Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-12-05
RELATIONS WITH
OTHER NATIONS
Foreign Affairs Is Subject of
Message From President.
Is FIRST ONE OF A SERIES
Merit System in Consular and Diplo.
matte CorPs-Dspartment of
States Good Work for Latin
American Republics.


American Republics.
Washington. Dec. 3-President Taft
submitted to congress today the first
Of several messages. It vas devoted
70 our foreign relations and in part
was as follows:
Io the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives: The foreign relations Of
the United States actually and poten-
TALLY affect the state of the Union to
a degree not widely realized and hard
~ surpassed BY any other factor in
the welfare Of the whole nation The
position of the United States in the
moral, intellectual, and material rela-
lions Of the family of nations should
be matter of vital interest to every
patriotic citizen. The national pros
Derity and power impose upon US du-
ties which we can not shirk if we are
10 be true to our ideals. The tremen-
dous growth Of the export trade Of the
United States has already made that
trade a Very. real factor in the indus
trial and commercial prosperity of the
country. With the development Of our
industries the foreign commerce of
the United States must rapidly be-
come a still more essential factor in
its economic welfare Whether we
have farseeing and wise diplomacy
and are not recklessly plunged into
unnecessary wars, and whether our for
etgn policies are based upon an intel
ligent grasp of present-day world con
ditions and a clear view Of the DOten-
tialities Of the future. or are governed
by a temporary and timid expediency
or by narrow views BETTING an in
FAINT nation, are questions in the al
tentative consideration of which must
convince any thoughtful citizen that
no department Of national polity Of
fers greater opportunity for promoting
the interests of the whole people on
the one hand, or greater chance on
the other Of permanent national in
jury than that which deals with the
foreign relations of the United States
The fundamental foreign policies Of
the United States should be raised
high above the conflict Of partisan
ship and wholly ASSOCIATED from diff
ferences as to domestic policy In it's
foreign affairs the United States
should present to the world a united
front. The intellectual, financial and
industrial interests Of the country and
the publicist, the wage Garner. the
farmer, and citizen of whatever Occu-
patton must cooperate in a spirit of
high patriotism to promote that ma
tional solidarity which is Indispensable
to national efficiency and to the at
tainment Of national ideals.
The relations Of the United States
with all foreign powers remain upon
a sound basis of peace. harmony and
friendship A greater tnsistence upon
justice to American citizens or inter
ests wherever it may have been de-
MED and q stronger emphasis of the
need of mutually in commercial and
other relations have only served to
strengthen our friendships with for
eign countries by placing those friend
ships upon firm foundation OF reaIi-
ties as well as aspirations
Reorganization of the State Depart
ment.
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 it by the results of the
Spanish-American war. and already en-
gaged in laying the groundwork Of q
vast foreign trade upon which it
should
more dependent, found itself without
the machinery for giving thorough at
tentiOn to, and taking effective action
upon, a mass of intricate business
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 power.
With an appropriation made upon nv
recommendation by the congress on
August 5, 1909, the department Of
state was completely reorganfzed
There were created divisions of Latin
American affairs and Of far eastern.
near eastern. and western FurOnean
affairs. To these divisions were called
from the foreign service Diplomatic
ana consular officers possessing expe-
rience and knowledge gained by act,
nal service in different parts of the
world and thus familiar with political
and commercial conditions in the re-
gions concerned. The work was high
" specialized. The result is that
where previously this government
from time to time would emphasize il
its foreign relations one or another
policy, now American interests in ev-
cry quarter OF the globe are being