Evening star., 1923-02-01
FOREIGN SERVICE
ON LAP Of GODS
Future Usefulness Declared
to Hinge on Fate of Rog-
ers Bill in Congress.
PROVIDES MANY CHANGES
Would Put Diplomatic and Con-
sular Offices on Same Plane
and Increase Pay.
PROVIDES MANY CHANGES
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.


Whether the United States is ever
to have a foreign service worthy OF
the name depends upon the enact
ment of the Rogers bill. just report
ed favorably by the House committee
on foreign relations. The bill is the
elimination of six years incessant
effort to put our diplomatic and con-
sular services on a business basis.
Successive Congresses and regimes al
the State Department have struggled
with the problem. For a variety of
reasons real progress was never
achieved. One man has kept ever
lastingly at it-Wilbur ]. Carr, d.
rector of the consular bureau. since
1909 and an official of the State De-
partment uninterruptedly since 1892.
Mr.. Carr disclaims authorship of the
Rogers bill. but his friends declare it
is the product of his brain.
If the present far-reac aching attempt
to "reorganize and improve the for
eign service, to use the language of
the bill. is abortive, the diplomatic
and consular branches Of the United
States government will continue to be
the playground of politicians, pa
tronage-mongers and young men
fresh from the gold coasts" of fash
fonable universities.
May Prevent Wars.
Merely efficient and ambitious
Americans, as since time immemorial,
will find it impossible to embark
upon a career which should comamnd
the services of the most intelligent
nd N no
country. Secretary Hughes has chris
tened his department the Depart
ment of Peace" Upon the activities
of its representatives in foreign lands.
conceivably, might some time depend
the issue of war or peace for the
United States. Those who urge the
Importance of passing the Rogers bill
are stressing that point. They hope
it may carry weight with members
of Congress accustomed to look with
disdain upon "furrin affairs" and con-
slider them a miserable side issue
There is, in fact, no issue that out
ranks in importance the necessity of
manning our embassies, legations and
consulates abroad with keen-witted
men. The idea behind the Rogers bill
is that we shall not find that kind of
men unless we offer them reasona BILE
inducements to dedicate their lives to
the career. They must have what Sam
uel Gompers terms "a living wage
according to the cost of living at their
points of service. They must have the
assurance that they will not be
"scrapped" at the end of long and
faithful service without retirement al
lowanceS.
Purposes Explained.
In a letter to President Harding,
Representative John Jacob Rogers Of
Massachusetts. who sponsors the for
poses as follows:
!. The adoption of new and uni
form salary scale with a view to broad
ening the field of selection by elimi-
mating the necessity for private in
comes and permitting the rela tive mer-
It's of candidates to be adjudged on the
basis of ability alone.
2. The amalgamation of the diplo-
matte and consular branches into q
single foreign service on an inter-
changeable basis. This would relieve
the limitations of the present consular
career and effectually coordinate the
political and the economic branches Of
the service.
3. The granting of representation al
lowances, which would lessen the de-
mands on the private fortunes of am
bassadors and ministers and render it
practicable to promote a greater num-
Der of trained officers to those posi-
tions.
4. The extension of the civil service
retirement act, with appropriate mod
1hcations, to the foreign service, This
mas become necessary for maintain
the desired standard of efficiency
under the merit system.
Where Oppositfon Lies.
Supporters Of the bill expect such
opposition as develops in House and
Senate to be based on its financial
provisions, calling for more pay for
foreign service officers and appropria-
tions for retirement pensions. The
from $4,000 to $4,000. with two posts
Iondon and Paris)) at $4,000: that
OF diplomatic secretaries from $4,000
to $4,000. The proposed new scale
| would subdivide these posts into nine
classes, ranging from $1,000 to 90, 900.
of prime Importance. 1T will permit
transfers of diplomatic officers to the
consular service, and of consular off1- :
cials into the diplomatic branch. Some
of the long-intrenched diplomatic set
traditionally have looked askance at
consular colleagues There may be
a social lobby" against the feature
of the bill that proposes at a sWoop
to blot out the distinction between
diplomats and consuls, and label them
GERS with equal rank.
Members OF either House or Senate
who may shy at tho Rogers bill on
the ground OF expense need to be re-
minded that Uncle Sans foreign
service Is an asset and not q liability.
Receipts from passports and invoice
fees mount up q total vastly In OK
cess Of the ACTUAL cost Of the diplo-
matic and consular branches. At one
other primary thing tho Rogers bill
aims-to put our foreign service mon
on level approximating that of their
foreign colleagues The ignomfny
OF small pay and lack OF official hous-
ing facilities under which our repre-
sentatives abroad now suffer Ill be-
comes a country whose Treasury is
bulging with nearly two-thirds of
all the gold there is in the world
lCopyrglt, 1a2a.l