The Colorado statesman., 1922-08-26

| An examination of the records or
appointments of ambassadors, minis
ters, ministers resident and agents in
| the diplomatic service of the United
States since March 1, 1921, made by
the National Civil Service Reform
| league, seems to indicate that an earn
est effort has been made to retain
the services of men of experience and
to appoint to diplomatic posts persons
with qualifications in diplomacy.
OF the total of nine ambassadors
| appointed by this administration, the
/ League finds that five are John w.
/ Riddle, formerly ambassador to Rus
| sia, appointed ambassador to Argen-
/ tina; Henry +. Fletcher, formerly am
| bassador TO Mexico, appointed to Bel
| GUM; William NJ. Collier, formerly
minister to Spain, appointed ambassa'
dor to Chile; Myron Il. Herrick, re-
appointed ambassador to France, and
/ Cyrus Il. Woods, formerly minister to
Portugal, appointed ambassador to
| Spain. Besides these ambassadors
appointed by President Harding. Ed
win V. Morgan, who was appointed
ambassador to Brazil by President
Taft In 1912, has been retained by
the present administration.
Out of total of 80 ministers now
serving in the diplomatic corps. six
have had previous experience in the
diplomatic service and eight are ap-
pointees of previous administrations
retained by the present administra-
ton. OF these eight ministers six
were promoted from the grade of sec
retary in the diplomatic service by
President Wilson and retained by
President Harding. One of the minis
ters given appointment by President
Harding was promoted from the grade
of secretary in the diplomatic service.
This is Charles S. Wilson, minister to
Bulgaria.
Good Record for First Year.
Two agents and consuls general and
one minister resident and consul gen
eral, in addition TO 16 ministers and
four ambassadors, made up total or
% appointments of persons without
any previous experience.
While many of the % appointments
made of persons without previous dip
lomatic experience operated as rec
! ognition of political obligations, the
evil of such appointments, the league
says, is largely abated by the present
administration and contrasts favor
ably with the records of the first year
of the other administrations. For
this record President Harding and
Secretary Hughes are to be commend
ed. President Harding is furthermore,
/ i, bn VT nf hn deserving
of commendation in that he selected
for secretary Of state man of the
highest qualifications and one devoted
to the merit principle.
A still better showing is found, how
ever, in turning to the consular serv-
ice, where an unequaled record of ad.
herence TO the merit system has been
made. During the first Is months of
the administration of President Hard
ing there has not been a single eX.
ception to the rules requiring appoint
ments through examination in the
consular service. The original ap-
pointments have all been made strict
ly in accordance with executive orders
and the promotions in the service
have been based more strictly than
ever before upon an impartial determi-
nation of the relative efficiency of the
officers in the service. The basis of
the promotions made is report of
the relative merit of all the officers
In the consular service prepared by
a board of review showing the relative
efficiency of the various officers.
Consular Showing Is Excellent.
Out of 102 appointments to posts
in the consular service, 10 have been
to the grade of consul, class (the
lowest grade), as the result of en-
trance examinations. The remaining
81 appointments of consuls and con-
/ suls general have constituted promo
tions of men all of them having an
average of ten years experience. The
three consular inspectors whose ap-
Dointments are included in this nun.
ber entered the service after eXami.
nation, one as student interpreter, an.
other as consular assistant and the
third as consul with previous expert.
ence as vice-consul not of career.
In the secretarial grades of the dip
lomatic service there have been total
of 3S appointments, II of which have
been original appointments in the low.
est class (class 4) through eXamina.
ton. The remaining 81 have been of
four secretaries, class l, with an av.
erage of IL years experience each,
and ten secretaries of class 8, with
an average of six years experience
each.
Among the recommendations made
by the leagues committee on foreign
service perhaps the most important
is that which urges that political con-
siderations be entirely eliminated and
that the merit principle be applied to
onI In, +ho