
of a declaration of war the American
representatives abroad are afforded
safe conduct 10 the frontiers Of the
country at whose capital they are sta
toned. and the representatives Of some
other other nation undertake 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 foreign countries
that the diplomatic service sustains to
governmental interests 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 Amer
lea, and such a consulate as that at
Hong Kong will make out as many as
10 600 in a 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 Amer
lean tourists to be heard, stranded sea-
men to be provided for, miniature
postoffice to be kept, pension pay
ments to claim attention. notar1aI
service to be performed, trade reports