American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1912-12-05
RELATIONS WITH
OTHER NATIONS
Foreign Affairs Il Subject Of
Message From President.
IS FIRST ONE or A SERIES
Merit System In Consular and DIpio-
matte corps-Dspartmsnt Of
States Good Work for Latin
American Republics.

Warrington, Dec. 3.-President Taft
submitted to congress today the first
Of several messages. 1t was devoted
to our foreign relations and In part
vas A. follows:
To tho Senate and House Of Repre-
~sentatives: The foreign relations of
the United States actually and poten-
TALLY affect the state of the Union to
= degree not widely realized and hard
" surpassed by n other factor in
h welfare Of the whole nation. The
position Of the United States In the
moral, intellectual. and material rela-
tons Of the family of nations should
be a matter of vital interest to every
patriotic citizen. The national pros
perity and power impose upon us du-
ties which We can not shirk II we are
to be true to our ideals. The tremen-
dous growth of the export trade of the
United States has already made that
trade a very real factor In the indus
trial and commercial prosperity of the
country. With the development Of our
Industries the foreign of
the United States must rapidly be-
come a still more essential factor In
Its economic welfare. Whether we
have q ~far-seeing and wise diplomacy
and are not recklessly plunged into
unnecessary wars, and whether our for
eign policies are based upon an intel
ngent grasp of ~present-day world con-
ditlons and a clear view OF the poten-
tfalities of the future, or are governed
by a temporary and timid expediency
or by narrow views befitting an in
rant nation. are questions In the al
Tentative consideration of which must
convince any thoughtful citizen that
no department of national polity of
fers greater opportunity for promoting
the interests OF the whole people on
tho n hand. or greater chance on
tho other OF permanent national In
jury, tina that which deals with the
foreign relations of the United States.
The fundamental foreign policies OF
the United States should be raised
high above the conflict Of partisan
ship and wholly dissociated from DIFF
ferences as to domestic policy. In It's
foreign affairs the United States
pAoAho HfVcsut ~ tut MOTlu u unlIe0
front. The intellectual, financial and
Industrial interests of the country and
the publicist, the wage Garner, the
farmer, and citizen Of whatever occu-
patton must cooperate In a spirit OF
high patriotism to promote that ma
tional solidarity which Is Indispensable
to national efficiency and to the at.
tainment of national ideals.
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 1t may have been de-
MED and a stronger emphasis OF the
of mutually In commercial and
other relations have only served to
strengthen our friendships with for
efgn countries by placing those friend
ships upon q firm foundation of reaii-
ties as well as aspirations.
Reorganization Of the State Depart.
ment. |
At the beginning OF the present ad.
ministration the United States. having
fully entered upon It's position as a
world power. with the responsibilities
thrust upo 1t by the results of the
Spanish-American war, and already en-
gagged In laying the groundwork of a
vast foreign trade upon which Il
should one day become more and
more dependent. found itself without
the machinery for giving thorough at.
tention to. and taking effective action
upon. a mass OF intricate business
vital to American interests in every
country In the world.
The department OF state was n,
archaic and inadequate machine lack
Ing most OF the attributes OF the for
eign Office OF any great modern W
with an appropriation made upon my
recommendation by the congress on
August s. 1909. the department OF
was completely r~eorganized.
There were created divisions of Latin.
American Affairs and OF far eastern,
near eastern. and western European
affairs. To these divisions were called
from the foreign service diplomatic
consular officers possessing expe-
rlenee and knowledge gained by act.
service In different parts of the
and thus familiar with political
and commercial conditions In the re-
gions concerned. The work was hig~s.
ly specialized. The result Is that
where previously this government
rom time to time would emphasize in
It's foreign relations one or another
now American interests in ev.
cry quarter OF the globe are being