The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1912-12-05

Recoaniton 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 surpass ssed
by any other factor in the welfare or
the whole nation. The position of the
United States in the moral, intellec-
tual and material relations Of the fam
lily of nations should be matter OF
vital interest to every patriotic citi-
zen. The national prosperity and
power impose upon us duties which
we cannot shirk IL 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 a very real
factor in the industrial and CONNER
cial prosperity Of the country. With
the 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
sound basis Of peace, harmony and
friendship. A greater insistence upon
justice to American citizens or inter-
ests wherever 1t may have been denied
and a stronger emphasis Of the need Of
mutuality in commercial and other re.
'"''""s have only served to strengthen
. '~n countries
our friendship WIN fsrv.-- r0sn ,
by placing those frisbdships s .e,l a.
Arm foundation OF realities
I aspirations.
! Reorsa sanizstion Of state Department.
\At the beginning of the present ad-
mi, <istfaton the United States, having
fully entered Upon its position as a
world m ~er, With the responsibilities
thrust upou It by the results of the
panish-AmericaSr war and already en-
gagged in laying the groundwork OF a
vast foreign trade ut~op winch 1t
should one day become more ana more
dependent, found itself withsut the
machinery for giving thorough atttI'
tion to and taking effective aetion
upon a mass of intricate business VI
tai to American interests in every coun-
try in the world.
The department of state was nm
archaic and inadequate machine, lack
ing most of the attributes Of the for
,eign office Of any great modern power.
With an appropriation made upon my
recommendation by the congress on
Aug. 8, 1909, the department Of state
was completely reorganiZed. There
were created divisions of Latin-Amer
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 polltico 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 OK
ecutivc 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 in the reor-
ganlzed 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
iciple, with excellent results to the
sn,Sre consular branch. Almost moth.
ing, however, had been done In this di-
TecbVn VIII ickdIu 10 tue ulplOHlallc
service In this age of commercial al.
plomacy 1t was evidently of the first
importance to train an adequate per.
sonnel In that branch Of the service.
Therefore, on Nov. 26, 1909, by an
executive order placed the diplomatic
sery \pp TO the grade of secretary OF
egi inclusive. upon exactly the
y ict nonpartisan basis of the
EN-, rigid examination for ap.
and promotion only for eff
cI as had been maintained, with.
ou ception In the consular service.
Merit END sNenpsrtisanr charaetsrs sof
Appointments.
How faithful to the merit system
and how nonpartisan has been the con-