part05+-第108章

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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　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



friendl