The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-12-08

ports showed q gain over the preced- ing year of more than $300.O00. 900.
 Crying Need For American Merchant
 Marine.
 need hardly reiterate the convic- ton that there should speedily be built up an American merchant marine. This is necessary to assure favorable trans portation facilities to our great ocean borne. commerce as well as to supple ment the navy with an adequate re- serve of ships and men. It would have the economic advantage of keep ing at home part of the vast sums now paid foreign shipping for carrying American goods. All the great com merciai nations pay heavy subsidies to their merchant marine. so that it is obvious that without some wise aid from the congress the United States must lag behind in the matter of mer chant marine in its present anomalous position.
 Extension of American Banking to For-
 eian Countries.
 Legislation to facilitate the extension of American banks to foreign countries is another matter in which our foreign trade needs assistance.
 Improvement of the Foreign Service.
 The entire foreign service organiza- tion is being improved and developed with especial regard to the require ments of the commercial interests of the country. The rapid growth of our foreign trade makes 1t of the utmost importance that governmental agen- cies through which that trade is to be aided and protected should possess a high degree of efficiency. Not only should, the foreign representatives be maintained upon a generous scale in so far as salaries and esta blfshments are concerned. but the selection and advancement of officers should be defi- nitely and permanently regulated by law so that the service shall not fail to attract men of high chara cter and ability. ' It is my ear nest conviction that the enactment into law of the general principles of the existing regulations cannot fail to effect further improvement in both branches of the foreign service by pro- .viding greater inducement for young men of character and ability to seek a career abroad in the service of the government and an incentive to those already in the service to put forth greater efforts to attain the high standards which the successful conduct of our international relations and commerce requires.
 / I therefore again commend to the favorable action of the congress the enactment of law applying to the diplomatic and consular service the principles embodied in section 1753 of the revised statutes of the United States in the civil service act of Jan. 16. 1883. and the executive orders of June 27. 1906. and of Nov. 26. 1909. Tn it's consideration of this important sub ject desire to recall to the attention of the congress the very favorable re- port made on the Lowden bill for the improvement of the foreign service by the foreign affairs committee of the house of representatives. Available statistics show the strictness with which the merit system has been ap- piled to the foreign service during re cent years and the absolute nonparti. san selection of eonsuls and diplomatic service secretaries, who. indeed. far from being selected with any view 60 political consideration. have actually been chosen to disproportionate ex- tent from states which would have been unrepresented in the foreign serv. ice under the system which 1t is to be hoped is now permanently obsolete Some legislation for the perpetuation of the present system of examinations and promotions upon merit and efi. cfency would be of greatest value to our commercial and international inter ests. VIM. H TAFT. The White House, Dec. [, 1911.