Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-07-10
The HQSkin Letter e.
NEED OF TRAINED DIPLOMATS.

Washington, d. c.. July 7.-Secre-
tary of State Hughes. in addressing
a recent university commencement
Importance of the work of the diplo-
matte corps and showed the need of
the country for trained diplomatic rep
resentatives Of the highest skill.
This has long bee a defeated question
in American government and recently
there has been a growing opinion that
the state department should be taken
almost completely out of politics and
developed along more scientific lines,
more in the name of the army and
navy. The theory is that the state de-
partment's staff which deals with for
eign relations should be somewhat COM
parable to the army and war college.
1t has been a legacy of the American
system of democratic government that
change in office-holding with
change in political administration; that.
to preserve the direct responsibility OF
all officers of the government to the
people. those elected should dismiss the
appointees of the defeated administra-
ton and name new ones of the victori-
Gus political faith.
Scant objection. if any, ever had
',Shi % " thlS Z hittit wv
peace conference at Paris. Here came
an occasion when the most highly skill
ed trained diplomats of the world gath
cred to determine the destiny of ma
tons. 1t was recognized that the
United States was represented by dis
tinguished statesmen. politicians and
soldiers but that the other powers
brought to the peace table men with
far more experience in the wiles Of
diplomacy which, now as much in the
days of the Medicis, is a Machiavellian
business.
Robert Lansing. the American secre-
tary OF state, was an international law
yer, and Henry White, a member Of
the delegation. had served as an Amer
lean ambassador. The other members
OF the delegation were not practiced
diplomats. Indeed, Secretary Lansing
and Mr.. White in point of experience
fell far short of the men they faced.
There has been no more criticism of
what the American delegation did than
of what was accomplished by other ma
tional delegations, but the conference
did strongly impress upon the minds
of all Americans who saw it or partici-
pated even indirectly in it Americas
need for more highly skilled diplomats.
England Trains Them Young
In England. diplomats are trained
from youth. A young man upon lcav-
ing preparatory school is destined for
the diplomatic corps. Consideration is
given this when he enters college and
his course of study is planned accord
ingly. Upon graduation he enters the
foreign office which is the British
equivalent for our department of state.
At first he will serve. perhaps. merely
Ms a messenger, in no case as more
than a sub-clerk. Gradually, he works
up through the years and after awhile
is appointed as an undersecretary or
clerk in the legation OF Great Britain
at some small foreign capital. Usually
he is approaching middle age before he
becomes a full-fledged minister. After
yet further experiences. he finally
achieves the rank of amba ssador, NOV
ing by successive promotion to the
more important capitals. BY the time
he becomes ambassador at a capital
like Paris, Berlin. or Washington he
is a diplomat who knows every trick
of the profession and is so deeply
versed III tho foreign policy of his
country that II is second nature for
him to avoid pitfalls into which an in
experienced diplomat would fall.
The same scientific method of train
ing diplomats is pursued in France.
and other nations. The re-
suit is that when a great peace con
comes there are men ready TO
the large affairs to be neloti-
This system is being introduced
gradually in the United States. prcsi-
dent Harding has announced that he
the retention of capable GIplo-
in the service an1 he has pro
NOTED men who were serving under
the last democratic administration.
Only in one notable case did Presi-
dent Wilson adopt this system nj re-
diplomat. DR.. Maurice Francis
was appointed as minister 10
several years ago ny a re-
publican president. When n new ,tesi- |
dent is inauguratcd. it is customary
all ministers and ambassadors %
send in their formal designations.
Or. Egan was recognized rs m abla
and he was well satisfied with