Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-16

in the United States from Syria. Pales-
tine and the other sections of ASIA
Minor in this country. A muitituoe u
cases constantly arise involving m
quiry and action on behalf OF properly
holdings or the necessity of looking TO
the safety of relatives of these people
in Asia Minor.
Similar. although not quite so large
or our Turkish consulates. The per
sonnet Of the American student inter
prefer corps a t Constantinople, consist
ing of twelve young men who were
studying Turkish with a view to en-
tering the American consular service
in Turkey found active employment
Immediately the war broke out
At the consulate general in London
it has been necessary to secure much
increased Office space. The clerical force
has been increased from eleven to
twenty-five people. Where three men
sufficed for the work in normal times
at Budapest, Hungary, twenty are now
used. At Genoa, Italy. the clerical staff
numbers a round dozen as compared
with a mere quartet. including the
consul general. before the war
This access of American duty extends
to remote parts OF the world. In the
Island of Martinique. in Cochin China,
at Algiers, in Morocco. in GIadeloupe,
at Tunis and at Tahiti in the Pacific.
all French possessions. the United
States consuls are charged with Ger
Jerusalem and throughout the Turkish
empire the American consulates are
endeavoring to safeguard not only
Americans and American property, but
sands of British. French. Russian and
Italian citizens also. In score OF con-
sulates in each of Canada, Australia,
Ceylon, India, South Africa. the sole
spokesmen of Germans. Austrians and
Turks are also the official representa-
tives of the United States. 1t is world
task, with a vengeance.
The American consular map in some
details has been subjected to sudden
changes because of the vicissitudes of
war. At this writing the Safe Depart
ment is not fully assured of the present
location of the American consulate in
Serbia, II there is one. At last account
the consul at Belgrade. after moving
the consulate to Nish. had again broken
camp and was looking for a more suit
able place.
When the war broke out c. A. Holder,
consul at Cologne. Germany. happened
to be in Belgium. Fully one million
we'll armed Germans were arrayed be-
tween Mr.. Holder and his post at
Cologne. He would have had to make a
roundabout trip under decidedly I'M
inviting conditions in order to return to
his post. Cologne being principal
base of German military operations.
there was small need just then for an
American consul there. So Mr.. Holder
was attached to the London office as
assistant to Consul General Robert p.
Skinner. From this place he was re-
Gently promoted to be trade adviser at
the State Department.
American consulates have been Great
ed as we'll as obliterated by the war.
BY no extreme stretch of the imagina-
tion could 1t have been foreseen two
years ago that the presence of an Of
fcial representative of the United
States government would be necessary
in the rock encircled little harbor of
Kirkwall, In the Orkney Islands. off
the northern tip of Scotland. This To-
cality has been chiefly interesting In
America for Sir Walter Scott's brand
of pirate and fishermen. 1t was quite
another story when Great Britain be-
gan taking American ships and cargoes
into Kirkwall. pending prize court
proceedings. Then the State Depart