Norwich bulletin., 1913-12-12
Bryan Paying
 Political Debts
PRESIDENT ELIOT cRITICIsEs RE.
 CENT APPOINTMENTS
WILSON IS COMMENDED
Annual Address Before National Civil Service Reform Leasue.~-Many of the
 New Diplomats Are Untrained Men.

Boston, Dec. 11.-Commendation of President Wilson and criticism of Sec retary Bryan for their action in filling national offices were contained in the annual address tonight of Dr. Charles w. Eliot as president of the National Civil Service Reform league. Ehls league can now congratulate ltself and the country" said President Eliot, "on the fact that no advent of a national administration which in vowed the transfer of power from one party to another has ever occurred in which the principles of civil service reform have been so generally observed by the incoming administration.' Bryan the On'.. Exception. He added that this was true, "in spite of pressing temptations to dis regard these principles. and several attempts by congress to compel tho executive to violate them"
 Tn general" the speaker said, 'sthe cabinet officers, with the exception of the secretary of state. have seemed to intend to conform to the declaration of their party platform and the we'll known opinions of the president; but there have appeared some exceptions to the foreign policy.
 The Bryan Policy.
 The secretary of state has clearly made or proposed appointments in payment for political services" Dr Eliot asserted, "and some other cabinet officers have given signs of accepting a doctrine which MT. Bryan publicly fa- vored in 1908, namely, that the offices should be divided between the two great parties in proportion to their political strength"
 President Wilson's order of May z last, affecting fourth class postmasterS was characterized by President Eliot as "a sound amendment of the practice under the preceding administration called covering in
 But the league thinks that it viii cost much time and money to carry out the order fairly and effectively. he added.
 Untrained Men DispIaee Experienced
 Men.
 Regarding the department of state, President Eliot reported that the ex- ecutive orders of the two preceding administrations have been adhered to in regard to secretaries of embassies, consuls- general and consulss but that the policy of the administration as to ministers and ambassadors has been different. Out of Il ambassadors eight have been replaced" he continued. and out of 35 ministers 22 have been repiaced with the result that some men of long experience have been re- placed by untrained men,"
 Paying Political Debts.
 Dr. Eliot said that Of the 22 minis ters displaced, 13 had had several years experience in diplomatic service, while none of the new appointees had had any experience.
 Several of the appointments of ob- scure men to diplomatic posts have seemed to the public to be made in payment of political debts; but the public attributes these appointments not to the president but to the secre- tary of state," he continued.
 Governor Baldwin Speaks.
 More weight should be given in off, cial appointments generally to natural gifts than to acquisitions from educa- tion,'' said Governor Simeon E. Bald- win of Connecticut. Examination he said, 'have often proved very in- sufficient test of fitness. The man who ranks highest in the examination room may be the one who ranks lowest tn capacity to fill a public station we'll"
 Governor Baldwin said that the 1eiu of the national civil service reform as- sociation must be confined to the pro- motion of the spread of our general doctrine (the preservation and ad- vancement of the merit system for public office without urging uniform- ity in detail"