Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-12-04

Recognition of Merit System Has Been
Beneficial Suggestions Regarding
Changes In the Tariff Laws Designed
to Aid Commerce-Turkish War and
Troubles In China.
To the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives:
The foreign relations of the United
States actually and potentially affect
the state of the Union to degree not
widely realized and hardly surpassed
by any other factor in the welfare of
the whole nation. The position Of the
United States in the moral. intellec-
tual anti material relations Of the fam
lily of nations should be a matter of
vital interest to every patriotic citi
zen. :She national prosperity and
power impose upon us duties which
we carnot shirk if we are to be true
to our ideals.
The tremendous growth Of the ex-
port trade of the United States has
already made that trade very real
factor In the industrial and CONNER
the development of our industries the
foreign commerce Of the United
States must rapidly become still
more essential factor In its 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 it may have been denied
and stronger emphasis Of the need Of
mutually in commercial and other re-
lations have only served to strengthen
our friendship with foreign countries
by placing those friendships upon
firm foundation of realities as well as
aspirations.
Reorganization of State Department.
At the beginning of the present ad-
ministration the United States, having
fully entered upon its position as
world power, with the responsibilities
thrust upon 1t by the results Of the
Spanish-American war and already en-
gagged in laying the groundwork of
vast foreign trade upon which 1t
should one day become more and more
dependent, found itself without the
machinery for giving thorough atten-
ton 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 an
archaic and inadequate machine, lack
ing most of the attribu es 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 innumerable 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 Ameri-
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-
ecutive departments.
Merit System In Consular and Diple-
matte Corps.
Expert knowledge and professional
training must evidently be the essence
ed foreign service there would not be
men available for the work In the reor-
ganized 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 di-
rection with regard to the diplomatic
serI e. In this age Of commercial d.
plol ICY 1t was evidently Of the first
imp tance to train an adequate Yer-
SOIL In that branch of the service
Therefore, on Nov. &C. 1909, by an
executive order placed the diplorN, vic
service up to the grade of secretary of
embassy, inclusive, upon exactly the
same strict nonpartisan basis OF the
merit system, rigid examination fAGap-
pointment and promotion only for eff
cheney, as 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