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that　there　is　no　guarantee　of　employment　to　them；　even　if　they



fit　themselves　admirably；　no　security　in　their　tenure　of　office；



even　if　they　were　appointed；　and　little；　if　any；　probability　of



their　promotion；　however　excellent　their　record。　Moreover；　I　have



felt　obliged　to　tell　them　that　the　service；　such　as　it　is；



especially　as　regards　ambassadors　and　ministers；　is　a　service



with　a　property　qualification；　that　it　is　not　a　democratic



service　resting　upon　merit；　but　an　aristocratic　service　resting



largely　upon　wealth；a　very　importantindeed；



essentialqualification　for　it　being　that　any　American　who



serves　as　ambassador　must；　as　a　rule；　be　able　to　expend；　in



addition　to　his　salary；　at　least　from　twelve　to　twenty　thousand



dollars　a　year；　and　that　the　demands　upon　ministers



plenipotentiary　are　but　little　less。







And　yet；　if　Congress　would　seriously　give　attention　to　the



matter；　calling　before　a　proper　committee　those　of　its　own



members；　and　others；　who　are　well　acquainted　with　the　necessities



of　the　service；　and　would　take　common…sense　advice；　it　could



easily　be　made　one　of　the　best；　and　quite　possibly　the　best；　in



the　world。　The　most　essential　and　desirable　improvements　which　I



would　present　are　as　follows：







I。　As　regards　the　first　and　highest　grade　in　the　diplomatic



service；　that　of　ambassadors；　I　would　have　at　least　one　half



their　whole　number　appointed　from　those　who　have　distinguished



themselves　as　ministers　plenipotentiary；　and　the　remaining　posts



filled；　as　at　present；　from　those　who；　in　public　life　or　in　other



important　fields；　have　won　recognition　at　home　as　men　fit　to



maintain　the　character　and　represent　the　interests　of　their



country　abroad。







II。　As　regards　the　second　grade　in　the　service；namely；　that　of



ministers　plenipotentiary；I　would　observe　the　same　rule　as　in



appointing　ambassadors；　having　at　least　a　majority　of　these　at



the　leading　capitals　appointed　from　such　as　shall　have　especially



distinguished　themselves　at　the　less　important　capitals；　and　a



majority　of　the　ministers　plenipotentiary　at　these　less　important



capitals　appointed　from　those　who　shall　have　distinguished



themselves　as　ministers　resident；　or　as　secretaries　of　embassy　or



of　legation。







III。　As　to　the　third　grade　in　our　service；　that　of　ministers



resident；　I　would　observe　the　general　rule　above　suggested　for



the　appointment　of　ambassadors　and　ministers　plenipotentiary；



that　is；　I　would　appoint　a　majority　of　them　from　among　those　who



shall　have　rendered　most　distinguished　service　as　first



secretaries　of　embassy　or　of　legation。　When　once　appointed　I



would　have　them　advanced；　for　distinguished　service；　from　the



less　to　the　more　important　capitals；　and；　so　far　as　possible；



from　the　ranks　of　ministers　resident　to　those　of　ministers



plenipotentiary。







IV。　As　to　the　lower　or　special　or　temporary　grades；　whether　that



of　diplomatic　agent　or　special　charge　d'affaires　or　commissioner；



I　would　have　appointments　made　from　the　diplomatic　or　consular



service；　or　from　public　life　in　general；　or　from　fitting　men　in



private　life；　as　the　President　or　the　Secretary　of　State　might



think　the　most　conducive　to　the　public　interest。







V。　I　would　have　two　grades　of　secretaries　of　legation；　and　three



grades　of　secretaries　of　embassy。　I　would　have　the　lowest　grade



of　secretaries　appointed　on　the　recommendation　of　the　Secretary



of　State　from　those　who　have　shown　themselves；　on　due



examination；　best　qualified　in　certain　leading　subjects；　such　as



international　law；　the　common　law；　the　civil　law；　the　history　of



treaties；　and　general　modern　history；　political　economy；　a



speaking　knowledge　of　French；　and　a　reading　knowledge　of　at　least



one　other　foreign　language。　I　would　make　the　examination　in　all



the　above　subjects　strict；　and　would　oblige　the　Secretary　of



State　to　make　his　selection　of　secretaries　of　legation　from　the



men　thus　presented。　But；　in　view　of　the　importance　of　various



personal　qualifications　which　fit　men　to　influence　their



fellow…men；　and　which　cannot　be　ascertained　wholly　by



examination；　I　would　leave　the　Secretary　of　State　full　liberty　of



choice　among　those　who　have　honorably　passed　the　examinations



above　required。　The　men　thus　selected　and　approved　I　would　have



appointed　as　secretaries　of　lower　grades；that　is；　third



secretaries　of　embassy　and　second　secretaries　of　legation；and



these；　when　once　appointed；　should　be　promoted；　for　good　service；



to　the　higher　secretaryships　of　embassy　and　legation；　and　from



the　less　to　the　more　important　capitals；　under　such　rules　as　the



State　Department　might　find　most　conducive　to　the　efficiency　of



the　service。　No　secretaries　of　any　grade　should　thereafter　be



appointed　who　had　not　passed　the　examinations　required　for　the



lowest　grade　of　secretaries　as　above　provided；　but　all　who　had



already　been　in　the　service　during　two　years　should　be　eligible



for　promotion；　without　any　further　examination；　from　whatever



post　they　might　be　occupying。







VI。　I　would　attach　to　every　embassy　three　secretaries；　to　every



legation　two；　and　to　every　post　of　minister　resident　at　least



one。







One　of　the　thoroughly　wise　arrangements　of　every　British　embassy



or　legationan　arrangement　which　has　gone　for　much　in　Great



Britain's　remarkable　series　of　diplomatic　successes　throughout



the　worldis　to　be　seen　in　her　maintaining　at　every　capital　a



full　number　of　secretaries　and　attaches；　who　serve　not　only　in



keeping　the　current　office　work　in　the　highest　efficiency；　but



who　become；　as　it　were；　the　ANTENNAE　of　the　ambassador　or



ministeradditional　eyes　and　ears　to　ascertain　what　is　going　on



among　those　most　influential　in　public　affairs。　Every　embassy　or



legation　thus　equipped　serves　also　as　an　actual　and　practical



training…school　for　the　service。







VII。　I　would　appoint　each　attache　from　the　ranks　of　those



especially　recommended；　and　certified　to　in　writing　by　leading



authorities　in　the　department　to　which　he　is　expected　to　supply



information：　as；　for　example；　for　military　attaches；　the　War



Department；　for　naval　attaches；　the　Navy　Department；　for



financial　attaches；　the　Treasury　Department；　for　commercial



attaches；　the　Department　of　Commerce；　for　agricultural　attaches；



the　Department　of　Agriculture；　but　always　subject　to　the　approval



of　the　Secretary　of　State　as　regards　sundry　qualifications　hinted



at　above；　which　can　better　be　ascertained　by　an　interview　than　by



an　examination。







I　would　have　a　goodly　number　of　attaches　of　these　various　sorts；



and；　in　our　more　important　embassies；　one　representing　each　of



the　departments　above　named。　Every　attache；　if　fit　for　his　place；



would　be　worth　far　more　than　his　cost　to　our　government；　for　he



would　not　only　add　to　the　influence　of　the　embassy　or　legation；



but　decidedly　to　its　efficiency。　As　a　rule；　all　of　them　could



also　be　made　of　real　use　after　the　conclusion　of　their　foreign



careers：　some　by　returning　to　the　army　or　navy　and　bringing　their



knowledge　to　bear　on　those　branches　of　the　service；　some　by



taking　duty　in　the　various　departments　at　Washington；　and　aiding



to　keep　our　government　abreast　of　the　best　practice　in　other



countries；　some　by　becoming　professors　in　universities　and



colleges；　and　thus　aiding　to　disseminate　useful　information；　some



by　becoming　writers　for　the　press；　thus　giving　us；　instead　of



loose　guesses　and　haphazard　notions；　information　and　suggestions



based　upon　close　knowledge　of　important　problems　and　of　their



solution　in　countries　other　than　our　own







From　these　arrangements　I　feel　warranted　in　expecting　a　very



great　improvement　in　our　diplomatic　service。　Thus　formed；　it



would　become；　in　its　main　features；　like　the　military　and　naval



services；　and；　indeed；　in　its　essential　characteristics　as　to



appointment　and　promotion；　like　any　well…organized　manufacturing



or　commercial　establishment。　It　would　absolutely　require



ascertained　knowledge　and　fitness　in　the　lowest　grades；　and　would



give　promotion　for　good　service　from　first　to　last。　Yet　it　would



not　be　a　cast…iron　system：　a　certain　number　of　men　who　had　shown



decided　fitness　in　various　high　public　offices；　or　in　important



branches　of　public　or　private　business；　could　be　appointed；



whenever　the　public　interest　should　seem　to　require　it；　as



ministers　resident；　ministers　plenipotentiary；　and　ambassadors；



without　having　gone　through　examination　or　regular　promotion。







But　the　system　now　proposed；　while　thus　allowing　the　frequent



bringing　in　of　new　and　capable　men　from　public　life　at　home；



requires　that　a　large　proportion　of　each　grade　above　that　of



secretary；　save　a　very　small　number　of　diplomatic　agents；



commissioners；　and　the　like；　shall　be　appointed　from　those



thoroughly　trained　for　the　service；　and　that　all　secretaries；



without　exception；　shall　be　thoroughly　trained　and　fitted。　Scope



would　thus　be　given　to　the　activity　of　both　sorts　of　men；　and　the



whole　system　made　sufficiently　elastic　to　meet　all　necessities。







In　the　service　thus　organized；　the　class　of　ambassadors　and



ministers　fitted　by　knowledge　of　public　affairs　at　home　for



important　negotiations；　but　unacquainted　with　diplomatic　life　or



foreign　usages　and　languages；　would　be　greatly　strengthened　by



secretaries　who　had　passed　through　a　regular　course　of　training



and　experience。　An　Ameri