The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-11-22
Saturday, November %, 1913.
WILSON'S APPOINTMENTS.

President Wilson'S more recen
diplomatic appointments are being
sharply criticised in quarters where
there was a disposition 10 accept th'
pressed his lifelong fidelity TO the merit
system in the public service. Some oi
President Wilson s early appointments
evoked the warmest commendation OF
even his opponents, but lately the
standard seems TO have dropped and
appointments are being made apparent
~ as political rewards TO serviceablc
henchmen, rather than with view to
the service Of the United States
abroad.
The New York Journal Of Commerce
calls attention to the fact that, at the
beginning of the present administra-
ton, there were fourteen men serving
as chiefs of diplomatic missions, who
had won their promotion from the
ranks. OF these fourteen all have
been displaced save four, namely, Ed
win V Morgan, Ambassador to Bra
I'll; John W. Garrett, Minister to Ar
gentina; Henry 2. Fletcher, Minister to
Chill, and William Hcimkc, Minister
10 Salvador.
1t would occasion no surprise in
Washington If these four had to fol
low the other ten into retirement. The
man who was displaced in Nicaragua,
George T. Wetzel, was appointed after
examination in July, 1907, Secretary Of
Legation to Nicaragua and Costa Rica j;
he became Secretary of the Legation
at Panama City in July, 1905, was
diplomatic adviser 10 Admiral Kmball,
commanding the Nicaraguan expedi-
tionary squadron In December, 1909;
was assigned TO duty in the division of
Latin American affairs in the Depart
ment of State in July, 1910; was de-
failed for special duty at the American
Embassy in the City of Mexico during
the Madero revolution in 1911; was
appointed assistant chief of the di
vision Of Latin American affairs in
June, 1911, and Minister to Nicaragua
IN December OF that year The cx-
Minister to Honduras, Charles Dunning
White, has been in the diplomatic serv-
ice for nine years since he was ap-
pointed Secretary Of the Legation at
Buenos Aires in March. 1904 r. 5.
Reynolds Hit who had Just completed
three wears service as Minister to
Guatemala, vas appointed Third Sec
retary of the Embassy at Paris in 1901,
and subsequently, served at Berlin, at
Rome and in Panama Montgomery
Schuyler. Jr., late Minister to Eeua-
dor. began his diplomatic career in 1902
as Secretary of the Embassy at st.
Petersburg, and was later at Bangkok,
in Roumania and Servia, at Toxic and
the City Of Mexico. James T. Du Bois,
whose resignation as Minister to Co
lombia was promptly accepted, was
first appointed commercial agent at AK
Ia Chapelle in 1877 and consul in 1850,
arriving through various promotions at
the position of Consul General at Sin
eapore in 1909 William W Russell,
the late Minister 10 the Dominican Re
public, has had nineteen years diplo-
matic service since his first appoint
ment as Secretary of the Legation at
Caracas in 1895.
That President Wilson turned these
appointments over 10 Secretary BRYAN
aud permitted the retirement of trained
men ln oruer 70 make place for work
ing Democrats docs not serve as an
excuse for the president. who was
bound bv bis own platform of "merit
in the public service" 10 make re.
movals, when necessary. only because
Of lack of capacity Of the diplomat re.
tired.
The American diplomatic service has
been handicapped always by the in.
adequacy of the salaries paid and by
the lack of permanency as career
that WAS afforded. Changing admins.
uatiops have in the past resulted in
frequent changes in the diplomatic