The farmer and mechanic., 1915-04-13
AMERICAN CONSULS---NEW CORPS
IN THE SERVICE OF UNCLE SAM
To Hold Such Commission Sign the Posessor Has
Has Peculiar Fitness

what is more, most Of those entries
have been of the most favorable char
acter.
Strain of The War.
This war put a strain on the con-
Sular service such as it never before |
had to stand. How the service was !
able to stand that strain, the excel |
lent work it did in assisting marooned |
Americans in the war zone, it's many
notable instances OF personal self |
sacrlhce in acting as Uncle Sans
AGENTS on the ground are all matters
OF very recent history. Pages in the
efhciency record book were filled with
chronicles Of cOmmendable efforts, the
use of remarkable powers of initia-
tive. of real diplomacy, Of common
sense and sincere patriotism.
And all this is true, because being
an American consul now is real job,
not a stop-gap- not side issue to a
private business conducted by the con-
sui in the city to which he is accred-
tied.
Consuls, tradition and the books
say. are not diplomatic officers. They,
instead, are presumed to deal with
matters OF SOrdid commerce. The re-
finementS of international intercourse
are left to the more exalted members
| OF the diplomatic corps. But in this
modern day and generation. American
| consuls are something more. Looking
after commercial matters is only a
| part Of their duties, although. by the
way, they are looking after those mat
than ever before.
To them, in these modern days Of
great interchange of travel and swift
communication, they are charged with
duties and responsibilities which, ir
an earlier day. fell only on diplomatic
officers. They are the real, active
hard working agents Of Uncle San
abroad in all his diverse business.
A man might have the highes
rating in the discharge of his purel,
commercial duties, and still fail as ;
consul if he were not qualified to dea
with the many and complex problems
outside of the realm of commerce
which come to him daily.
To be consul today man must b.
something of an international lawyer
: an expert accountant, a linguist,
: business man and business observer
a shipping agent, and, in China, Tur
!, key Siam, Muscat, Morocco and
D few other nOn-ChriStian countries,
: judge.
j Examinations Annually
Usually once year, in Januar,
: the Department of State conduct
examinations for positions in the sci
: lselves-but few are chosen. Here al
it the subjects and their relative weight
It ON a scale of twenty--in which az
n plicants are examined; information;
: maritime and commercial law,
political and commercial geograph
n 3; arithmetic, 2; modern language
= 9: natural, industrial and commerce.
n, resources and commerce Of the Uni
N ed States, 4; political economy,
W American history, government and il
~ stitutions, g modern history (sin'
" 1850 of Europe, South America al
~ the far east. 2.
is Under these headings the examine
ne ask questions like these:
le Distinguish between citizenship al
e: domicile.
O. Name three ways in which citiZe
n ship may be terminated
Discuss the question Of the right
It a neutral power to have commerce
a dealings with a belligerent.
It Name five seaports on the east cos
lis of Asia north Of Singapore and e
ut elusive of Japan.
tn Name eight bodies of water throu
Iot which a ship would pass on a dire
ms voyage from Baltimore to Odessa.
nd Discuss, in not less than 800 r
he more than 500 words, one Of the
Of lowing industries Of the United Stat
ne Petroleum, bituminous coal, leatf
gOOOS. WIFI Ieioi oH,o' P"i ~ "
his to volume, expectation and centers
Dry production and of exportatlon
pc Discuss international trade IN
ich gard to it's origin and its lnf1ueI
he |upon international politics.
is Give four reasons why the prec1t
ter metals best serve as medium OF
the change.
ne, Describe Wolfes campaign agai
re- Quebec and state the result.
hat Discuss the Boxer war.
Then the examiners give the can
rv- d,tes LOT of disassociated items
for ;mapinarv business transactions
ntO make the anplicants ener them all
the a ledger account. Also, they req,
ler- the applicants to translate from E
ana lish into some foreign language So
,tor pie letters, and then other lett
his from a foreign language into Eng
two And after all this they size the c