Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-06

v1E Department of State employs
the smallest force of any de-
partment of the federal gov
i eminent. but it is first in rank
among them, and its off1ciai
head is regarded as the premier of the
cabinet AS rule, when the President
makes up his official family he selects
the ablest man he can get for the state
portfolio III there should ever come
time when both the President and the
Vice President should die or in any other
way become unable to serve as chief
executive, the Secretary of State would
become President. provided he were con-
stitutionally eligible to that office. Should
he not be eligible the position of Presl-
dent would pass to the next lower cabinet
ofhcer. and so on down the list until one
was found who did possess the necessary
constitutional qualifications to become
President The presidential succession
act was passed before the Department
OF Agriculture and the Department OF
Commerce and Labor We're established.
hence there is no provision by which the
heads OF these two departments could
succeed to the presidency by reason OF
the disability of any cabinet officer above
them
The Secretary of State takes official
precedence in the cabinet and usually
holds first position in influence as we'll
There have been few instances, how
ever, where he has yielded first place in
ment.
The Department of State has its Of
fetal headquarters in Washington, but
the larger portion of it's activities are
conducted in other countries. The diplo-
matte and consular services represent the
most important 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 In Europe, whose
mission it was to look after the interests
of the colonies abroad Benjamin Frank
lin was a diplomatic agent Of some of
the American colonies before the revolu-
tion
In order that they may be in a position
to do their most effective work in the
transaction of difficult diplomatic bust
ness the diplomatic representatives OF the
United States in foreign countries are
supposed to keep in close touch with the
officials of the country to which they are
accredited and to be on terms Of friend
ship with the foreign officials with whom
they have to deal.
A few of the leading countries send
ambassadors to Washington, and the
United States sends officials of like rank
to their capitals in turn. An ambassa
dor is the personal representative of the
ruler of the country from which he
comes and is supposed to have the same
standing with the government to which
he is accredited that the ruler who APP
points would have.
AS the personal representative of the
President of the United States an
American amba sSador is supposed to have
access at all times to the person Of the
ruler of the government to which he is
accredited.
If he is to make the most Of his position
he must be we'll fitted for faking a lead
ing part in the social affairs of the Of
fetal set of the capital at which he is
stationed, and this calls for expenditures
far in excess of his salary as ambassa
dor 1t is said that Ambassador Reid in
maintaining the American embassy at the
court of ST. James spends a250,U0o year
means, of course, that only men of wealth
can fill these important positions.
1t is the hope of those who wish to see
American citizens eligible to these posi-
tions, without reference to their wealth,
that the United States ultimately will
supply embassy and legation buildings and
also funds for representation, including
necessary official entertaining, etc.
The diplomatic representatives next in
rank are the ministers, officially known
as ENJOYS extra ordinary and ministers
plenipOtentiary. These are stationed IN
countries which send ministers rather
than ambassadors to Washington. Thelr
official residences are known as legations.
Usually a minister spends fully as much
as his salary in the endless round OF en-
pertaining which is regarded as an essen