Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-12
KNOX TALKS
ON DIPLOMATIC TOPICS
Gives Views of StateCraft Be.
fore New York Audience
of Women.

NEW YORK, December 12-Two hum
dred and fifty woman members of the Ma
tional Civic Federation, and four men,
showed their interest In the workings of
the government when they listened eager
ly to the speech of Secretary of State
Philander G. Knox at the Waldorf-As-
toria yesterday afternoon. This was the
second of a series of talks on the govern
ment.
After telling of the growth of his de-
partment, the Secretary praised a bill
now in Congress to increase the salaries
in the American diplomatic corps.
I'VE hear lot about the cost of living
going up he said. THE same may be
said of the diplomatic service. The men
now have to pay a good deal out Of their
own pockets, if they are to live in re-
spectacle houses as respectable represent
atives Of a respectable government. The
best men of our history could have i'll af-
forded to accept even a second-clasS posi-
ton if they lived today
Aiding Weak Republics.
In talking Of the financial help given
to the Dominican Republic. Nicaragua and
Honduras, Mr.. Knox said: 1T has been
called Dollar diplomacy 1t has my
hearty approval. If the American dollar
can aid suffering humanity and lift the
burden of financial difficulty from states
with which live on terms of intimate
intercourse and friendship, and replace in
security and devastation by stability and
peaceful acknowledgment, ali 1 can say is
that it would be hard to find better en-
ployment. The Department of State al
ways will be glad to take advantage of
the American dollar in furtherance of
earth and good will ~ fplinw-
men.
MIR. Knox said the American diplomatic
service should be organized into a trained,
permanent and non-part. san corps, that
the American people would have an equal
chance with the people of other nations
in the field Of foreign commercial Oppor-
tunity.
Tracing the growth of the service away
from its isolation n a political field, Mr..
Knox said: From being an organ. cation
apart. chosen by the favor of patronage
and shackled by cOnventionality, it has
rapidly grown to be the co-wor'. er and
ally of the people in their efforts to eX-
tend their enterprise, influence and ma
terial profits in a field of new endeavor.
Open Door Good in Theory.
"The open door is good thing in the
DRY. In practice two conditions are essen
tial-it must be opened and must be kept
open. To do these is the function of
diplomacy. In order to act its part well
the diplomatic service must be of the
people and act for the people. first. last
and all the time"
Reverting to the residences of the >men
engaged in the service, he said: 1T would
be wise II this government built At
ting residences for the consular agents,
using American designs and American
material, SO that in every foreign capital
there would be a typically American
structure, as a permanent expression of
American national sm.''
OF the work Of the department In the
movement for universal peace, the Secre-
tary said: I'VE are not Intermediates, not
partiSanS The consciousness of possess
ventive against the tyranny of using it as
giant. The department and the whole
work of the foreign service establishment
are utterly outside the sphere of partisan
politics.