Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-12-07


the undisputed and traditional funda
nentals OF the foreign policy Of the
United States.
Reorganization Of the state Depart
ment.
At the beginning Of the present adj
ministration the United States, hay-
Ing fully entered upon Its position as
world power, with the responsible.
ties thrust upon 1t by the results Of
the Spanish-American War and al.
ready engaged In laying the ground
work OF vast foreign trade upon
which It should one day become more
and more dependent, found itself with
out the machinery for giving thorough
attention to, and taking effective ac-
ton upon, mass of intricate bust
ness vital to American Interests In
every country in the world.
The Department of State was an
archaic and inadequate machine lack.
ing most OF the attributes of the for
eign Office OF any great modern pow
er. With an appropriation made upon
my recommendation by the Congress-
on August 5, 1909, the Department
of State was completely reorganized.
There were created Divisions OF Lat.
in-American Affairs and Of Far East
tern, Near Eastern. and Western Eu.
ropean Affairs. To these divisions
were called from the foreign sCrr.es
diplomatic and consular officers pos
sessing experience and knowledge
gained by actual service IN different
parts of the world and thus familiar
with political and commercial e1ndl-
tons In the regions concerned. The
work was highly specialized. The re-
suit is that where previously this Gov
eminent from time TO time would em-
pha,iize in its foreign relations one or
another policy, now American litter,
ests In every quarter of the globe are
being cultivated with equal assiduity.
This principle of politico-geographi
cal division possesses also the good
feature Of making possible rotation +.
tween the officers of the department
tai, the diplomatic, and the consular
branches of the foreign service, and
thus keeps the whole diplomatic AMI
consular establishments under the De
partment of state in close touch and
equally inspired with the aims and
policy Of the Government Though
the newly created Division of Infor.
nation the foreign service is kept ful.
ly informed of what transpires from
day to day in the international reia.
tons OF the country, and contempor-
airy foreign comment affecting Amer.
lean interests is promptly brought to
the attention of the department. The
law offices of the department we're
greatly strengthened. There were
added foreign trade advisers to CO.
operate with the diplomatic and con
sular bureaus and the politico-geo.
graphical divisions in the innumer-
able matters where commercial diplo.
macy Of consular work calls for such
special knowledge The same officers.
together with the rest of the new or
ganization, are able at all times to
give to American citizens accurate in
formation as TO conditions in foreign
countries with which they have bust
ness and likewise to cooperate more
'ectively with the Congress and also
with the other executive departments.
Merit System In Consular and Diplo-
matte Corps.
Expert knowledge and professional
training must evidently be the es-
sence of this reorganization. Without
a trained foreign service there would
not be men available for the work in
the recognized Department of State
President Cleveland had taken the
first step toward introducing the mer-
it system in the foreign service. That
had been followed by the application
of the merit principle, with excellent
results, 10 the entire consular branch
Almost nothing, however, had been
done in this direction with regard 10
Diplomatic Service. In this age OF
commercial diplomacy it was evident
ly the first importance to train an ad-
equate personnel in that branch of tlb
service Therefore, on November 26,
1909, by an Executive order / placed
the Diplomatic Service up to the
grade OF secretary of embassy, inclus-
i've, upon exactly the same strict non
partisan basis of the merit system.
rigid examination for appointment
and promotion only for efficiency, as
had been maintained without except
ion In the Consular Service.
Successful Efforts In Promotion OF
ct. Peace.
In the field of work toward the
ideals of peace this Government ne
gotiated, but to my regret was unable
consummate, two arbitration treat.
les which set the highest mark of the
aspiration Of nations toward the sub
tttutFon of arbitration and reason
for war in the settlement of intcrna-
tional disputes. Through the efforts
Of American diplomacy several wars
have been prevented or ended | re