Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-02-19
STATE DEPARTMENT FUNCTIONS
EXPLAINED BY REPRESENTATIVE
DAVENPORT In HOUSE ADDRESS

astrophe of 1914 the secretary OF
state was far from being an over
burdened man, and glorious old AS
sistant Secretary Adee icould carry
the historical continuity of the de-
partment under his hat. But that
day Isl gone by never to return
Foreign nations are all our next
door neighbors, and we are sud
denly the greatest economic ana
political entity that the world ever
saw. We are developing a vast re-.
servoir of capital. We are financ-
ing the world. We have eleven bill
lions invested in foreign countries
now and are adding to 1t at the
rate of a billion year. A billion
in the last few years has gone into
reviving and Woodworking Cor
many. Capital is flowing into
South America, which is normally
our field, at a terrific rate. And
nothing can stop il anywhere.
"Citizens go with it, Internation-
al law and order and sound and
free International relations and
hig holy intelligent international
leadership in Washington are the
breath OF life to American business.
BUSINESS associations are coming to
see that, while it is important to
work with the department of COM
merce, continuing prosperity and
safety in ithe international field de-
pend fundamentally upon the de-
partment of state When the ship
per gets into trouble, when carCoes
are seized, when foreign govern
ments undertake to lay down rules
and to countenance practices which
cause forfeiture of the rights of our
people or encroach upon ordinary
privileges, the department of state
is, the place to which the trouble
victim goes for relief. The depart
ment of state furnishes the approach
to the foreign government, and up
on the intelligence and skill and
good spirit with which the case Is
presented depends the likelihood of
a remedy; and this entirely aside
from the Iu5e of force and in an
entirely different arena. The
French government alters it's tariff
relations with the United States.
1nstantly the department of |state is
the center upon which all lines
converge. Everybody hastens there
to see what is to be done about it;
what representations can ! be made
to France. And as the result of
the immediate and energetic work
of the department of state the
French government changes its po-
sition, agrees to enter into negotia-
tions for a friendly commercial
treaty, giving advantageous rates to
American business in the meantime,
being persuaded by the department
of, state that in the end this is best
for the interests of both countries.
The department Of state oc-
cupies, or should OCCUPY, in modern
life the place of pre-eminence
among departments. 1t holds a pc
culiar relation TO the executive. 1t
is the right arm of the president
i'll dealing with foreign countries,
1t is the only department which
makes no report To congress.
"The department of state is
charged with maintaining peace,
with keeping the boat from rock
ing, with getting rid of many strain
I ed relations which eventually may
result in war. It's Sgreat function is
to prevent war War is, the faiiurc
Eof diplomacy The department Of
state is the first line of defense. 1t
is par excellence the department of
peace. If this department is feebly
organized, if it has deteriorated into
a parlous condition, then the coun-
try is in danger as from the de-
cline of no great department of
government Whatsoever.
Nov, what are the facts? In
the beginning we were alive as
nation to the great need of skillful
leadership in foreign affairs, and
we were not obliged to depend
widely upon unframed diplomats
or a white spat corps. The expe-
rienees of the colonies with foreign
countries had developed ia keenness