The Detroit times., 1912-12-03

| dent Cleveland had taken tho nrst step
! toward introducing the merit system.
i'm the foreign service. That has been
/ followed by the application OF the
merit principle, with excellent results.
| To the entire consular branch. Almost
nothing. however, had been done an
| this direction with regard 10 the dip
! lomatic service. In this age OF COM
mercial diplomacy II was evidently or
| the first Importance to train an ade-
quate personnel in that branch OF the
service. Therefore on Nov. 20. lSvs,
/ by an executive order. placed the
| diplomatic service up 10 the grade ~
secretary OF embassy. inclusive, upon
| exactly the same strict nOnpart' san
basis OF the merit system. rigid exam
| lnation for appointment and promo
: tion only for efficiency as had beea
maintained without exception inA the
consular service.
Statistics ms 20 Merit ard NOnpartisan
Character OF Appointing
How faithful TO the merit system AMI
how nonpartisan has been the condu
Of the Diplomatic and consular SER
vices in the last four years may be
Judged from the following; Three am
bassadors now serving held their pres-
ent rank at the beginning OF my ad-
ministraticn or the 10 ambassadors
whom I have appointed. i've were hy
promotion from the rank or minister
Nine ministers now serving held the
present rank at the beginning OF the
administration or the 80 ministers
whom ! have appointed. IL were pro
NOTED from the lower grades OF the
foreign service or from the department
OF state. OF the 10 missions in Latin
America, where our relations are close
and our interest is great. 10 chiets or
mission are service men. three having
entered the service during this admin
istration The 81 secretaries OF en-
bassy or legation who have received
their initial appointments after pass
ing successfully the required eXami-
nation were chosen for ascertained MT
ness without regard TO political affili-
atoms A dearth OF candidates from
southern and western states has alone
made 10 impossible thus far completely
to equali2e all the states representa-
tions In the foreign service. IN the
effort TO equaliZe the representation or
the various states in the consular ser
vice have made ls OF the % new APP
pointments consul which have oc-
CURED during my administration from
the southern states. This Is 50 per
cent. Every other consular appoint
IL young men from the consular as
sistant and student interpreter corps,
has been by promotion or transfer,
based solely upon efficiency shown In
the service.
In order to assure to the business
and other interests OF the UnitedI
states a continuance of the resulting
benefits Of this reform, | earnestly re-
legislation making II permanent along
some such lines as those OF the meas
ure now pending in congress.
Larger Provision for Embassies and
Legations.
In connection with legislation for
the amelIoration of the foreign service. |
wish To invite attention TO the advts-
ability OF placing the salary appropri-
atoms upon a better basis. i believe
that the best results would be obtain
ed by a moderate scale OF salaries.
with adequate funds for the expenses
of proper representation. based In eaca
. h al. nl
at each post, controlled by a system of
accounting, and under the general di-
rection OF TIE department OF state.
In line with the object which l have
sought Of placing our foreign service
on n basis OF peTmanency, / have AZ
various times advocated provision b.
congress for the acquisition OF gov
eminent owned buildings for the resi-
dence and Offices of our diplomatic
officers, so as 10 place them more near
! ly on an equality With similar officers
Of other nations and 10 do away with
the discrimination which otherwise
, must necessarily be made, In some
cases. In favor OF men having large
private fortunes. The act OF congress
which / approved on Feb. II, 1911, was
the right step In this direction. The
secretary OF state has already made
the limited recommendations permitted
by the act for any one year, and II is
my hope that the bill introduced IN
the house or representatives TO carry
out these recommendations will be fav-
Crably acted on BY the congress dur
ing its present session
In some Latin American countries
the expense OF governmen-owned le-
cations will be less than elsewhere,
and IL is certainly very urgent that IN
such countries az some Of the repub-
lies OF Central America and the Ca
ribbean, where IL is peculiarly difficult
to rent suitable quarters the repre-
sentatives OF the United States should
be Justly and adequately provided with
dgnified and suitable official resi-
dences Indeed. Il ia high time that
the dignity and power OF this great
nation should be attingly- signalized
by proper buildings for the occupancy
OF the nations representatives every
where abroad.
Diplomacy a Handmade OF Commercial
Intercourse and Peace.
The diplomacy OF the present admin
istration has sought TO respond TO
modern ideas OF commercial inter-
course. This policy has been charac-
teriZed as substituting dollars for bull
let's IL is one that appeals alike 10
idealtstic humanitarian sentiments. TO
the dictates IL sound policy and STRAIT
egg, and TO legitimate commercial aims.
1t is an effort frankly directed to the
Increase Of American trade upon the
automatic principle that the govern
ment OF the United States shall extend
all proper support TO every legitimate
and beneficial American enterprise
abroad How great have been the re-
il "
the maximum and minimum provision
OF the tariff law, will be seen by some !
consideration of the wonderful increase
in the export trade OF the United !
states. Because modern diplomacy II
commercial, there has been n DISPOSE |
tion in some quarters TO attribute to !
it none but materialistic aims. How
strikinRly erroneous Is such an impress
sion may be seen from a study or the |
results by which the diplomacy OF the |
United states can be judged.
Successful Efforts I'm Promotion Of
Peace.
In the field Of work toward the IDEAS
OF peace this government negotiated |
but TO my regret was unable 10 CON
summate two arbitration treaties ,
which set the highest mark OF the as
plrations OF nations toward the sub |
stitution Of arbitration and reason for /
war In the settlement OF international |
disputes. Through the efforts OF Am
erican diplomacy several wars hav"
been prevented or ended 7 refer 10 /
the successful tripartite mediation OF !
the Argentine Republic. Brazil and the |
United states between Peru and Ecu
ador; the bringing OF the boundary
dispute between Panama and Costa |
Rica TO peaceful arbitration; the STAY |
Ing or warlike preparations when Haiti !
and the Dominican Republic were on |
| the verge OF hostilities: the stopping
or war In Nicaragua: the hating ~
/ internecine strife In Honduras The
\ government OF the United States was
thanked for its influence toward the
| restoration OF amicab le relations be-
| tween tho Argentine Republic and DO
livia The diplomacy OF the United
| states II active In seeking to assua ge