Rocky Ford enterprise., 1911-12-15
Crying Need for American Merchant
Marine.

that there should speedily be built up an
American merchant marine. This u nee
essary 10 assure favorable trnnsporin-
ton facilities to our great ocean borne
commerce as well as TO supplement the
navy with an adequate reserve OF ships
and men. II would have the economic ad-
vantage Of keeping at home part OF the
vasr sums now paid foreign shipping Tor
carrying American goods. All the great
commercial nations pay heavy subsidies
to their merchant marine. so that II Is
the congress the United States must lag
behind in the matter Of merchant marine
in its present anomalous position.
Legislation TO facilitate the extension
Of American banks to foreign countries Is
another matter In which our foreign
trade needs assistance
with these factors and the continuance
Of the toreien-seryice established depart
GENITAL diplomatic and consulsr) upon
b.e high plane where II has been placed
nv The recent REORGANIZATION this gov
eminent would be abreast of the times
In fostering the interests OF Its Foreign
trade. and the rest must be left TO the
energy and enterprise OF our business
men.
Improvement Of the Foreign Service.
The entire toreign-service organization
is being improved and developed with
especial regard to tn. re S IRE nast, OF
| The rapid growth Of our foreign trade
makes Il Of the utmost Importance that
mat trade is to be aided and protected
| should possess a high degree of eff
| ciency Not only should the foreign rep
resentatIves he maintained upon "a gen
eyous scale in so far salaries and es-
tahiishmeuts are concerned, but the Sc
| lection and advancement of officers
should be definitely and permanently reg
| nlated by law. so that the service shall
not fail 10 attract men OF high character
| and ability The experience of the past
few years with partial application of
civil service rules TO the diplomatic and
| consular service leaves no doubt IL my
| mind of the wisdom of a wider and more
nermsnent extension of those principles
| 10 both branches of the foreign service
| therefore again commend 10 the IA
| vorable action of the congress the enact
ment of law applying to the diplomatic
| bodied in section 1888 of the Revised Stat
iItea Of the United States, in the civil
| seryice act of January l6. 1883. and the
| executive orders of June n, 1906, and of
| This Important subject desire to recall
| to the attention of the congress the very
| Favorable report made on the Lowden
bill for the, improvement Of the
foreign foreign COMMITTEES mites of the house of repre-
| %antatfves' Available statistics show that
| The strirtness with which the merit sys-
| tenn has bens applied to the Foreign serv-
| ice during recent years and the absolute
| non-partisan selection OF consuls and
| dIpiomntlc service secretaries who indeed
| an. from being selected with any view
| 10 political consideration have actually
| been chosen TO dlsproporuonnte extent
| from states which would have been un-
| rsnressnted in the foreign service under
| the system which It is to be hoped is now
! permanently obsolete. Some legislation
| Tor the sperpetuation OF the present sys-
| TEN OF examinations and promotions upon
| yTerft and effciency would be OF greatest
Value TO our commercial and Information
! al interests.