Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1923-01-12
DIPLOMATIC CAREERS
MAY OPEN TO AVER
AGE AMERICAN


By International Labor News Service
Washington, d. C.. Jan. 1.-THE
doors Of diplomacy may soon open 70
democracy. Member Of the diplo-
matte and consular service Of the
United States, consisting almost en-
urely OF rich young men from the
yellow crust Of society, will soon have
some real competition from men who
must earn a living as they go. Con-
gress appears about TO authorize the
payment of adequate salaries, discard
the fancy titles of diplomatic and
consular service, and 10 lump the
work of handling international rela-
tionships under the designation OF
foreign service of the United
States"
After weeks of hearings on
Representative Rogers bill for
the reorganization and improve
ment of the foreign service, the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, Is
just starting a week of executive
sessions to redraft the measure
with amendments, after which
the bill will be reported to Con-
gress.
DCtduSC VI EOGidi itS HDlleiDiiAAiNe
and the necessity of keeping up ap-
pearances commensurate with the
dignity of the jobs, the salaries paid
have meant little to persons in the
diplomatic \ and consular services.
Only rich men could afford to take
the jobs, and these took them not
so much because of the service they
could render but because of the social
prestige which they would acquire.
Lavish entertainment, residence in
the most exclusive sections, elaborate
wardrobes, and the savoire faire Of
the practiced tea hound are not pos
sible on a $1,000 salary. Nobody
without a private income was admit
ted to the service. Democracy was
not represented.
A man of poor but honest" par
ents did not choose a career in the
diplomatic or consular service after
investigation of its responsibilities.
The social and financial requirements
left little room for consideration of
individual merit. The higher up the
scale person climbed the greater
became the strain until, as everybody
knows, only millionaire could
qualify as minister to foreign coun-
try. Even the job of Secretary of
State does not provide a salary suf-
ficient to maintain the required stan
dard of living. William Jennings
Bryan, the commoner, had to go out
on chautauqua tours to supplement
his salary as Secretary of State,
while the rest of the diplomatic group
who were above the necessity of earn
ing living threw up their hands in
horror 1t is said that Secretary
Hughes, whose private income is not
inconsiderable, is not enjoying the
job of making both ends meet.
Soon, however, the ambitious
young man will be encouraged by the
following salaries for officers in the
foreign service: Ambassadors and
as now or hereafter pro-
service officer, class
one, $4,000; foreign service officer,
class two, $4,000; foreign service Off
GER, class three, $1,000; foreign serv-
ice officer, class four, $4,000, and so
on down to class nine, with mini
mum of $4,000.
At that the salaries will not be
sufficient for an ordinary man to lay
by anything for a rainy day. That is
taken care of by the government it.
self in the form of annuities to be
paid upon retirement, these anuuities
ranging from $875, minimum, to
$4,000, maximum. This will at least
enable a person who has given a life
time of Service to the United States
to die in responsibility.