The chronicle=news., 1913-04-17
C0NSUlS
HOLO NO SINECuRES

washington, April li,-Ihe
American public has for many years
considered the comic opera consul,
with his waddlc and palm-leai fan.
AS typical OF such u United States of
ficial abroad. In pioneer days OF the
service thcr" was probably some
fIoundation for depicting lncl.
Sans deputies AS men least fitted
for the job. but nobody could asso-
ciatc the brisk, energetic and thor
oughly cultured men who Today up
hold the honor Of their native land
on foreign soil within anything akin
TO low comedy
AZ might be expected, III. greater
percentIg. oi these consuls com"
from professional waiks OF life. IL
IL essential that u successful appli
cant have knowledge OF two forms
OF law and "a fair Idea OF more. How
ever. not only lawyers. bu, fiction
writer's. newspaper men and doctors
seem 10 find such u pursuit IL very
agreeable one. Especially have mem
b0rH'of the press sirnificd n desire 10
desert reporting for the less strcnu-
Ous-if less m'rativc--iif. under
sheitcring palms. As an .N-cditorial
writer. now United States Consul.
recently expressed II, For Consul
abroad there is Just enough society
To prove congenlnl and II Consul Is
somebody.
In the early DAYS OF the service
salaries w"r. small. hut there were
many fees for duties performed. such
as the making out OF bills OF health.
invoices OF goods imported. etc.
With the Installation OF the merit
system all such fees were abolished.
Unfortunately. however. FOR the Con
suis cNch"Iu"r nothing was put In
their place. At present there are on
ly two posts paying aS high ~ sl:,-
600 rcr annum-onc ~! these hriIr
at London and the other ~ Paris.
and carrying with them the title Of
Consul General. Forry-fiv. Others
pay only $1,000 year. and range In
geographical location from Green
lands ley mountains To lndia's coral
strand
From this sum they grade upward
through t:.:"o and s3,""o to $1,000
lnnually--ihc last mentioned. how
ever. not being open TO new APP
poiniccs.
ElIhu Root. cN-S.cr.iary Of state,
faihcr"d the measure in 1896 which
| resulted In the order that an "Namin-
alton b. compulsory before an ap-
poinimcnt went Into effect. Prior to
thar III. successful asp!rants FOR such
offices were sent TO any post happen
Ing to he yncnnt-for which the
Prospective consul 'vinccd prefer
| cree regardless of his fitness FOR
| that particular plic". On the plan.
Mr.. Root described IL. of placing
square pegs In round holes EN-
President Roosevelt took n keen In
tcrcst In the condition Of diplomatic
and consular affairs and In June OF
d 1906 signed - decree that all consuis
| should be- both appointed and re-
,ainch in the service solely accordin:
TO individual merit
This order also greatly cnlarg ID
the scope al the requirements. max
ing working knowledge OF at least
on" foreign tongue essential Because
OF the extensive dealing the United
States now has with Latin countries
Spanish Is considered the most valu-
able. French and German are also
l!g,iistic assets. ~ tn" former j. u
universal means OF communication In
the diplomatic world and tn" latter
n generally recognized medium Of
commercial correspondence.
TIL. consnlai"s. as u rule. are. in
small places. whore u limited force is
sufficient for the work. This con-
-sists of very many things not possible
Ia he set down In books. \ consul
must he OF good presence. have an
easy manner. understand tn. r."
uuircmcnis of maratimc aud interim
:ional law. he able to writ" readable.
instructive reports and have "a snffi-
Client head FOR business to keen NOR
chants aud manufacturers OF this
country Informed NJ 10 what is need
ed. commercially. In his own little
quarter of the globe.
He must have his temper under
perfect control. Keep on, Of any and
all sIuabblcs at his post. keep out OF
debt and ont of any business other
than prsscribcd by the consular re-