El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-09-26

lish diplomatic relations with a for
eign power by appointing Benjamin
Franklin, Silas Deane and Thomas
Jefferson as commissioners to France,
as that country was the only one which
had evidenced sufficient friendliness
with the new nation to warrant such
procedure.
The First Treaty.
The acceptance Of the appointment Of
foreign representatives at that time
was in itself a guarantee Of patriot
ism, as these earlier diplomats were
obliged to start secretly upon their
mission, it being considered unadvisa-
Die Tor them even to sail upon the same
ship. The English government regard
ed all Americans as rebels and any at
tempt to secure friendly relations with
another nation would be considered
treason on the part Of those conducting
the negotiations In recognition Of this
DR.. Franklin remarked before starting
upon MS mission: 1T is better to hang
together than to hang separately"
he tOOk-paSsage on a small and poor
ly equipped boat which did not land
him in France until December. The
work OF diplomat is not always speedy
even today, and ii took a great amount
of tact and diplomacy upOn the Dart
Of Franklin and his associates before
the king Of France finally decided to
recognize officially the independence
Of the United States It is doubtful II
II would have been brought about as
OF BurgOyne given the French addi4
uonal confidence in the ultimate victo-
~ OF the Americans and convinced them
tnat the United States might HELM the
french to retain their own territory in
the new world. The first treaty with
france was signed on February 6. I77S
ana is regarded as the most important
diplomatic event Of the Revolution.
me second treaty was with the rep
resentative 'Of their high mightinesses
the state general Of the Netherlands"
Ihls was secured chiefly By the dfp1o-
matte skill Of John Adams and was
signed secretly. Not long afterwards
Henry Laurens, another American COM
missioner. was captured by the British
and imprisoned In the tower at Lon
don. HIS papers were conflscated and
among --9., them was copy Of the treaty
with the Netherlands. The capture OF
TINS secret treaty by the British at
Uhat time was practically equivalent
10 Its annulment and Il very nearly
oLousnt Iorth declaration Of war
from England against the Netherlands.
Fourteen Treaties Secured.
Between 177S and 1883 the diplomatic
representative Of the United States Sc
cured IA treaties with the more impor-
tant governments Of the world, pro-
Tidlng, TO large extent, for peace,
neutrality and commercial intercourse
Six Of these were with the French,
three with Great Britain. two with the
Netherlands and one each with Sweden.
Prussia and Morocco. Franklin
signed 10 Of these. Adams seven. JEFF
ferson three and John Hay two. as it
generally happened that more than
one representatives. name appeared
upon each treaty
Aside from the treaties affecting the
welfare OF their own nation, Ameri-
can diplomats have made valiant ef-
forts 10 help IN the development Of any
nation to which they have been sent
and their service to the world has been
HeHn rH-
China, leading to the treaty Of national
reciprocity and equal commercial priv
ileges. signed July 3. 1874, was largely
responsible for bringing about "the
open door" for the commerce Of the
world Later. Arson Burlingame. who
for several years was attached to the
American diplomatic corps as Peking
entered the service Of the Chinese gov
eminent with the full consent Of his
own In 1855 he came to Washington
as the special representative OF the Chi
neSe nation and signed a treaty which
Is stiu known as the Burllngame
treaty.
Perry in Japan.
It is safe to say that no one person
IS quite so much responsible for the
progress Of Japan as Nathan A. Perry,
who was sent there IN 1850 to secure a
treaty. While the negotiations were
IN progress. admiral Perry, who had
charge Of a United States battleShfD
established a telegraph line on the
shore and also set IN motion a railway
train with cars and locomotives run
ming around a circular track. upon
which he gave many of the aStOniShed
Perry is a household word in Japan and
monument to his memory was erected
In 1901 by the Japanese government.
Later American diplomats have done
much to foster generosity and candOr
OF modern diplomacy The term dol
lar diplomacy" should not be consid-
cred a term Of contempt when IL in
cIudes developing the commerce and
trade Of this nation with others. The
policy Of the open door, of free OppOr-
tunities for the citizens of all nations
in the Orient. will always be attributed
to the efforts Of the late John Hay.
while Elihu Root viii always be cred
tied with Strengthening the ties Of
friendship between the republics OF
Central and South America and the
United States.
MeaEer Compensation.
While American diplomats always
have been celebrated for their skill and ]
achievement they have been handi-
capped IN their relations with other
diplomats because Of their meag ger com
penSat ton. Although the sCanty treas /
ury in the early history of the nation I
rendered this necessary. little has been
done TO alter these conditions now that I
the United States ranks as one OF the I
richest nations OF the world There is I
has been so frequently before con gress Z
with so little result as that OF a bet /
er provision for It's diplomats.
It IS genrally admitted that an /
American csnnOt afford to accept an ap-
polntment at an important foreign post I
unless he possesses large private [
means. This was as true at the be- /
ginning OF the last century as Il IS to- /
day. Despite the much talked Of JEFF |
fersonian simplicity. IL is well known /
that Mr.. JeffersOn's position as United
States representative IN Paris required /
him to spend several times the amount /
of his salary and was the beginning of |
the bankruptcy which came TO him I.
later in life
1t Is customary to denounce extrava- /
gance in modern life. but those who /
attribute this as the reason for the fact /
that DR.. Hadley. Of Yale college, was ]
compelled to refuse a diplomatic post /
because his private means did not jus /
tify him in mourning the expense.
should bear in mind that William I
one Of the ablest diplomats i
the nation has ever had. was compelled /
to resign his office for the same rea-
son. In proportion to the purchasing /
power of a dollar. the salaries of most /
of Americas foreign representatives /
are less now than they were a century /
ago Franklin. Adams and Jay each /
T~- 80