The Nome nugget., 1920-12-25


 there is need for a complete reforma tion of our diplomatic and consular services is to receive due attention from the republican party when it as sulnes control of government nex1 March. Proposals ooleing to remedy ing the defects in :he present foreign service system are already taking shape and will in Ill probability lead to congressional action. The outlines of the republican views on the refor- nation proposal are broadly set forth in the following article by Hon. Jonathan Bourne Jr. presiden. of the Republican Publicity Association.
 Senator Harding has we'll sad tha, our foreign service is our first line of defense. In pacific and commer- cial sense it is our first line of of- fense as well. Our diplomacy as ex- pressed in our foreign policies has T vital effect upon our foreign trade. de- clares Senator Harding. The con- sular service is excellent, but the lack of an orga niza ton to collect and di- gest information about current poii- tical affairs in other countries has be- come notorious It is equally notor- ious that what has amounted in some instances to the sale of the higher ,1.1a sman degree for our entering the Great War uniformed and unprepa:'. ed. Men whose claim to q share in party spoils seems to be in direct ra.io to their contributions to the party can- paign chest were appointed with little or no consideration 70 their fitness for diplomatic offices.
 Government scholarships in ap- proved educational institutions, re- classification and regarding. the appli- cation of the rule of merit respectable local allowances to foreign officers, when justified. and an equitable pro- vision for retirement pay. are the salient features of the reformation to be accomplished. The advisibility of the United States owning its foreign service residences is also an import ant poin. in the scheme. It is practi- cally certain also that the annual ap- propriation contemplated in >,is plan would aggregate less than the annual receipts now being covered into the Treasury through the imposition uf fees for services performed by foreign officers on behalf of foreigners. For example. it is estimated by the State Department that the receipts from the consular service alone for the fiscal year ending June 30. 1921. will exceed by not less that $5.5eo,oo0 the total cost of upkeep of the consular estal,- lishment. While this has been q somewhat abnormal year. 1t is con- fidently predicted that the fees legal ized and exacted from foreigners will exceed the upkeep of the service by an average of no. less than $3,0o0.000 an- nually in the future. Services per-, formed by foreign officers on behalf of Americans are. of course, gratis as q part of the duties of such officers. and those services are we'll nigh in numerable.
 ."The principal feature of the sug- gested plan deals with the method fos recruiting of the foreign service with q view to abolishing the spells sys- tenn. Tentatively. students who have for two years pursued general cul- tural course in educational institutions of approved standard. and who have been properly certified, and others who can give satisfactory evidence ,f possessing the requisite qualifications for foreign service, shall. after pass ing competitive tests. be granted gov ernment scholarships for a two year period in schools of their own choos- ing: provided the course in diplomacy ana commerce gwen Dy Such schohiS are such as commend themselves to a Board of Selection and provided fu:- ther. that the donees enter into binding agreement that they will well and faithfully perform the duties im posed by the scholarship. and in ad- dition. will remain in the foreign ser- vice of the United States for not less than five years running from the date of completion of the scholarship, un- less sooner released by the govern ment. The amount ef the scholarship Is placed at $1200 annually. With its completion the student will again ,'e examined and If his second test is