The farmer and mechanic., 1915-04-13

ing in the establishment of relations
between American and foreign COM
mercial houses, and lending assistance
wherever practicable to the market
ing Of American merchandise
abroad"
This is the foundation of a service
to the business interests of the United |
great value. Trade reports from con-
sular officers, by an arrangement with |
the Department of Commerce, are |
turned over to the bureau Of foreign |
and domestic commerce of that de-
partment, and selected ones are print
ed daily in Uncle Sans daily news
paper, until recently entitled Daily
Consular and Trade Reports but
now called Commerce Reports
relations of the movements Of COM
| tanning suggestions as to the expan-
sion of American markets abroad
Many of the reports are the result
Of direct orders. For example,
| manufacturer asks the bureau of for
! eign and domestic trade for Informal
ton regarding markets in numerous
countries for his products A blanket
call is sent out to the consuls in all
| those countries, and the results
brought together, are Of large ma
terial benefit
Among the other activities of the
consular officers, aside from the chief
ones, are reporting weekly to the
| United States public health service
the health and sanitary conditions of
the ports at which they reside: with
a view to having quarantine measures
established against those ports when
the need comes. Also the cOnsuls
assist the immigration authorities by
) reports from the ports at which the
conSuls are stationed.
Total Personnel.
In the consular service of the
United States there are 2S9 consuls
, general and consuls. With consular
agents and employees, the total per
sOnnel is between 500 and 900.
, What is the directing force behine
; this little, highly trained and widely
| scattered army? In every organiza
ton, of course, there is a directing
+; head, a man who has put his genius
and power and personality into tn
e body of subordinates.
i Naturally, the Secretary Of State i
the man at the top. He has tn
8 power to make or unmake the eff
| cheney of the force. Fortunately 70
d the country, a considerable succession
of Secretaries Of State have bee
/ heartily in sympathy with the effort
of the consular service to increase it
# efficiency.
II The Man Behind the Guns.
But the man directly response b1,
st through this and several preceding ad
< ministrationS has been Wilbur J. Car,
| director Of the consular service, tn
n Secretary's right-hand man, his &C
&C miniStrator and his adjutant in tn
branch of American foreign affair
Or 1t is Mr.. Carr who is the keeper {
i that book Of efficiency records; it is +
s: who is directly over all the consuls an
er cOnsuls general a great map of tf
y, world, hanging over his desk. thie
Of studded with colored pins, gives at
glance the manner in which his arm
e. is distributed.
&c Always he is in close and intima
touch with the force. When the W;
us first came there were weeks when Il
x maintenance Of that touch kept hi
chained to his desk eighteen hours
lst day
Modest and Retiring.
A modest. retiring, imperturbab
IL man is this: wholly devoted to h
in work, fired with high ideals Of servlc
nd Always stunning the limelight of pu
as licity ne is of a type of permane
ire official of the government found he
lg- and there in Washington. OF info
m nation regarding the consular serVl
,rs he is prodigal; of direct interviews
sh is stingy almost beyond belief. In
n ideas of service personal publici
ac- plays no part He asks no place
All the picture of public affairs.
nt- Still, such Secretaries Of State
John W. Foster, Walter q. Gresha
"a Richard Olney, John Sherman. W
ot liam r. Day John Hay. Elihu Ro
&c. Robert Bacon. Philander c. Knox a
." William Jennings Bryan all ha
me found him an able lieutenant, {
rly nendahle executive wise counsel
Also. they have found that to hi
the more than to any one man, is due
by present high efficiency of the con:
for lar service. though each Secretary a