Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1911-02-17

III the service ABROAD Wild the GnQer-
standing that if they show their worth
they can secure promotion.
Direct Appointments Obnoxious.
AS the law stands the president can
still appoint cousuls directly, and occa-
sionally he does it under pressure, but
he does not like to do it and has said
so on many occasions. When a man
Is given a consular position of impor-
lance directly by the president the
young men who have worked hard and
have passed examinations get discour-
aged because they had every right to
expect that one OF their number would
be promoted to the vacant position. 1t
is probable that within a few years di-
rect consular and consular agent APP
pointments no longer will be made. but
merit alone will rule throughout the
entire service.
1t is the dream of the department of
state that one day ambassadors and
ministers will be appointed, according
to civil service regulations. In other
words, 1t is the dream that young men
may enter the consular service and
work themselves up to the highest
posts in foreign representative work.
The day of this, however, never will
come until the government increases
the pay of it's chief representatives
abroad, for ministers and ambassadors
are obliged to spend huge sums of
money to maintain their positions in
accordance with the ministerial and
ambassadorial customs which prevail
at foreign courts, In other words
poor man cannot be appointed to a
chief position.
Amusing Slur on Newspaper Men.
Recently the attention of several
Washington officials was attracted by
an interview with a fourth deputy
official of one of the New York de-
partments in which he said that news
paper reporters were thick skulled
and thick skinned or else they would
not be reporters.
1t is not probable that men engaged
in the newspaper profession will
worry over this Characterization by a
fourth deputy Official" but it has
caused some comment and consider
able amusement in the capital.
President Taft once on a time was
a newspaper reporter, and so were
several dozens of high Washington oil
flcials. Mr.. Taft has remarked time
and again that his newspaper expert
ence was valuable to him and, as he
put it with extreme modesty, IF | had
ability enough l might have made a
success at it, but as it was l conclud-
ed that l had better go into the law"
In both houses of congress there
are many newspaper men and If one
looks through the cabinet office rec
ords he will find that several report
ers have made good in presidential
official family" positions.
John E. Wilkie, chief of the United
States secret service, man of broad
education and fine culture, was once
upon time police reporter for Chi
cago paper. He became in succession
city editor, commercial editor and
Sunday editor and then at the solicit
tation of Frank A. Vanderlip, now the
president of the National City Bank
of New York City, and of former Sec
rotary of the Treasury Gage, Mr.
Wilkie came to Washington to take
the position of chief of the secret serv-
Ice, position which abroad carries
with it at least knights rank and
where, as also in America, it is con-
sidered one of the most honorable
positions which a man can be called
upon to fill.
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