The Calumet news., 1911-12-07

Of claims are already well advanced,
and II is my intention to submit such
schedule as soon as il is agreed upon
10 the Senate for its approval, In or
der that the arbitration proceedings
may be undertaken at an early date.
In this connection the attention of
Congress is particularly called 20 the
necessity for an appropriation TO
cover the expense incurred in submit
ting these claims to arbitration.
Russian Treaty Controversy.
by direction Of the state department
our Ambassador To Russia has recent
ly been having a series of conferences
with the Minister OF Foreign affairs OF
Russia with n view TO securing a clear
er understanding and construction of
the treaty Of 1882 between Russia and
the United States and the modification
of any existing Russian regulet tions
which may be found To interfere in
any way with the fun recognition Of
the rights OF American citizens under
this treaty. / believe that the govern
ment Of Russia is addressing tse;f Sc
riously to the need Of changing the
present practice under the treaty. and
that sufficient progress has been made
to Justify the continuance Of those
conferences in the hope that there may
soon be removed any justification of
the complaints Of treaty violation now
prevalent in this country.
| hope that Immediately after the
Christmas recess, / shall be able to
make a further communication to
congress on this subject.
Need For Merchant Marine.
| need hardly reiterate the convic-
tion 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. 1t would have
the economic advantage of keeping at
home part Of the vast sums now paid
foreign shipping for carrying Amerl-
can goods. All the great commercial
nations pay heavy subsidies TO their
merchant marine. so that II is obvious
that without some wise aid from the
Congress the United States must lag
behind in the matter Of merchant mar
inc in its present anomalous position.
Chamber of Foreign Commerce.
The interests Of our foreign COM
merce are nonpartisan, and as a factor
in prosperity are as broad as the land
In the dissemination Of useful informa-
tion and in the coordination OF effort
certain unofficial associations have
done good work toward the promotion
of foreign commerce. II is cause for
regret, however. that the great number.
Of such associations and the compara-
tive lack of cooperation between
them fails to secure an efficiency
commensurate with the public interest
Through the agency of the Department
Of Commerce and Labor. and in some
cases directly, the Department OF state
transmits to reputable business inter.
ests information of commercial oppor-
tunities, supplementing the regular
published consular reports. Some cen
tral organization in touch with asso-
Citations and chambers of commerce
throughout the country and able to
keep purely American interests in
closer touch with different phases of
commercial affairs would. / believe.
be of great value. Such organization
might be managed by a committee
composed of small number of those
now actively carrying on the work OF
some of the larger associations. and
there might be added to the commit
tee, as members ex ohcio. one or two
officials of the Department of state
and one or two officials from the De-
partment OF Commerce and Labor and
representatives of the appropriate
committees of Congress.
Merit System For Diplomats.
again commend to the favorable ac-
tion of the Congress the enactment of
q law applying TO the diplomatic and
consular service the principles cmbod-
led in section 1853 of the Revised
Statutes of the United states. in the
civil-service act of January 16. 1888.
and the Executive orders of June q.
1906, and of November 26, 1903. In its
consideration of this important subject
| desire TO recall TO the attention Of
the Congress the very favorable report
made on the Lowden bill for the i'm
provement 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 boon ap-
piled To the foreign service during re-
cent years and the absolute non-par-
tisan selection of consuls and diplo-
matic-servicc secretaries who indeed
far from being selected with any view
to political consideration have actual
~ been chosen to "A disproportionate
extent from states which would have
been unrepresented i'm the foreign serv-
ice under the system which it is to be
hoped Is now permanently obsolete
Some legislation for the perpetuation
OF the present system of examination
and promotions upon merit and eff
cheney would be Of greatest value to
our commercial and International in
tercsts
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TAFT GUEST OF HONOR.