The Elk Mountain pilot., 1912-12-05

tatives: The foreign relations of the
United States actually and potentially ar
| feet the state of the Union to degree
not widely realized and hardly surpassed
| by any other factor in the welfare or
| the whole nation. The position OF the
| United States in the moral. intellectuai.
and material relations of the family OF
| nations should be matter or vital inter-
| est to every patriotic citizen. The nation
| al prosperity and power impose upon us
duties which cannot shirk II we are
to be true to our Ideals. The tremendous
growth of the export trade Of the United
States has already made that trade
very real factor in the Industrial ana
commercial prosperity of the country.
With the development of our Industries
the foreign commerce OF the United states
must rapidly become n stun more es-
sential factor in its economic welfare.
Whether we have far-seeing and wise
diplomacy and are not recklessly plunged
Into unnecessary wars and whether our
foreign policies are based upon an intel
ligent grasp of present-day world con
ditions and clear view of the potenuah-
ties Of the future, or are governed py
temporary and timid eNpediency or py
narrow Views BETTING an infant nation.
are questions in the alternative consider
alton of which must convince any
thoughtfui citizen that no department OF
national policy offers greater opportunity
for promoting the interests of the whole
people the one hand. or greater chance
jury. than that which deals with the Tor
eisn relations of the United States
The fundamental foreign policies OF the
United States should be raised high above
the conflict of partisanship and wholly
dissocated from differences as to domes-
tic policy. In its foreign affairs the
United States should present to the world
united front. The intellectual. financial
and industrial interests OF the country
and the publicist, the wage Garner, the
farmer. and citizen of whatever occupa-
ton must cooperate in n spirit OF high
patriotism to promote that national soil
darity which is indispensable to national
efficiency and to the attainment OF ma
tional ideals
The relations of the United States with
all foreign powers remain upon sound
basis of peace. harmony and friendship.
greater insistence upon justice to Amer
lean citizens or interests wherever II may
have been denied and "A stronger empha-
sis OF the need of mutually In CONNER
cial and other relations have only served
to strengthen friendships with for
eign countricx by placing those friend
ships upon a firm foundation of realities
well as aspirations.
Before briefly reviewing the more i'm
portant events OF the last year in our Tor
eign relations. which IL is my duty to do
as charged with their conduct and be
cause diplomatic affairs are not OF ma
tuer to make II appropriate that the sec
rctary of state make n formal annual re
port, i desire TO tohcn upon some the
essentials to the safe management or the
foreign relations OF the United States and
to cndeavor also. to define clearly certain
concrete policies which are the logical
modern corrollarics OF the undisputed and
traditional fundamentals of the foreign
policy of the United States
Reorganization of the State Depart
ment.
At the beginning OF the present ad-
minIstration the United States, having
| fully entered upon its position as n world
| power with the responsibilities thrust
| upon IT by the results of the Spanish
| American war. and already engaged nj
laying the groundwork of a vast foreign
| trade upon which it should one day be-
] come more and more dependent. found
| itself without the machinery for giving
| thorough attention 20. and taking ehec-
tive action upon. mass of intricate bus
/ mess vital to American interests in every
country IN the world.
! The deparement of state was an archaic
and inadequate machine lacking most of
| the attributes OF the foreign office OF any
| great modern power With an appropria-
tion made upon my recommendation by
the congress on August o. 1909, the de-
| partment of state was completely reor-
ganizcd.
They were created divisions of Latin
| American affairs and of far eastern.
near eastern. and western European
| affairs. To these divisions We're called
from the foreign service diplomatic and
consular officers possessing experience
| and knowledge gained by actual serv-
| ice in different parts of the,world and
thus familiar with political and COM
| mercial conditions in the regions con-
cerned. The work was highly special
| lied. The result is that where previ-
ously this government from time to
| time would emphasize in Its foreign
| relations one or another policy. now
| American interests In every quarter of
the globe are peing cultivated with
| equal assiduity.
Merit System In Consular and DipIo-
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 application
of the merit principle. with excellent
| results to the entire consular branch
| Almost nothing. however. had been
done in this direction with regard
| to the diplomatic service In TINS age
| of commercial diplomacy II was eVt-
| IDENTIFY of the first Importance to train
an adequate personnel in that branch
of the service. Therefore. on Novem-
| b-r IS. 1909. by an executive order l
| 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-
tern, rigid examination for appoint
! ment and promotion only for eff
| cheney as had been maintained without
exception in the consular service.
| Successful Efforts in Promotion Of
| Peace.
| IN the field of work toward the
| ideals of peace this government ne
| yotiated. but to my regret was unable
| to consummate. two arbitration trea :
| ties which set the highest mark or
| the aspiration of nations toward the
| substitution of arbitration and reason
| for war in the settlement of interna-
| tional disputes. Through the efforts
| of American diplomacy several wars