Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1912-12-06
TAFT SENDS IN
FINAL MESSAGE
President Starts With Discussion
Of Foreign Relations
no the senale lid nouse Of Repre

States actually and potentially affect
the state OF the Union to degree not
widely realized aud hardly surpassed
by any other factor in the welfare OF
the whole nation. The position Of the
United states ina the moral, Intellec
tual and material relations Of the fam
lly Of nations should be a matter of
vital interest TO every patriotic cit-
zen. The national prosperity and
power impose upon US duties which
we cannot shlrk If we are % be true
10 our ideals
The tremendous growth Of the ex
port trade Of the United States has
already made That trade "a very real
factor IN the industrial and CONNER
cia prosperity Of the country with
the development Of our industries the
foreign commerce Of the United
States must rapidly become a still
more essential factor in it's economic
welfare
The relations Of the United States
with all foreign powers remain upon
a sound basis Of peace, harmony and
friendship A greater insistence upon
justice TO American citizens or inter
ests wherever II may have been denied
and a stronger emphasis Of the need Of
muuall'y lu commercial and other re.
latlons have only served TO strengthen
our friendship with foreign countries
by placing those friendships upon a
firm foundation OF realities as well as
aspirations
Reorganization Of State Department.
At the beginning of the present ad-
minlstniiou the United States, having
fully entered upon its position as a
world power, with the responsibilities
thrust upon 1t by the results Of the
SpanlshAmerican war and already en-
gagged in laying the groundwork Of a
vast foreign trade upon which it
should one day become more and more
dependent, found itself without the
machinery for giving thorough atten-
tion to and taking effective action
upon mass Of Intricate business vi
tai to American interests in every coun-
try In the world.
The department of state was nm
archaic aud inadequate machine lack
ing most Of the attributes Of the for
eign office of any great modern power.
with an appropriation made upon my
recommendation by the congress on
Aug 5, 1909, the department Of state
was completely reorganized. There
Were created divisions Of LatIn-Ameri-
can affairs and of far eastern, near
eastern and western European affairs
The law Offices Of the department
were greatly strengthened. There were
added foreign trade advisers to coop
crate with the diplomatic and consular
bureaus and the politico geographical
divisions in the lnnumeable matters
where commercial diplomacy or con
sular work calls for such special
knowledge The same officers, together
with the rest Of the new organization,
are able at all times to give to Amer-
can citizens accurate information as to
conditions in foreign countries with
which they have business and likewise
to cooperate more effectively with the
congress and also with the other eX-
ecutlve departments.
Expert knowledge and professional
training must evidently be the essence
of this reorganization. without train
ed foreign service there would not be
men available for the work In the reor-
guui2ed department of state. President
Cleveland had taken the first step to
ward introducing the merit system In
the foreign service, That had been fol
lowed by the application OF the merit
principle with excellent results to the
entire consular branch. Almost moth
ing however, had been done In this d.
rection with regard to the diplomatic
service In this age Of commercial di-
plomacy It was evidently Of the first
Importance TO train an adequate per
sonnet In that branch OF the service.
Therefore, on Nov. ~, 1909, by an
executive order placed the diplomatic
service up to the grade OF secretary OF
embassy, inclusive, upon exactly the
same strict nonpartisan basis OF the
merit system, rigid examination for ap-
poIntmcnt aud promotion only for Ell
bsncy, rs had been maintained with.
out exception in the consular service.
Merit and Nonpartisan Character Of
Appointments.
How faithful to the merit system
and how nonpartisan has been the con.
duct OF the diplomatic and consular
services In the last four years may be
Judged from the following Three am.
bassadors now serving held their pres
ent rank az the beginning OF nay ad.
ministrnton OF the ten ambassadors
whom have appointed dve were by
promotion from the rank " minister
Nine ministers now serving held their
present rank nj the beginning of the
administration or the thirty ministers
whom | have appointed, eleven were
promoted from the lower grades Of thI
foreign service or from the department
OF state or the nineteen missions II
Latin. America, whore our relations ar,
close and our interest is great tfteel
chiefs OF mission are service men