The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-03-10
OrGouerument
How 1t Operates
BY William Bruckart
DEPARTMENT OF STATE


7 LEARNED when I was attending
L country school and studied "The
Principles of Civil Government" that
the secretary of state was the rank
Ing official of the Presidents cabinet,
and that he would succeed to the Pres
idency In event of the death or dis
qualification of the President and the
Vice President. The worthy textbook
also gave some meager ideas OF how
the secretary 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 Unit
ed States and other governments
somehow was clear enough, but it was
not until years later that ! became
aware of the important functions he
performs in matters appertaining to
purely domestic affairs.
Nearly all Of the governments OF
the world maintain an Office, usually
designated as the ministry of foreign
affairs, which considers and acts on
nothing excepting questions between
governments. Our Department of
State does that, but it's other work Is
equally important. 1t Is because OF
the form of our government and the
fact that our nation Is made up OF
sovereign states that it is better to
correlate the functions In one agency.
No better illustration can be found
perhaps of how the Department Of
States serves In domestic affairs than
the fact that the secretary of state
formally publishes all laws and reso-
buttons enacted by congress. 1t may
be just formality after all, but new
ertheless every act Of congress passes
across the desk of the secretary, or
some one acting for him, before be-
coming the law of the land.
In order to make this phase Of his
work clear. consider the course fol-
lowed by a resolution of congress
amending the Constitution. 1t never
goes to the President at all; the Sec
rotary of state receives it direct from
congress. and In turn transmits 1t to
the secretaries of state of each of the
states. After the respective state leg
islatures 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
1t, the secretary Of state announces
1t as a part of the Constitution.
In correspondence which the Presi-
dent has with the governors of the
several states, the communications
pass through the hands Of the secre-
tary of state so that he stands actual
ly as the medium by which the states
and the federal government are In
contact.
Mention was made earlier of the
great seal Of the Union. It is care
fully protected by the secretary of
state and it's preservation is just as
important as are the copies of treaties
with foreign governments, executive
proclamations aJand commissions to
which that seal is affixed after they
have been signed by the secretary of
state. Whenever fugitive from jus
tice-a criminal or one charged with
q crime who has escaped to foreign
lands sought to be returned to the
United States, the warrant for extra
dition from the land of his refuge must
bear the signature Of the secretary
of state and have the great seal af-
fixed.
Now as to the other phase of the
dual job handled by the Department
Of State: that agency is the fountain
head Of the nations foreign policy.
In other words, it is the place in which
the views of the United States, as
nation. on all questions affecting an
other government, are formulated. be-
cause foreign policy after all is moth
ing but settled opinion pursuant to
those views. They have their origin
among the men who are conversant
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 q con-
tract, arranged between the nations,
the fundamentals always are worked
out under the supervision Of the Sec
rotary Of state.
From this 1t Is easy to understand
why there is necessity for the far
flung service of diplomats who Off
cially represent the United States in
every nation Of the world. The high
est rank of these, of course, is the
ambassador extraordinary and pleni-
potentiary. After that rank is the en-
voy extraordinary and minister pleni-
potentiary. Then come the consul gen.
eral, 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
in touch with an official of his own
nationality.
It is equally easy to comprehend
how the relations between the United
States and any other government are
maintained, for any one of the off.
Gals mentioned above overlooks moth.
ing that will engender good will for
his government
There are treaties of amity and
commerce and there are special trea-
ties on specific questions such as
that recently negotiated with Canada
and relating to development of the st.
Lawrence deep waterway to the At.
lantic. Every one Of these had their
beginnings In the Department of State