Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-03-18
SERVICE
ON MERIT BASIS
MUCH INTEREST IN BILL TO
PLACE FEDERAL AGENTS ON
HIGHER PLANE.
POLITICAL PULLS WORK
AWAY FROM EFFICIENCY
Proposed Law Would Put All States on
Equality in Observation-Disclosures in
Consular Service Csasino to Be Pen.
sions-Mueh Improvement in Recent
Years.
Especial Correspondence

| Washington, March 1S.-The state
| bill which has been introduced into the
house by Chairman Sulzer of the house
committee on foreign relations which
| is intended to improve the American
consular and diplomatic service. In re-
cent years there has undoubtedly been
d great improvement In the American
! consular service and there has been "a
steady trend towards real merit sys-
TEN. But there Is stlll great deal
| to be done. AS for the diplomatic ser
vice, everybody who has given atten-
ton to it knows that that system Is
am thing but one OF merit and that
there is still a survival of that ancient
! IL not honorable practice whereby gen-
,leanen with long political pulls land
the places.
Political Pulls Too Numerous.
It is no difficult matter to recall
various causes in the diplomatic SER
vice in which men of high capacity for
diplomacy, gained thru the school OF
hard experience, are displaced by men
whose chief qualification is long
rurse plus a political pull. The ability
to make a magnificent social showing
at some foreign court is altogether TOO
much considered. 1t is undoubtedly
true that in recent years there has been
q marked tendency TO get away from
such considerations so far as the con-
suiar service goes and the result is the
consular service is steadily rising III
ire respect 1t commands the world
over.
Merit System, Demanded.
The Sulzer bill provides for civil
service anc merit system as TO all sec
retaries In the diplomatic service, con
su, generals and consuls. 1t provinces
that The president shall have authority
tc make appointments of all such Off
ciaIs to grades instead of to places.
Promotions are to be made on the
basis of record of efficiency. Boards
Of examiners are provided in the stale
department for both the diplomatic
service and the consular service Elk
"a limitations are to be held at least once
,nn,aIli. ana are to be conducted with
strict impartiality and without any re-
gard for political affiliations. The sue
cessful passing OF the examination
prescribed for the consular or dlpio-
matte service as the case lnlght pe'
would be legally recognized as pre-
requisite for foreign service appoint
ment.
Al States to Get PIun's.
Another feature of the proposed re-
form is the enforcement Of the proper
tionai representation OF the se'efai
states and territories.
II the bill is passed and the regis
lation proposed is adhered TO, the POI.
icy of orderly promotion on merit VIII
he pretty firmly established SO TAR as
the foreign service is concerned. i'is
viii be true of the consular service and
The automatic service excluding the
ministers and ambassadors themselves.
,rhe bill does not intend to apply the
merit system to them. That this fact
is a weakness in the proposed lesisla-
lion is the view taken in many quar-
ters. SO long as it is part Of the
established system to appoint men as
ministers or ambassadors who have
had absolutely no diplomatic expert
lence the merit system will not be
thoroughly a part of the foreign ser
vice nor will the diplomatic end OF
1.-The foreign service measure up to its
requirements. The posts of minister
and ambassador are now frequently the
refuge for the political lame duck
snd they will continue to be even under
the Suizer bill. which is generally con-
coded to be valuable so far as 1t goes.
ceasins Is Be Pension.
This service is ceasing to be made
up Of .breken down politicians as 1t
cnce was and is coming to be made
I'D OF alert and active men, many OF
them young men, trained IN college or
in commercial life. 1t is not a well
paid service and there are many hard
ships about the service at some Of the
consular posts. which stretch all the
way from the region Of the Arctic
circle to the remote south. The Amer
lean flag floats over some consular
posts so remote from civilization that
| weeks of travel by mule or boat Is re-
ouired to reach them. One in the far
interior Of China takes weeks Of river
travel to reach. Others about as hard
to reach are in the islands Of the mid
Pacific, in faraway Madagascar and In
almost inaccessible parts Of Africa.