The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1911-12-14

| SoHtrOl Oh our ana IOTelst
trafhc In opium and other menacint
drugs, i quoted from my annual mes
sage or December Z 1909. In which an
nounced that the results of the Interna
| uonal Opium commission held at Shang
hal In February, 1909, at the invitation o.
| the United States, had been laid before
| this government; that the report of thai
| commission showed that China was max
Ing remarkable progress and admirabl
efforts toward the eradication of the
| opium evil; that the interested govern
m men had not permitted their CONNER
ciai interests to prevent their co-opera.
uon In this reform; and, as result OF
Collateral Investigations of the opium
question In this country, l recommended
that the manufacture, sale and use OF
opium In the United States should be
more vigorously controlled by legislation
Prior to that time and in continuation
OF the policy of this government to Sc;
cure the cooperation of the interested
nations. the United States proposed ar
international opium conference with fui
powers for the purpose OF clothing with
the force of international law the reso-
lutions adopted by the aforementioned
commission, together with their essen
ttal corollories. The other powers con-
cerned cordially responded to the pro
posal Of this government, and, I am glad
10 be able to announce. representatives
or all the powers assembled in conference
at The Hague on the first OF this month.
Foreign Trade Relations of the United
States.
In my last annual message I referred
to the tariff negotiations of the depart
ment OF state with foreign countries In
connection with the application, by Sc
tariff Of the United States to importa-
tons from the several countries. and
stated that, In its general operation. sec.
ton of the new tariff law had proved
guaranty OF continued commercial
peace, although there were, unfortunate
~, instances where foreign governments
dealt arbitrarily with American interests
within their jurisdiction in a manner in
furious and inequtable During the past
year some instances of discriminatory
treatment have been removed: but re-
greet to say that there remain a few
cases of differential treatment adverse to
the commerce of the United States While
none of these instances now appears to
amount to undue discrimination In the
sense OF section 2 of the tariff law OF
August g. 1909, they are all exceptions to
that complete degree Of equality of tar
in treatment that the department of
state has consistently sought to obtain
for American commerce abroad.
While the double tariff feature of the
tariff law of 1909 has been amply iusti-
fed by the results achieved in removing
former and preventing new, undue dis
ordinations against American commerce.
II is believed that the time has come for
the amendment of this feature of the law
means Of meeting varying degrees of
discriminatory treatment Of American
commerce In foreign countries as we'll as
to protect the financial interests abroad
Of American citizens against arbitrary
and injurious treatment on the part of
foreign governments through either leg
islative or administrative measures.
II would seem desirable that the maxi
mum tariff Of tho United States should
embrace within It's purview the free list
which is not the case at the present time,
In order that II might have reasonable
significance to tho governments of those
countries from which the importations
into the United States are confined vir-
tually to articles on the free list.
The fiscal year ended June 80, 1911.
shows great progress in the development
Of American trade. tt was noteworthy
as marking the highest record OF exports
of American products to foreign coun-
tries. the valuation being In excess Of
s. 900, 100000. These exports showed n
gain over tho preceding year of more
than 5000, 000. 900.
Crying Need for. American Merchant
Marine.
I need hardly reiterate the conviction
that there should speedily be built up an
American merchant marine. This is nee
essary to assure favorable transporta-
ton facilities to our great borne
commerce as well az to supplement the
navy with an adequate reserve of ships
and men. It would have the economic adj
vantage Of keeping at home part of the
vast sums now paid foreign shipping for
carrying American goods. All the great
COmmprclAl n1tlOnS Day ncdNN 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 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 foreign-service established depart
pNc dinlOmnttc and COnSuI1r1 uDOn
de high plane where It has been placed
by the recent reorganization this gov
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 foreign-service organization
Is being improved and developed with
especial regard to the requirements OF
the commercial interests of the country.
The rapid growth of our foreign trade
makes II OF the utmost Importance that
governmental agencies through which
that trade Is to be aided and protected
should possess high degree of eff
cheney. Not only should the foreign rep
resentatives he maintained upon n gen.
erous scale in so far as salaries and es-
Establishments are concerned, but the Sc
lection and advancement of officers
should be definitely and permanently reg
ulated by law. so that the service shall
and ability. The experience of the past
few years with n partial application OF
civil service rules to the diplomatic and
consular service leaves no doubt in my
mind of the wisdom Of n wider and more
extension OF those principles
10 both branches of the foreign service.
I therefore again commend to the ia
vorable action OF the congress the enact
ment OF a law applying to the diplomatic
and consular service the principles en-
bodied in section 1853 OF the Revised Stat
utes of the United States. in the civil
service act of January 16. 1883, and the
executive orders OF June II, 1906 and OF
November &C. 1909. In it's consideration OF
this important subject l desire TO recall
to the attention of the congress the very
favorable report made on the Lowden
bill for the Improvement of the
foreign service by the foreign
sontatives Available statistics show That
the strictness with which the merit sys-
tenn has ben applied to the foreign serv-
ice during recent years and the absolute
nom partisan selection of consuls and
diplomatic service secretaries who indeed
far from being selected with any view
TO political consideration have actually
been chosen to dispropOrtionate extent
from states which would have been un-
the system which II IL to he hoped Is now
obsolete. Some legislation
for the perpetuation OF the present sys-
tenn of examinations and promotions upon
merit and efficiency would be of greatest
value TO our commercial and information
al interests.