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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　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　th