part05+-第86部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！





secretaries　who　had　passed　through　a　regular　course　of　training



and　experience。　An　American　diplomatic　representative　without



diplomatic　experience；　on　reaching　his　post；　whether　as



ambassador　or　minister；　would　not　findas　was　once　largely　the



casesecretaries　as　new　as　himself　to　diplomatic　business；　but



men　thoroughly　prepared　to　aid　him　in　the　multitude　of　minor



matters；　ignorance　of　which　might　very　likely　cripple　him　as



regards　very　important　business：　secretaries　so　experienced　as　to



be　able　to　set　him　in　the　way　of　knowing；　at　any　court；　who　are



the　men　of　real　power；　and　who　mere　parasites　and　pretenders；



what　relations　are　to　be　cultivated　and　what　avoided；　which　are



the　real　channels　of　influence；　and　which　mere　illusions　leading



nowhither。　On　the　other　hand；　the　secretaries　thoroughly　trained



would　doubtless；　in　their　conversation　with　a　man　fresh　from



public　affairs　at　home；　learn　many　things　of　use　to　them。







Thus；　too；　what　is　of　great　importance　throughout　the　entire



service；　every　ambassador；　minister　plenipotentiary；　or　minister



resident　would　possess；　or　easily　command；　large　experience　of



various　men　in　various　countries。　At　the　same　time；　each　would　be



under　most　powerful　incentives　to　perfect　his　training；　widen　his



acquaintance；　and　deepen　his　knowledgeincentives　which；　under



the　old　system；which　we　may　hope　is　now　passing　away；with　its



lack　of　appointment　for　ascertained　fitness；　lack　of　promotion



for　good　service；　and　lack　of　any　certainty　of　tenure；　do　not



exist。







The　system　of　promotion　for　merit　throughout　the　service　is　no



mere　experiment；　the　good　sense　of　all　the　leading　nations　in　the



world；　except　our　own；　has　adopted　it；　and　it　works　well。　In　our



own　service　the　old　system　works　badly；　excellent　men；　both　in



its　higher　and　lower　grades；　have　been　frequently　crippled　by



want　of　proper　experience　or　aid。　We　have；　indeed；　several



admirable　secretariessome　of　them　fit　to　be　ambassadors　or



ministers；　but　all　laboring　under　conditions　the　most　depressing



such　as　obtain　in　no　good　business　enterprise。　During　my　stay



as　minister　at　St。　Petersburg；　the　secretary　of　legation；　a　man



ideally　fitted　for　the　post；　insisted　on　resigning。　On　my



endeavoring　to　retain　him；　he　answered　as　follows：　〃I　have　been



over　twelve　years　in　the　American　diplomatic　service　as



secretary；　I　have　seen　the　secretaries　here；　from　all　other



countries；　steadily　promoted　until　all　of　them　still　remaining　in



the　service　are　in　higher　posts；　several　of　them　ministers；　and



some　ambassadors。　I　remain　as　I　was　at　the　beginning；　with　no



promotion；　and　no　probability　of　any。　I　feel　that；　as　a　rule；　my



present　colleagues；　as　well　as　most　officials　with　whom　I　have　to



do；　seeing　that　I　have　not　been　advanced；　look　upon　me　as　a



failure。　They　cannot　be　made　to　understand　how　a　man　who　has



served　so　long　as　secretary　has　been　denied　promotion　for　any



reason　save　inefficiency。　I　can　no　longer　submit　to　be　thus



looked　down　upon；　and　I　must　resign。〃







While　thus　having　a　system　of　promotion　based　upon　efficiency；　I



would　retain　during　good　behavior；　up　to　a　certain　age；　the　men



who　have　done　thoroughly　well　in　the　service。　Clearly；　when　we



secure　an　admirable　man；recognized　as　such　in　all　parts　of　the



world；like　Mr。　Wheaton；　Mr。　Bancroft；　Mr。　Charles　Francis



Adams；　Mr。　Marsh；　Mr。　Townsend　Harris；　Mr。　Washburne；　Mr。　Lowell；



Mr。　Bayard；　Mr。　Phelps；　and　others　who　have　now　passed　away；　not



to　speak　of　many　now　living；　we　should　keep　him　at　his　post　as



long　as　he　is　efficient；　without　regard　to　his　politics。　This　is



the　course　taken　very　generally　by　other　great　nations；　and



especially　by　our　sister　republic　of　Great　Britain　（for　Great



Britain　is　simply　a　republic　with　a　monarchical　figurehead



lingering　along　on　good　behavior）：　she　retains　her



representatives　in　these　positions；　and　promotes　them　without　any



regard　to　their　party　relations。　During　my　first　official



residence　at　Berlin；　although　the　home　government　at　London　was



of　the　Conservative　party；　it　retained　at　the　German　capital；　as



ambassador；　Lord　Ampthill；　a　Liberal；　and；　as　first　secretary；



Sir　John　Walsham；　a　Tory。　From　every　point　of　view；　the　long



continuance　in　diplomatic　positions　of　the　most　capable　men　would



be　of　great　advantage　to　our　country。







But；　as　the　very　first　thing　to　be　done；　whether　our　diplomatic



service　remains　as　at　present　or　be　improved；　I　would　urge；　as　a



condition　precedent　to　any　thoroughly　good　service；　that　there　be



in　each　of　the　greater　capitals　of　the　world　at　which　we　have　a



representative；　a　suitable　embassy　or　legation　building　or



apartment；　owned　or　leased　for　a　term　of　years　by　the　American



Government　Every　other　great　power；　and　many　of　the　smaller



nations；　have　provided　such　quarters　for　their　representatives；



and　some　years　ago　President　Cleveland　recommended　to　Congress　a



similar　policy。　Under　the　present　system　the　head　of　an　American



embassy　or　mission　abroad　is　at　a　wretched　disadvantage。　In　many



capitals　he　finds　it　at　times　impossible　to　secure　a　proper



furnished　apartment；　and；　in　some；　very　difficult　to　find　any



suitable　apartment　at　all；　whether　furnished　or　unfurnished。　Even



if　he　finds　proper　rooms；　they　are　frequently　in　an　unfit　quarter



of　the　town；　remote　from　the　residences　of　his　colleagues；　from



the　public　offices；　from　everybody　and　everything　related　to　his



work。　His　term　of　office　being　generally　short；　he　is　usually



considered　a　rather　undesirable　tenant；　and　is　charged



accordingly。　Besides　this；　the　fitting　and　furnishing　of　such　an



apartment　is　a　very　great　burden；　both　as　regards　trouble　and



expense。　I　have　twice　thus　fitted　and　furnished　a　large　apartment



in　Berlin；　and　in　each　case　this　represented　an　expenditure　of



more　than　the　salary　for　the　first　year。　Within　my　own　knowledge；



two　American　ministers　abroad　have　impoverished　their　families　by



expenditures　of　this　kind。　But　this　is　not　the　worst。　The　most



serious　result　of　the　existing　system　concerns　our　country。　I



have　elsewhere　shown　how；　in　one　very　important　international



question　at　St。　Petersburg；　our　mistaken　policy　in　this　respect



once　cost　the　United　States　a　sum　which　would　have　forever　put



that　embassy；　and；　indeed；　many　others　besides；　on　the　very　best



footing。　If　an　American　ambassador　is　to　exercise　a　really　strong



influence　for　the　United　States　as　against　other　nations　he　must



be　properly　provided　for　as　regards　his　residence　and



support；not　provided　for；　indeed；　so　largely　as　some



representatives　of　other　nations；　for　I　neither　propose　nor



desire　that　the　American　representative　shall　imitate　the　pomp　of



certain　ambassadors　of　the　greater　European　powers。　But　he　ought



to　be　enabled　to　live　respectably；　and　to　discharge　his　duties



efficiently。　There　should　be；　in　this　respect；　what　Thomas



Jefferson　acknowledged　in　the　Declaration　of　Independence　as　a



duty；〃a　decent　regard　for　the　opinions　of　mankind。〃　The　present



condition　of　things　is　frequently　humiliating。　In　the　greater



capitals　of　Europe　the　general　public　know　the　British；　French；



Austrian；　Italian；　and　all　other　important　embassies　or



legations；　except　that　of　our　country。　The　American　embassy　or



legation　has　no　settled　home；　is　sometimes　in　one　quarter　of　the



town；　sometimes　in　another；　sometimes　almost　in　an　attic；



sometimes　almost　in　a　cellar；　generally　inadequate　in　its



accommodations；　and　frequently　unfortunate　in　its　surroundings。



Both　my　official　terms　at　St。　Petersburg　showed　me　that　one



secret　of　the　great　success　of　British　diplomacy；　in　all　parts　of



the　world；　is　that　especial　pains　are　taken　regarding　this　point；



and　that；　consequently；　every　British　embassy　is　the　center　of　a



wide…spread　social　influence　which　counts　for　very　much　indeed　in



her　political　influence。　The　United　States；　as　perhaps　the



wealthiest　nation　in　existence；a　nation　far…reaching　in　the



exercise　of　its　foreign　policy；　with　vast　and　increasing



commercial　and　other　interests　throughout　the　world；should；　in



all　substantial　matters；　be　equally　well　provided　for。　Take　our



recent　relations　with　Turkey。　We　have　insisted　on　the　payment　of



an　indemnity　for　the　destruction　of　American　property；　and　we



have　constantly　a　vast　number　of　Americans　of　the　very　best　sort；



and　especially　our　missionaries；　who　have　to　be　protected



throughout　the　whole　of　that　vast　empire。　Each　of　the　other　great



powers　provides　its　representative　at　Constantinople　with　a



residence　honorable；　suitable；　and　within　a　proper　inclosure　for



its　protection；　but　the　American　minister　lives　anywhere　and



everywhere；in　such　premises；　over　shops　and　warehouses；　as　can



be　secured；and　he　is　liable；　in　case　of　trouble　between　the　two



nations；　to　suffer　personal　violence　and　to　have　his　house　sacked



by　a　Turkish　mob。　No　foreign　people；　and　least　of　all　an　Oriental



people；　can　highly　respect　a　diplomatic　representative　who；　by



his　surroundings；　seems　not　to　be　respected　by　his　own　people。



The　American　Government　can　easily　afford　the　expenditure　needed



to　provide　proper　houses　or　apartments　for　its　entire　diplomatic



corps；　but　it　can　hardly　afford　NOT　to　provide　these。　Full



provision　for　them　would　not　burden　any　American　citizen　to　the



amount　of　the　half　of　a　Boston　biscuit。　Leaving　matters　in　their



present　condition　is；　in　th