Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-03
FINAL MESSAGES
SENT IN BY TAFT
President Starts With Dis
cussion of Foreign
Relations.
WORK DONE BY DIPLOMATS
Recognition Of Merit System Has Been
BenefielaI-sueeestions Regarding
Changes in the Tariff Laws.

Washington, Dec. president
Taft's message, read today, follows:
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 a 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, lntellec-
tual and material relations of the fam
iily OF nations should be q matter OF
vital interest 70 every patriotic citi
zen. The national prosperity and
power impose upon US duties which
we cannot shlrk II we are to be true
ITO our ideals.
The tremendous growth Of the ex-
port trade OF the United States has
already made that trade a very real
factor in the Industrial and CONNER
jcinl prosperity Of the country. With
tie development Of our industries the
foreign commerce OF the United
States must rapidly become a 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 a stronger emphasis Of the need Of
mutuality in commercial and other re-
lations have only served to strengthen
our friendship with foreign countries
by placing those friendships upon a
firm foundation OF realities as well as
aspirations.
Reorga nization Of state Department.
: At the beginning OF the present ad-
ministration the United States, having
fully entered upon its position as a
world power. with the responsibilities
thrust upon II by the results OF the
Spanlsh-American war and already en-
gagged ia laying the groundwork OF a
vast foreign trade upon which II
should one day become more and more
dependent, found itself without the
machinery for giving thorough atten-
tion to and taking effective action
tal 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 attributes OF the for
egn Office Of any great modern power.
With an appropriation made upon my
recommendation by the congress on
Aug >. 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 I'm 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 I'm foreign countries with
which they have business and likewise
20 cooperate more effectively with the
congress and also with the other eI-
ecutlye departments.
Merit System In Consular and Diplo-
matte Corps.
Expert knowledge and professional
training must evidently be the essence
OF this reorganization. Without train
ed foreign service there would not be
men available for the work I'm the reOr-
gained 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 10 the diplomatic
service II this age OF commercial di
plomacy Il was evidently OF the first
Importance To train an adequate pes
sonnet In that branch OF the service.
Therefore. on Nov. 20. 1909. by ar
executive order placed the diplomatic
service up TO the grade OF secretary Of
embassy, inclusive. upon exactly the
same strict nonpartisan basis OF tht
htIll SgSttuls ElElu eAdiuludNlOu TOT n ID
pointment and promotion only for eff
cheney, as had been maintained with
ont exception in the consular service.
Merit and Nonpartisan Character o
Appointments.
How faithful 10 the merit system
and how nonpartisan has been the con
Duct OF the diplomatic and consula
services IN the last four years may b
judged from the following: Three am
bassadors now serving held their pres
ent rank at the beginning of my ad
ministraton. OF the ten ambassador
whom | have appointed FIVE were b,
promotion from the rank Of minister
Mine ministers now serving held thei
present rank at the beginning OF tn
administration. or the thirty minister
6Ehom l have appointed, eleven wer