The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-02-22
Our Government
How Il Operates
By William Bruckayf
DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Principles Of Civil Government"
that the secretary of state was the
ranking official of the Presidents
cabinet, and that he would succeed
to the Presidency in the event of
the death or the disqualification of
the President and the Vice Presi.
dent. The worthy textbook also gave
some meager ideas of how the sec
rotary of state handled all of the
foreign relations of our govern
ment, and that he was the keeper
OF the great seal of the Union.
The fact that the secretary of
state Is the intermediary between
the United States and other govern.
ments somehow was clear enough,
but 1t was not until years later that
! became aware of the important
functions he performs in matters
appertaining to purely domestic af-
fairs.
Nearly all of the governments of
the world maintain an office, usu.
ally designated as the ministry of
foreign affairs, which considers and
acts on nothing except questions be
tween governments. Our Depart
ment of State does that, but its
other work is equally important.
No better illustration can De
found perhaps of how the Depart
ment of State serves in domestic
affairs than the fact that the secre.
tary OF state formally publishes all
laws and resolutions enacted by
congress. It may be just formal
ity after all, but nevertheless every
act of congress passes across the
desk of the secretary, or some one
acting for him, before becoming the
law of the land
In order to make this phase of
his work clear, consider the course
followed by a resolution of con.
gress amending the Constitution. Ii
never goes to the President at all.
the secretary of state receives it di,
rect from congress, and in turn
transmits it to the secretaries of
state of each of the states. After
the respective state legislatures
have acted, their secretary of state
advises the secretary of state of the
federal government and when SO OF
the 4S states have approved of it,
the secretary of state announces il
as part of the Constitution.
In correspondence which the Pres
tdent has with the governors of the
several states, the communications
pass through the hands of the sec
rotary of state so that he stands
actually as the medium by which
the states and the federal govern.
nent are In contact.
Mention was made earlier of the
great seal of the Union. 1t is care
fully protected by the secretary of
Estate and its preservation is just as
important as are the copies of
treaties with foreign governments.
executive proclamations and com
missions to which that seal is af-
fixed after they have been signed
by the secretary of state. When.
ever a fugitive from justice-a
criminal or one charged with a
crime who has escaped to a foreign
land-is sought to be returned to
the United States, the warrant for
extradition from the land of his ref
uge must bear the signature of the
secretary of state and have the
great seal affixed.
Now as to the other phase of the
dual job handled by the Department
of State; that agency is the foun-
tain head of the nations foreign
policy. In other words, 1t is the
place in which the views of the
United States, as a nation, on all
questions affecting another govern.
ment, are formulated, because for,
eign policy after all is nothing but
settled opinion pursuant to those
views. They have their origin
among the men who are conyersant
with all details Of the problem and
while they require the sanction of
the President always, and of the
senate when there is an agreement,
or a contract, arranged between the
nations, the fundamentals always
are worked out under the supervi-
sion of the secretary of state.
From this 1t is easy to under
stand why there is a necessity for
the far-fung service OF diplomats
who officially represent the United
States In every nation of the world.
The highest rank of these. OF course,
is the ambassador extraordinary
and plenipOtentiary. After that
rank Is the envoy extraordinary and
minister plenipotentiary. Then come
the consul general. the vice consul
and consuls, so that throughout the
world a citizen OF the United States
need travel only short distances
anywhere until he Is Ia touch with
an official Of bis own nationality.
1t Is equally easy to comprehend
how the relations between the
GATED States and any other gov
eminent are maintained. for any
one of the officials mentioned above
overlooks nothing that win engender
good win for his government.
There are treaties Of anity and
commerce and there are special
treaties Of specific questions such
as that recently negotiated With
Canada and relating to the devei-
opment OF the st. Lawrence deep