Evening star., 1924-12-14

Y the value of the foreign service
of the United States could be
measured in dollars and cents,
i it would be found to run into
the tens, perhaps hundreds. of
millions Of dollars annually. But
there is no way Of estimating, even
approximately. the value Of this serv-
ice. A large part of it is intangible.
What are good relations with the
other nations of the world worth?
That is the basis on which much of
the work done abroad by American
ambassadors and other diplomatic and
consular representatives would have
to be measured; and no yardstick has
yet been devised which will tell how
much a neighbor's goodwill is worth.
Every person in the foreign service
Of the United States is an "ambassa-
dor of goodwill from this country
to the people of other nations, where
he is stationed. The monetary cost of
this service, however, is known. 1t is
revealed in the annual appropriations
for the State Department. The budget
which has just been sent to Congress
shows that for the coming fiscal year
this expenditure, will amount to less
than 10 cents for each man. woman
and child in the United States-a ri
diculously low figure, when compared
with the real benefits derived. This
is after making reductions for pass
port and other fees which make the
State Department to a considerable
degree self-supporting;
Appropriations Small.
Not only on a per capita basis, but
in comparison with the total amount
expended for all Government pur-
poses, is the State Department ap-
propriation small. The estimate for
the coming year gives the State De-
partmeht 81 out of every 1921
for all branches of the Government.
The foreign service branch is allowed
s16,13O,652 out of a total of S3,729,-
519,S46 1t is a reduction of $134,l03
over the amount appropriated last
year for the State Department.
The actual expenditures of the
State Department, however, are con-
siderably less than the appropriations
would make them appear. In fact,
they total only about $10,000,00O, II
reduction were made of the moneys
which are collected for passport and
wise fees and consular charges.
other charges are made against
the State Department which in reality
do not belong there, not being part
Of the departments operating eX-
penditures and which might properly
be charged against foreign debt or
some other general Government ac-
count. The largest of these Is the
$5,0OO,O00 which is now being paid
annually to Colombia as an obliga-
ton of the treaty negotiated with
that country some years ago follow
ing the secession of Panama and
finally approved in 1921, under which
the United States agreed to pay
Colombia s25,000,000 in five INSTALL
ments. Two more fnstallments re-
main to be paid. In addition there
are a number of other expenditures
connected with foreign affairs and
which concern this country's relations
with other countries. and yet which
are not strictly State Department ex-
penses. They are included, however,
in that departments budget.
In Class by Itself.
The work of the State Department
Is so important to the welfare OF the
United States in it's foreign relations
that many persons think 1t should be
placed in class by itself. Its ex-
penditures are so reasonable In pro-
portion to the amount and the value
of the service rendered that 1t should
not be hampered. they point out, by