The Washington herald., 1921-02-23
BY s. d. CoNGER-
Especial Correspondsncs to
The Washineton Herald. }

Especial Corrsspondencs TO
The Warrington Hsrald.)
BERLIN, Feb. 1o.-Today when
the highest Official in Germany is
a saddlemaker. when the premier
of Poland wears the high boots and
rough clothes of the peasant lad
and when the oficials of most of
the states of Central Europe are
drawn largely from the working
classes, the American diplomat can
no longer confine his intercourse to
nobility and society.
A cardinal feature of the reform
of the American diplomatic and con-
sular service, necessitated by these
new conditions in Europe, is a thor
ough democratization of the man.
ners of thought and work of the
service.
The day is passed when any gov
ernment was the prerogative of the
so-called higher classes" when the
higher Offices were held largely by
members of the aristocrary or 9TH
ers with the proper social cachet
and when diplomacy employed
largely social instruments.
Awake to New Order.
The practice in the American COM
mission in Berlin, chosen as an ex-
ample because 1 am most familiar
with this establishment of the serv-
ice. shows that the younger mem
bers of the service are already
awake to the necessities of the new
order.
Luncheon guests one day include
the chancellor or other high govern
ment officials; the next, perhaps,
labor leaders, business men or bank
ers who know something of inter-
est or value to the American world:
on another occasion radicals of so
pronounced a stamp that the Duke
Of This or Count That, who formerly
gave the tone, would scornfully
class them as Bolshevists. All of
them, however. have something to
impart, play some role in the new
scheme of things.
The American representatives, too,
reach out in all directions and are
encountered in all sorts of unex-
pected places. / have encountered
their trails, for instance, in the la
Dor and food bureaus of the Berlin
City Hall in the Federation of Labor
headquarters. in the labor districts
of North Berlin during the disorders
following the Kapp week and in the
riotous Ruhr coal regions.
Dine In Modest Restaurant.
Two of the secretaries of the Ber-
lin mission were, for example, en-
countered at lunch the other day in
one of the modest Berlin restaurants
one of the kind that goes in for
scrubbed oak tabletops without
and pewter adornments
on the mantel. With them was a
man whose features
were familiar and who, 1t turned
out was vice president of the
Miners Federation Toward the
close of the luncheon there was an
outburst of merriment, and as i
heard the story IL turned
out that the guest who had met
them in the Ruhr had remarked:
you told me that you were not
in town here on business but in
some government service. Precisely
what is your ofice?"
They owned up that they were
in the American mission,
whereupon the miner looked at them
In startled way and said: You
are not diplomats, are you?" They
admitted the impeachment, where
upon the old miner threw back his
head with a roar of laughter and
declared, But you're not a bit like
what / supposed a diplomat was"
Sends birthday Cake.
A few days later a letter and a
package of cake came from the
miner to one of the secretaries on
his birthday.
Such, rather than entertaining the
Kaiser at dinner or outshining other
ambassadors with fancy dress ball,
IRE the new functions to which the
american diplomat of the future
must accustom himself in rebuilt
europe. The American is known as
IN adaptive creature and the service |
must adapt itself to the new condi- |
ions-a task which should be easier |
or 1t than for some of the more |
services of Europe with |
heir long traditions of exclusive
less.
1t cannot. however, be run on a |
as in the past, with the |
lppointees largely paying their own
vay and that Of the foreign estab- |
ishments and taking their reward
rom the social prominence con-
erred or from a simple love of do
ng. Ample returns for any invest
nent of government funds are in |
light In benefits to American busi-
less and American prestige abroad.
Reforms Needed In Service.
In the sixteen years have passed
q Europe there has been scarcely n
month In which some new or old
'roject for Improving the United |
'tates Diplomatic and Consular Ser
ice has not been broached. 4
Suggested reforms of our foreign
ervice have covered q Wide range.
rom providing slife career for our |
udding diplomats. starting with an
pprenticeship in banks or com
1erciai houses and courses In Lam
'uages and diplomacy in special
chools, and ending with an old are (
etirement pension, to proposals 70 l
bolfsh our present service, junk its \
membership and replace our pres /
nj representatives with successful
usiness men.