part05+-第107章

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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　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　hav