The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-05-21
OUR DIPLOMATIC
STAFF DISCUSSED
Sudden Resignation of Or. David j..
Hill Has Caused Considerable
Talk About the
Service.
LACK OF TRAILING
Business Men Do Not Put Amateurs
in Charge Of Affairs as Uncle
Sam Has Been
Doing.
LACK OF TRAINING
by Herbert A. White, Berlin Cor

by Herbert A. White, Berlin Cor
respondent OF the United Press
BERLIN. May 2o.-The sudde'
resignation of the present American
ambassador to the Imperial German
i Court, DR.. David J. HILL and ths
necessity of choosing a suitable sue
cessor for the important post hay;
/ given rise TO lively discussion con
corning the characteristics of ths
American service.
! Since the news OF DR.. Hills depart
ure from office was cabled from
4 Washington several hundred article:
have been printed in all sorts ant
conditions of German newspapers
dealing with the different features Of
the American diplomatic service and
4 the points in which it differs from
{ the systems adopted by older powers
OF Europe. Some OF the comments
/ printed on American diplomatists arc
by no means flattering, and there
are many grounds for thinking that
the criticisms passed on the able
men who represent the United States
/ in foreign capitals are in many cases
beside the mark.
At the same time. it is ALWAYS use
fnl TO ascertain what foreign observ-
ers are saving about American cus-
toms and institutions, and ii would
be mistake 10 ignore the comments
made in Germany on the efficiency
OF the American diplomatic service
Here is very characteristic
utterance typical of many Others
which have been written in the same
tone and have followed the same line
OF criticism:
One OF the outstanding features OF
the American diplomatic service IS
the lack Of professional training
which marks the ambassadors ana
ministers selected TO represent the
United States in the capitals OF othe.
countries. In this respect the trans
Atlantic reNIblic differs from all the
European powers with the single *
ception of France, which in late
years also adopted the habit of
choosing its diplomatists from mis-
cellaneous sources There is no def
mite Introductory career for an Amerf-
can ambassador. who may step
straight from his own private resi-
dence or countinghouE7 or business
establishment into one of the mos
important posts in an ancient Euro
pean capital. There is not a single
trained diplomat in the whole Amer.
can service, so that foreigners are
justified in describing American anna
oassadors as amateurs.
IT is obvious that system OF this
kind produces mans weaknesses new.
er found in the diplomatic services
OF those countries in which the diplo-
mats are reared from their youth M
wards to be efficient representatives
of their native country. 1t is a great
mistake TO suppose that diplomatisr
needs no special training for his car
ing. To be an efficient diplomatfst is
quite as difficult as to be an efficient
company director or business organi.
ger or to follow any other OCCUPATION
of an intellectual nature.
What would American business
men say if some amateur with M
knowledge of practical commercial af.
fairs, were suddenly taken out of his
own sphere and placed at the head of
one of the great trusts or business ar
CARNATIONS of the United states9
What would be said if a man who
had been a diplomatist all his life
We're suddenly called upon to control
and direct the destiny of some buea
industrial or commercial enternrisao
Every practical American business
man would say that it would be such
a dangerous experiment that there
would be hundred chances to one
against fair prospect of success
Yet this is the system on which
American ambassadors are chosen
( to fill the most important posts of the
American diplomatic service, without
knowledge, without training and with.
out any experience whatsoever.
How the great transatlantic re-
public can expect. in these circum.
stances, that its diplomatists shall
DO its diplomatic business efficiently
Is mystery to all impartial observers
of American affairs. The fact that
+ American diplomatists are unframed
amateurs leads them to be regarded
with kind of contempt or at least
ooupt' by the trained diplomatists of
other countries. who look upon them
rather as interlorers and aliens. II
/ is always difficult for a man to trans
act business efficiently unless he
commands the complete respect OF
those with whom he comes in contact
in the course of his calling. so that
the tendency among some diplomatists
to look down upon American ambas-
sadors and attaches operates to the
disadvantage of the United States,
Another German critic daaI, ,,,;.b