intelligence branch of the Board of Trade (a government bureau) was established, and the organ of the board, the Board of Trade Journal, was converted from a monthly into a weekly periodical, in order that consular and other commercial reports of current interest might be given more promptly to the public.

This new departure is the more interesting because, for many years, the British system of consular reporting was regarded as a model, and even yet some of our reformers continue to assert that the British consuls are greatly superior to our own in their general efficiency in promoting trade. It is not intended here to institute comparisons, but simply to point out the fact that the British public does not share the view of our home critics, and is still inclined to take pattern by us.

GERMANY COPYING OUR METHODS

Germany, with her splendidly equipped commercial schools and admirable machinery for extending foreign trade, seems also to con

sider her facilities deficient by comparison with the American in the matter of procuring and promptly distributing commercial imformation, and has recently begun the publication, declaredly "after the mode of the United States Department of State," of special consular reports upon trade matters, products, economic questions, etc., prepared by German consuls in reply to interrogatories or specific instructions from the government.

Dr. Vosberg-Rekow, the head of the Central Bureau for preparing commercial treaties, in a recent book upon commercial treaties, in which he expresses the opinion that the United States is likely to be Germany's strongest rival in industrial competition, speaks of our consular officers in Europe as "inspectors of our exports and vigilant sentinels who spy out every trade opening or advantage and promptly report it." In another place he

says:

"The Americans have acted judiciously in establishing a system which is of the greatest advantage to themselves, but costly and inconvenient

to their competitors. In all countries with which it has trade relations, the United States has stationed consuls and consular agents. Every shipment of goods to a United States port must pass through the hands of these officials, and the amount, value, place of origin, market price ruling in the country of production, method of production, etc., are noted. The consuls thus dive deeply into the economic condition of their districts and obtain information the result of which is discernible in the steadily increasing exportations of their home. country."

THE CONSULAR DAILY

While Great Britain and Germany have been striving to overtake us, by devising means to improve their commercial information from consular sources, the United States has taken a long step in advance. In December, 1897, the Chief of the Bureau of Foreign Commerce of the Department of State, which has charge of the publication of the consular reports, recommended to the Secretary of State that all reports of immediate value and importance should be published daily, instead of monthly, as before, for

the convenience of the newspaper press, trade bodies, exporting firms, etc., in order that the information might be supplied to the public with the least delay.

The requisite authority was granted, and in January, 1898, the publication of daily consular reports was begun.

The experiment proved successful from the start. The newspapers were the first to appreciate the change. The news agencies and special correspondents in Washington had previously been compelled to extract what they could from the reports in manuscript as they were received at the Department. Not infrequently, correspondents were forced to wait until one of their number had finished with a particular report. At present, every correspondent receives a copy of the daily consular reports early on the day of issue. One can now scarcely ever pick up a newspaper without seeing quotations from these reports, or perhaps one or more reports in full.

BUSINESS INTERESTS AROUSED

The widespread publication of consular matter in the newspapers soon attracted the attention of business interests, and applications for the State Department "daily" began to pour in. A manufacturer or an exporter would note that intelligence had been received which affected his business, and would write to the Department at once for particulars. Correspondence with important firms all over the United States was thus

opened up, and the business community gradually learned that the consular service could be relied upon to furnish information about

quiries soon began to multiply for data as to this or that industry or process of manufacture unknown in this country; the demand for certain lines of goods; the kind of competition to be met, and the obstacles to be overcome. When these inquiries promise to elicit information of general value, the consuls are instructed to forward reports for publication. When, on the other hand, the inquiries relate only to minutiæ, the inquirer is referred to the consular officers, who obtain the desired information if they can, and forward it in duplicate to the Department. The Bureau of Foreign Commerce retains one of the copies for purposes of reference or use in the Consular Reports if the matter should develop points of practical value; the other copy is promptly transmitted to the inquirer. This feature of the commercial work of the consuls has already grown to large proportions; but it is little known outside the comparatively narrow range of the particular business concerns which have benefited by it.

SOME EXAMPLES OF BENEFIT TO TRADE

It is not to be expected that any consular officer can report exhaustively or with technical accuracy on the wide range of questions which are often submitted, involving details of scientific discoveries and processes which only an expert could properly handle, but it is surprising how successful the average consul has proved himself to be in obtaining substantially what is desired. A New York firm of exporters recently wrote the Department

of State :

UNITED STATES CONSULATE GENERAL, YOKOHAMA.

ENTRANCE TO THE CONSULATE AT ZANZIBAR.

"We take this opportunity of expressing to you our gratitude for the Consular Reports. We attribute our having nearly doubled our foreign trade during the last three years in great degree to the light we obtain from careful perusal of these reports."

The president of a company manufacturing hardware and tools at New Haven, Conn.,

writes:

"Three years ago and over I took occasion to write to the different United States consuls in England and on the Continent of Europe, requesting the names of prominent hardware dealers and manufacturers. The replies were voluminous; we, therefore, sent to the addresses given, circulars, samples, etc., and the result is to-day from 30 per cent to 35 per cent of our entire product in certain lines of hardware we export."

Undoubtedly the activity of the consuls has been greatly stimulated by the prompter publication and wider distribution of their reports. Encouragement is also given by the frequent recognition of the value of their services by the business world, and by the

estimation in which their commercial work is held by competing nations.

It is but due to the consular service to say that, generally speaking, it shows itself not only responsive to the instructions of the Department of State and the demands of business interests at home, but often volunteers information and advice which open up new fields of effort for our industries and trade. It is animated by an esprit de corps which springs not from a carefully elaborated system, but from the play of conditions, appealing to the individual judgment and patriotism of its members. Among the spontaneous efforts of consuls on behalf of our commerce may be mentioned the forwarding of samples of new products or of lines of merchandise especially suited to particular markets; the establishment of sample rooms at the consulates to exhibit American goods or of agencies for the sale of them; the promotion of better facilities of transportation, including direct steamship service.

These facts show that while reformers have been busy devising means of improving the consular service, the service has automatically improved itself. Undoubtedly, the agitation for consular reform fulfils a useful purpose in arousing public interest in the improvement of the service and in provoking discussion of alleged defects. It is more than likely that this particular reform has made so little progress, for the very reason that many of its advocates have shown themselves to be strangely misinformed.

BLIND TEACHERS OF REFORM

The secretary of one of our leading boards of trade during the sessions of the International Commercial Congress at Philadel phia, about a year ago, gravely made the point that our consular service lacked education and was therefore inferior to the services of other countries in procuring commercial information. He was greatly surprised on being told that whether our consuls lacked education or not, they were admitted by foreign governments to be without peers in this branch of their work. A professional reformer who is very much in evidence has asserted on two occasions (and was promptly brought to book for it) that we are at a great disadvantage in competing for trade because of the inefficiency of our consuls, and has descanted glowingly on the superiority of their foreign colleagues in the very line of work in which the Americans, as has been shown, are held by the best opinion abroad to excel. The same authority (he has been widely quoted) declares that "the grade of our commercial representation in foreign countries is below that of any civilized country," and that "there is no comparison between England's foreign commercial service and ours." Contrast with these sweeping assertions the criticisms by Englishmen of their consular system in its relation to trade and the testimony of practical business men in this country.

THE WEAK SPOT IN OUR CONSULAR SYSTEM

Among the practical business men who appeared before the Committee on Foreign Relations at the hearing in May last, there was one who put his finger on a weak spot which seems fully to justify the demand for legislative reform. "I have come to believe," he said, "that the lack in our consular service is owing more to the short tenure of office than to the quality of the material that is originally appointed, and any bill that will give opportunity for our consuls to perfect themselves in the themselves in the requirements which all must gain when they take the field, will add to the efficiency of the service." Perhaps there would not be so much opposition to consular reform if it concentrated itself upon the effort to obtain greater stability of tenure and an equitable system of rewards for

meritorious service and to secure a much needed elasticity in permitting the transfer, at the option of the Department of State, of any consular officer from one post to another, as occasion required. It is but natural that the present incumbents and their friends should antagonize a movement which proposes to make their continuance in office depend upon a drastic scheme of examinations. No doubt, they would be much more placable, if assured that they were not to be rudely jostled or perhaps thrown out by the reform, so long as they continued to do satisfactory work.

How best to reconcile the views of those who regard competitive examinations as the only practicable means of eliminating objectionable elements with the undoubtedly valid requirement of personal fitness, especially in business training and experience, would seem to be a question to be settled only by some form of compromise. Might not the solution be found by attaching to the scheme of selection primarily by examination, the condition that only that candidate shall be chosen who is able to satisfy the Department of State that he possesses the requisite qualities?

THE LITERARY CONSUL

It is very doubtful whether the consular service would have accomplished the commercial work of the past few years which it has accomplished, had it been composed of mere literati. A large percentage of such a force might have consumed valuable time that has been expended in practical work for the everyday use of our manufacturers and exporters, in studying subjects of real utility and interest only to themselves or to a comparatively narrow circle of congenial spirits, or in perfecting themselves in social accomplishments. As cases in point, the fact may be mentioned, in no spirit of harshness, that two of our most accomplished literary men who held important consular posts some years ago were among the most difficult to extract commercial information from, and yet they have figured in the magazines as authoritative purveyors of advice as to how the consular service should be reformed in order to make it a satisfactory instrument of trade!

The truth is that the politician who is appointed to a consular post is usually some

As a

thing besides a mere party worker. rule, he is a newspaper man, a merchant, a manufacturer (even if it be only in a small way), who is more or less in touch with business affairs, and there are but few who rely upon politics exclusively as a means of support. And it must be admitted that even with the handicap of the "spoils " instinct, he sometimes does better work for our business men than would a carefully trained neophyte who has never rubbed about in practical life.

Undoubtedly, the movement which is rapidly gaining headway in our colleges for special courses to train young men for the diplomatic and consular services is a wholesome feature of the general tendency toward the adoption of more intelligent, more scientific, methods in our government service, and also in the development of our export trade. Training of this kind is an excellent specific for the evils complained of, but the experience of other countries proves that it is easy to take an overdose. By all means give us educated consuls; but may it not be found wiser to insist that they shall first have served an apprenticeship (such as most of the present consuls have served) in a newspaper office, a counting-house, a workshop, or a bank?

The same considerations do not apply to the diplomatic service, which is essentially a polite profession in which the greater the degree of intellectual and social training, the better the results. In this field, the special courses of colleges and the test of academic attainments can work no serious harm, but, on the contrary, should prove most helpful. The burden of all the demands of reform in the consular service is greater efficiency in trade, and how is this to be secured if not by making it a primary qualification of consular officers that they shall have a practical knowledge of and adaptability for the most important of the duties they are to discharge?

Upon the whole, may we not conclude that in so far as foreign commerce is concerned, we have in our consular service a relatively good thing, and that in seeking to make it better, we should be careful not to paralyze the individuality, the special energies, admired of other nations, which it has developed largely of and by itself?