Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-01
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR JUNE /. 1918

may be transferred to pleasant climate
when someone else has been out dies harness.
THERE is not the least doubt in the mind of any man
who travels to any great extent that the United
States has the best consular service the world This
is not boast, but plea for fair play There two
hundred and ninetyeght of them onsuls General and
Consuls who draw from two thousand to twelve thou
sand dollars year, and of the fifty that have
met do not believe there is who could not make
money by remaining at home, save money
by remaining at home and have less work. worry and
danger by remaining at home. They of the
most profitable investments the government has, As
far the consular service alone concerned it prob
ably costs the government less than thirty thousand
dollars year maintain it, Office rent and salaries
Guided These figures not based any authority
other than general knowledge but doubt if l am far
out of the way. For instance, the Consul General in
Paris draws salary of twelve thousand dollars year.
being of the two big positions From it the United
States derives of about fifty thousand dol
lars tor tees from invoices alone to say nothing OF
the thousand and other little resources such as
vses powers of attorney transfers. notaral fees, etc.
London does about the same.
The total salaries paid amount to little a
million year. The total income estimating general
average of three thousand invoice fees for each Office
year. and including notaria fees is about two million
six hundred thousand dollars year. This seems like
huge sum to come in; but one must remember that
little consulate like ST. Gall, Switzerland, exports to
country twelve million dollars year in laces, etc.
Now this basis after paying rents and ncidentals,
the government loses perhaps thirty thousand dollars
year. far its direct income is concerned And for
this trifng it has almost three hundred representa-
who manufactures goods in the United States protect
every American who travels, and build up foreign
trade that into the hundreds of millions, and most
of which is directly due to consular efforts suggestions,
nmations and shrewdness All of this has no bearing
whatever national dignity which cannot be measured
by dollars
made this much Roadway in the worlds markets with
two hundred and ninety eight Consus in foreign lands,
what could have done with double that number, had
made it of object to get the hlghestgrade
men study interests"
We fancy ourselves great traders There is a moth
eaten legend that the Yankee whites and gets the
best of bargain. He does white; but while he has
been doing that stunt the whole world has red his
trade opportunities Germany stole the trade of South
America from under his nose, having to the
do it. Great Britain calmly grabbed his shipping
facilities, and his hold in the Orient IS SMALL Trade
from knowledge of trade conditions, and without
Consuls we cannot hope to get that trade. Without
supporting consular service cannot hope to get
who wise enough to that do get our share
of that trade
So far have been merely lucky but it cannot last
We the only country of any Importance that does
make strenuous endeavor to get the best men for
such work. What inducement IS there for trade
pert to accept Consulate, even one OF the two
that pay twelve thousand dollars year, when he
knows that he will have to work harder for the govern
ment than for any other corporation, and that his ex
penses will pile up alarmngly when he has to uphold
the dignity of the government largely from his peck
ct? | have never met Consul of the United States
who did the through ignorance of what
he facing and few of them who had not gone into
the service temporary occupation and chance to
visit some foreign place-&for few years only" That
they stick because they can't help it, and that they do
such marves is merely because they get their fighting
blood aroused and give every that is in them
WYE paw retired officers of the army and navy. That
w is why we get the No man but fool would
stick with either Of these services he did not know that
his old age would be provided for. He doesn't get
enough Justify him to devote his life to the service,
otherwise Does it take much training skill to
be an officer in the army navy than it does in the
consular service? Is trade manufacturing, and all
that it involves, the employment of millions of men
wages dependent that should be dependent, the
profit of their employers the working of crude products
as mnortant as the army the naVY? There some