The Delta independent., 1920-10-29
REFORM OF OUR FOREIGN
SERVICE BADLY NEEDED

SERVICE BADLY NEEDED
Washington, Oct. 29.-Reformation
of our foreign service will be one of
the great problems confronting the
Republican party after March 4th, ac-
cording to the Republican Publicity
Association, which, through its Presi-
dent, Hon. Jonathan Bourne, Jr., out
lines in brief some of the salient
| features of a tentative plan for plac-
| ing our foreign service on an eff
cient and meritorious basis.
| Senator Harding has well said
that our foreign service is our first
line of defense. In pacific and COM
mercial sense it is our first line of
offense as well. Our diplomacy as
expressed in our foreign policies has
vital effect upon our foreign trade,
declares Candidate Harding. The con-
sular service built by Republican
genius is excellent, but the lack of
an organization to collect and digest
information about current political
affairs in other countries has become
notorious.|It is equally notorious that
what has amounted to the sale of the
higher diplomatic posts in very recent
| times was responsible in no small de-
gree for our entering the Great War
uninformed and unprepared. Men
whose claim to share in party spoils
seemed to be in direct ratio to their
contributions to the party campaign
chest were appointed with little or
no consideration Of their fitness for
diplomatic office.
Government scholarships in ap-
proved educational institutions, re-
classification and regarding. the ap-
plication of the rule Of merit, respec-
table local allowances to foreign Off
GERS, when justified. and an equi-
table provision for retirement pay, are
the salient features of the reforma-
ton to be accomplished. The advis-
ability of the United States owning
its foreign service residences is also
an important point in the scheme.
1t is practically certain that the an
nual appropriation contemplated in
this plan would aggregate less than
the annual receipts now being covered
into the Treasury through the i'm
position of fees for services per-
formed by foreign officers on behalf
Of foreigners. For example, 1t is es-
timated by the State Department that
the receipts from the consular ser
vice alone for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1921, will exceed by not less
than $5,5OO,O00 the total cost of up
keep of the consular establishment.
While this has been a somewhat ab-
normal year, 1t is confidently predic-
ted that the fees legalized and ex-
acted from foreigners will exceed the
upkeep Of the service by an average
of not less than 100000 annually
in the future. Services performed by
foreign officers on behalf Of Ameri-
cans are, OF course, gratis as part
OF the duties Of such officers, and
those services are well-night innu-
merable.
"The principal feature Of the sug-
gested plan deals with the method
for recruitment of the foreign service
with view to abolishing the spoils
system. Tentatively. students who
have for two years pursued general
cultural course in educational insti-
tutions Of approved standard, and
who have been properly certified. and
others who can give satisfactory evil
dence Of possessing the requisite
qualifications for foreign service.
shall. after passing competitive tests,
be granted government scholarships
for two-year period In schools OF
their own choosing; provided the
courses in diplomacy and commerce
given by such schools are such as
commend themselves to Board OF
Selection; and. provided further, that
the donees enter into a binding agree
ment that they will we'll and faith.
fully perform the duties imposed by
the scholarship, and. in addition, will
remain in the foreign service Of the
United States for not less than five
years running from the date Of com
pletion OF the scholarship. unless
sooner released by the Government
The amount Of the scholarship is