The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-02-01
PoULTNEY BIGELoW,s LEAK.

FOO11NE4 BlJELOW'S LEAK.
Poultney Bigelow, addressing the Can
adam club in Toronto, condemned the
American consular service as composed of
''growen down, wheezy political bosses,
worn-out lawyers, dentists, broken brok-
ers," and said he had to sew up his pockets
before he entered their offices, and then go
to the British consul to get whatever he
wanted. Of course much depends on what
he wanted-but never mind that
Overall utterances seems to be the fash
ion nowadays, of which Roosevelt's allusion
toscertain gentlemen as porch-climbers and
his later moan at being obliged to eat the
bitter bread of shame and tread the path of
humiliation, Lawson's Characterization of
someone as a leather-lunged, sewer
mouthed old b1atherskite, and the German
hymn of hate are illustrations.
It was to be expected that so Successful
an author as Pou1tney Bigelow should iden-
tify himself with new literary movement,
and viewed in this light, "broken-down,
wheezy political bosses, WORKOUT lawyers,
dentists, broken brokers" is an excellent
specimen of verbal architecture
The only trouble is that it isn't correct It
has been dozen or so years since the CON
sular service was taken out of politics. Ap-
pointment is made only after severe exam
nation covering modern languages, COM
mrcial geography, history, bookkeeping, po-
litical economy, international and CONNER
cial law. The first appointment is made to
some small post at $4,000 a year; as the CON
sui proves mental and temperamenta1 fit
ness he is promoted to more important
posts. He will rise as high as his ability
will allow him; his life carere is assured.
Had Bigelow denounced the diplomatic
service, he would be hitting nearer the
truth, for though the minor positions of
first, second and third secretaries of en-
bassy and legation are on a civil service
basis, the entrance requirements are not as
strict as in the consular service, and the
ministerships and the arnbassadorships are
political plums. Even promotion in the
secretaryships go by pull If in the course
of human events-and the thing does in
deed sometimes happen-a secretary is ap-
pointed to be chief of mission, he can expect
to hold office only during the term of that
administration-then he is out of job en-
tirely. This explains the incompetency of
American diplomacy abroad: service
which does not offer the lifetime career of
the consular service, and which, because of
the social obligations and the small salaries,
is restricted to the idle rich and social
climbers. This explains, too, why Amer
lean citizens are not accorded proper pro-
lection abroad; this is diplomatic, not a
consular, function, and the diplomatic
agents are not interested in the question.
Ultimately the diplomatic service will be
abolished entirely. The Importance OF
commercial experts, however, is on the in
crease, and that's what consuls are, as nee
essary to business as the efficiency eng1-
neer. Since the reorganization of our con
sular service a dozen years ago, new com
mercial connections have been made with
the rest of the world, and old ones
strengthened.
Poultney Bigelow is therefore ''leaker,'
which is man sac dazed by brainstorn
that he doesn't know what he is saying.