River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-12-05

from the foreign service diplomatic
and consulax officers possessing expe-
rience End knowledge gained by act,
ual service In different parts of the
world and thus familiar with political
and commercial conditions in the re-
gions concerned The work was high
ly specialized. The result is that
where previously this government
from time to time would emphasize in
it's foreign relations one or another
policy, now American, interests in ey
cultivated with equal assiduity
Merit System In Consular and Diplo-
matte Corps.
Expert knowledge and professional
training must evidently be the essence
Of this reorganization. Without
trained foreign service there would
not be men available for the work in
the reorganized department of state.
President Cleveland has taken the
first step toward introducing the
merit system in the foreign service.
That had been followed by the appli-
cation of the merit principle, with ex-
cellent results, to the entire consular
branch. Almost nothing, however, had
been done in this direction with regard
to the diplomatic service. In this age
of commercial diplomacy 1t was evil
IDENTIFY Of the first Importance to train
an adequate personnel in that branch
Of the service. Therefore, on Novem-
Der 26, 1909, by an executive order /
placed the diplomatic service up to
the grade of secretary of embassy, in
elusive, upon exactly the same strict
non-partisan basis Of the merit sys-
tenn, rigid examination for appoint
ment and promotion only for eff
cheney as had been maintained without
exception in the consular service.
Statistics as to 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
ambassadors now serving held their
present rank at the beginning of the
administration. Of the ten ambassa-
doris whom have appointed, five were
by promotion from the rank of min
lister. Nine ministers now serving
held their present rank at the begin
ming of the administration. OF the
thirty ministers whom have appoint
ed, eleven were promoted from the
lower grades of the foreign service or
from the department of state. OF the
nineteen missions in Latin America,
where our relations are close and our
interest is great, fifteen chiefs of mis-
sion are service men, three having
entered the service during this admin
istration. The thirty-seVen secreta-
ries of embassy or legation who have
received their initial appointments
after passing successfully the required
examination were chosen for ascer-
tanned fitness, without regard to po-
litical affiliations. A dearth of candi-
dates from southern and western
states has alone made it impossible
thus far completely to equalize all
the states representations in the for
elgn service. In the effort to equalize
the representation of the various
states in the consular service | have
made sixteen of the twenty-nine new
appointments as consul which have
occurred during my administration
from the southern states. This is 55
per cent Every other consular ap-
po1ntment made, including the promo
ton of eleven young men from the
consular assistant and student inter
prefer 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 United
States continuance of the resulting
benefits of this reform, I earnestly re-
new my previous recommendations of
legislation making it permanent along
some such lines as those of the meas
ure now pending in congress-
Larger Provision for Embassies and
Legations and for Other Expenses
of Our Foreign Representa-
tiVes Recommended.
In connection with legislation for
the amelioration of the foreign serv-
ice, | wish to invite attention to the
advisability of placing the salary ap-
preparations upon a better basais.
believe that the best results would
be obtained by a moderate scale of
salaries, with adequate funds for the
expenses of proper representation,
based in each case upon the scale and
cost of living at each post, controlled
by system of accounting, and un-
der the general direction of the de-
partment of state.
In line with the object which have
sought of placing our foreign service
on basis Of permanency, | have at
various times advocated provision by
congress for the acquisition of govern
ment-owned buildings for the resi-
dence and Offices of our diplomatic Of
ticerS, so as to place them more near.
1y on an equality with similar officers
of other nations and to 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 February IL. 1911,
was a right step in this direction.
The secretary of state has already
made the limited recommendations
permitted by the act for any one year,
and it is my hope that the bill intro
duced in the house of representatives
to carry out these recommendations
will be favorably acted on by the con-
gress during its present session.
piplonancY a Handmade of CONNER