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



present　condition　is；　in　the　long　run；　far　more　costly。　I　once



had　occasion　to　consider　this　matter　in　the　light　of　economy；　and



found　that　the　cost　of　the　whole　diplomatic　service　of　the　United



States　during　an　entire　year　was　only　equal　to　the　expenditure　in



one　of　our　recent　wars　during　four　hours；　so　that　if　any　member



of　the　diplomatic　service　should　delay　a　declaration　of　war



merely　for　the　space　of　a　day；　he　would　defray　the　cost　of　the



service　for　about　six　years。







Mr。　Charles　Francis　Adams；　by　his　admirable　diplomatic　dealing



with　the　British　Foreign　Office　at　the　crisis　of　our　Civil　War；



prevented　the　coming　out　of　the　later　Confederate　cruisers　to



prey　upon　our　commerce；　and；　in　all　probability；　thus　averted　a



quarrel　with　Great　Britain　which　would　have　lengthened　our　Civil



War　by　many　years；　and　doubtless　have　cost　us　hundreds　of



millions。







General　Woodford；　our　recent　minister　at　Madrid；　undoubtedly



delayed　our　war　with　Spain　for　several　months；　and　skilful



diplomatic　intervention　brought　that　war　to　a　speedy　close　just



as　soon　as　our　military　and　naval　successes　made　it　possible。







The　cases　are　also　many　where　our　diplomatic　representatives　have



quieted　ill　feelings　which　would　have　done　great　harm　to　our



commerce。　These　facts　show　that　the　diplomatic　service　may　well



be　called　〃The　Cheap　Defense　of　Nations。〃







When；　in　addition　to　this；　an　American　recalls　such　priceless



services　to　civilization；　and　to　the　commerce　of　our　country　and



of　the　world；　as　those　rendered　by　Mr。　Townsend　Harris　while



American　minister　in　Japan；　the　undoubted　saving　through　a　long



series　of　years　of　many　lives　and　much　property　by　our　ministers



in　such　outlying　parts　of　the　world　as　Turkey　and　China；　the



promotion　of　American　commercial　and　other　interests；　and　the



securing　of　information　which　has　been　precious　to　innumerable



American　enterprises；　it　seems　incontestable　that　our　diplomatic



service　ought　not　to　be　left　in　its　present　slipshod　condition。



It　ought　to　be　put　on　the　best　and　most　effective　footing



possible；　so　that　everywhere　the　men　we　send　forth　to　support　and



advance　the　manifold　interests　of　our　country　shall　be　thoroughly



well　equipped　and　provided　for。　To　this　end　the　permanent



possession　of　a　suitable　house　or　apartment　in　every　capital　is



the　foremost　and　most　elementary　of　necessities。







And　while　such　a　provision　is　the　first　thing；　it　would　be　wise



to　add；　as　other　nations　do；　a　moderate　allowance　for　furniture；



and　for　keeping　the　embassy　or　legation　properly　cared　for　during



the　interim　between　the　departure　of　one　representative　and　the



arrival　of　another。







If　this　were　done；　the　prestige　of　the　American　name　and　the



effectiveness　of　the　service　would　be　vastly　improved；　and



diplomatic　posts　would　be　no　longer　so　onerous　and；　indeed；



ruinous　as　they　have　been　to　some　of　the　best　men　we　have　sent



abroad。







And　in　order　fully　to　free　my　mind　I　will　add　that；　while　the



provision　for　a　proper　embassy　or　legation　building　is　the　first



of　all　things　necessary；　it　might　also　be　well　to　increase



somewhat　the　salaries　of　our　representatives　abroad。　These　may



seem　large　even　at　present；　but　the　cost　of　living　has　greatly



increased　since　they　were　fixed；　and　the　special　financial



demands　upon　an　ambassador　or　minister　at　any　of　the　most



important　posts　are　always　far　beyond　the　present　salary。　It　is



utterly　impossible　for　an　American　diplomatic　representative　to



do　his　duty　upon　the　salary　now　given；　even　while　living　on　the



most　moderate　scale　known　in　the　diplomatic　corps。　To　attempt　to



do　so　would　deprive　him　of　all　opportunity　to　exercise　that



friendly；　personal；　social　influence　which　is　so　important　an



element　in　his　success。







To　sum　up　my　suggestions　as　to　this　part　of　the　subject；　I　should



say：　First；　that；　as　a　rule；　there　should　be　provided　at　each



diplomatic　post　where　the　United　States　has　a　representative　a



spacious　and　suitable　house；　either　bought　by　our　government　or



taken　on　a　long　lease；　and　that　there　should　be　a　small



appropriation　each　year　for　maintaining　it　as　regards　furniture；



care；　etc。　Secondly；　that　American　representatives　of　the　highest



gradenamely；　ambassadorsshould　have　a　salary　of　at　least



25；000　a　year；　and　that　diplomatic　representatives　of　lower



grade　should　have　their　salaries　raised　in　the　same　proportion。



Thirdly；　that　an　additional　number　of　secretaries　and　attaches



should　be　provided　in　the　manner　and　for　the　reasons　above



recommended。







If　the　carrying　out　of　these　reforms　should　require　an



appropriation　to　the　diplomatic　service　fifty　per　cent。　higher



than　it　now　is；which　is　an　amount　greater　than　would　really　be



required　by　all　the　expenditures　I　propose；　including　interest



upon　the　purchase　money　of　appropriate　quarters　for　our



representatives　abroad；the　total　additional　cost　to　each



citizen　of　the　United　States　would　be　less　than　half　a　cent　each



year。







The　first　result　of　these　and　other　reforms　which　I　have



indicated；　beginning　with　what　is　of　the　very　first



importance；provision　for　a　proper　house　or　apartment　in　every



capital；would　certainly　be　increased　respect　for　the　United



States　and　increased　effectiveness　of　its　foreign



representatives。







As　to　the　other　reforms；　such　as　suitable　requirements　for



secretaryships；　and　proper　promotion　throughout　the　whole



service；　they　would　vastly　increase　its　attractiveness；　in　all



its　grades；　to　the　very　men　whom　the　country　most　needs。　They



would　open　to　young　men　in　our　universities　and　colleges　a　most



honorable　career；　leading　such　institutions　to　establish　courses



of　instruction　with　reference　to　such　a　servicecourses　which



were　established　long　since　in　Germany；　but　which　have　arrived



nearest　perfection　in　two　of　our　sister　republicsat　the



University　of　Zurich　in　Switzerland；　and　in　the　ecole　Libre　des



Sciences　Politiques　in　Paris。







It　seems　certain　that　a　diplomatic　service　established　and



maintained　in　the　manner　here　indicated　would　not　only　vastly



increase　the　prestige　and　influence　of　the　United　States　among



her　sister　nations；　but；　purely　from　a　commercial　point　of　view；



would　amply　repay　us。　To　have　in　diplomatic　positions　at　the



various　capitals　men　thoroughly　well　fitted　not　only　as　regards



character　and　intellect；　but　also　as　regards　experience　and



acquaintance；　and　to　have　them　so　provided　for　as　to　become　the



social　equals　of　their　colleagues；　would　be；　from　every　point　of



view；　of　the　greatest　advantage　to　our　country　materially　and



politically；　and　would　give　strength　to　our　policy　throughout　the



world。







And；　finally；　to　a　matter　worth　mentioning　only　because　it　has　at



sundry　times　and　in　divers　manners　been　comically　argued　and



curiously　misrepresentedthe　question　as　to　a　diplomatic



uniform。







As　regards　any　principle　involved；　I　have　never　been　able　to　see



any　reason；　a　priori；　why；　if　we　have　a　uniform　for　our　military



service　and　another　for　our　naval　service；　we　may　not　have　one



for　our　diplomatic　service。　It　has；　indeed；　been　asserted　by



sundry　orators　dear　to　the　galleries；　as　well　as　by　various



〃funny…column〃　men；　that　such　a　uniform　is　that　of　a　lackey；　but



this　assertion　loses　force　when　one　reflects　on　the　solemn　fact



that　〃plain　evening　dress；〃　which　these　partizans　of　Jeffersonian



simplicity　laud　and　magnify；　and　which　is　the　only　alternative　to



a　uniform；　is　worn　by　table…waiters　the　world　over。







Yet；　having　conceded　so　much；　truth　compels　me　to　add　that；



having　myself　never　worn　anything　save　〃plain　evening　dress〃　at



any　court　to　which　I　have　been　accredited；　or　at　any　function



which　I　have　attended；　I　have　never　been　able　to　discover　the



slightest　disadvantage　to　my　country　or　myself　from　that　fact。







Colleagues　of　mine；　clad　in　resplendent　uniforms；　have；　indeed；



on　more　than　one　occasion　congratulated　me　on　being　allowed　a



more　simple　and　comfortable　costume；　and　though　such　expressions



are；　of　course；　to　be　taken　with　some　grains　of　allowance；　I　have



congratulated　myself　with　the　deepest　sincerity　on　my　freedom



from　what　seems　to　me　a　most　tiresome　yoke。







The　discussion　of　a　question　of　such　vast　importanceto　the



censors　above　referred　towould　be　inadequate　were　mention　not



made　of　a　stumbling…block　which　does　not　seem　to　have　been



adequately　considered　by　those　who　propose　a　return　to　the



earlier　practice　of　our　Republic　and　this　is；　that　the　uniform



is；　at　any　European　court；　but　a　poor　thing　unless　it　bears　some



evidence　of　distinguished　service；　in　the　shape　of　stars；



crosses；　ribbons；　and　the　like。　A　British　ambassador；　or　minister



plenipotentiary；　in　official　uniform；　but　without　the　ribbon　or



star　of　the　Bath　or　other　honorable　order；　would　appear　to　little



advantage　indeed。　A　representative　of　the　French　Republic　would



certainly　prefer　to　wear　the　plainest　dress　rather　than　the　most



splendid　uniform　unadorned　by　the　insignia　of　the　Legion　of



Honor；　and；　in　a　general　way；　the　same　may　be　said　of　the



representatives　of　all　nations　which　approve　the　wearing　of　a



diplomatic　uniform。







But　our　own　Republic　bestows　no　such　〃decorations；〃　and　allows



no