OneofthethoroughlywisearrangementsofeveryBritishembassyorlegation——anarrangementwhichhasgoneformuchinGreatBritain’sremarkableseriesofdiplomaticsuccessesthroughouttheworld——istobeseeninhermaintainingateverycapitalafullnumberofsecretariesandattaches，whoservenotonlyinkeepingthecurrentofficeworkinthehighestefficiency，butwhobecome，asitwere，theANTENNAEoftheambassadororminister——additionaleyesandearstoascertainwhatisgoingonamongthosemostinfluentialinpublicaffairs。Everyembassyorlegationthusequippedservesalsoasanactualandpracticaltraining—schoolfortheservice。
VII。Iwouldappointeachattachefromtheranksofthoseespeciallyrecommended，andcertifiedtoinwritingbyleadingauthoritiesinthedepartmenttowhichheisexpectedtosupplyinformation:as，forexample，formilitaryattaches，theWarDepartment;fornavalattaches，theNavyDepartment;forfinancialattaches，theTreasuryDepartment;forcommercialattaches，theDepartmentofCommerce;foragriculturalattaches，theDepartmentofAgriculture;butalwayssubjecttotheapprovaloftheSecretaryofStateasregardssundryqualificationshintedatabove，whichcanbetterbeascertainedbyaninterviewthanbyanexamination。
Iwouldhaveagoodlynumberofattachesofthesevarioussorts，and，inourmoreimportantembassies，onerepresentingeachofthedepartmentsabovenamed。Everyattache，iffitforhisplace，wouldbeworthfarmorethanhiscosttoourgovernment，forhewouldnotonlyaddtotheinfluenceoftheembassyorlegation，butdecidedlytoitsefficiency。Asarule，allofthemcouldalsobemadeofrealuseaftertheconclusionoftheirforeigncareers:somebyreturningtothearmyornavyandbringingtheirknowledgetobearonthosebranchesoftheservice;somebytakingdutyinthevariousdepartmentsatWashington，andaidingtokeepourgovernmentabreastofthebestpracticeinothercountries;somebybecomingprofessorsinuniversitiesandcolleges，andthusaidingtodisseminateusefulinformation;somebybecomingwritersforthepress，thusgivingus，insteadoflooseguessesandhaphazardnotions，informationandsuggestionsbaseduponcloseknowledgeofimportantproblemsandoftheirsolutionincountriesotherthanourownFromthesearrangementsIfeelwarrantedinexpectingaverygreatimprovementinourdiplomaticservice。Thusformed，itwouldbecome，initsmainfeatures，likethemilitaryandnavalservices，and，indeed，initsessentialcharacteristicsastoappointmentandpromotion，likeanywell—organizedmanufacturingorcommercialestablishment。Itwouldabsolutelyrequireascertainedknowledgeandfitnessinthelowestgrades，andwouldgivepromotionforgoodservicefromfirsttolast。Yetitwouldnotbeacast—ironsystem:acertainnumberofmenwhohadshowndecidedfitnessinvarioushighpublicoffices，orinimportantbranchesofpublicorprivatebusiness，couldbeappointed，wheneverthepublicinterestshouldseemtorequireit，asministersresident，ministersplenipotentiary，andambassadors，withouthavinggonethroughexaminationorregularpromotion。
Butthesystemnowproposed，whilethusallowingthefrequentbringinginofnewandcapablemenfrompubliclifeathome，requiresthatalargeproportionofeachgradeabovethatofsecretary，saveaverysmallnumberofdiplomaticagents，commissioners，andthelike，shallbeappointedfromthosethoroughlytrainedfortheservice，andthatallsecretaries，withoutexception，shallbethoroughlytrainedandfitted。Scopewouldthusbegiventotheactivityofbothsortsofmen，andthewholesystemmadesufficientlyelastictomeetallnecessities。
Intheservicethusorganized，theclassofambassadorsandministersfittedbyknowledgeofpublicaffairsathomeforimportantnegotiations，butunacquaintedwithdiplomaticlifeorforeignusagesandlanguages，wouldbegreatlystrengthenedbysecretarieswhohadpassedthrougharegularcourseoftrainingandexperience。AnAmericandiplomaticrepresentativewithoutdiplomaticexperience，onreachinghispost，whetherasambassadororminister，wouldnotfind——aswasoncelargelythecase——secretariesasnewashimselftodiplomaticbusiness，butmenthoroughlypreparedtoaidhiminthemultitudeofminormatters，ignoranceofwhichmightverylikelycripplehimasregardsveryimportantbusiness:secretariessoexperiencedastobeabletosethiminthewayofknowing，atanycourt，whoarethemenofrealpower，andwhomereparasitesandpretenders，whatrelationsaretobecultivatedandwhatavoided，whicharetherealchannelsofinfluence，andwhichmereillusionsleadingnowhither。Ontheotherhand，thesecretariesthoroughlytrainedwoulddoubtless，intheirconversationwithamanfreshfrompublicaffairsathome，learnmanythingsofusetothem。
Thus，too，whatisofgreatimportancethroughouttheentireservice，everyambassador，ministerplenipotentiary，orministerresidentwouldpossess，oreasilycommand，largeexperienceofvariousmeninvariouscountries。Atthesametime，eachwouldbeundermostpowerfulincentivestoperfecthistraining，widenhisacquaintance，anddeepenhisknowledge——incentiveswhich，undertheoldsystem，——whichwemayhopeisnowpassingaway，——withitslackofappointmentforascertainedfitness，lackofpromotionforgoodservice，andlackofanycertaintyoftenure，donotexist。
Thesystemofpromotionformeritthroughouttheserviceisnomereexperiment;thegoodsenseofalltheleadingnationsintheworld，exceptourown，hasadoptedit，anditworkswell。Inourownservicetheoldsystemworksbadly;excellentmen，bothinitshigherandlowergrades，havebeenfrequentlycrippledbywantofproperexperienceoraid。Wehave，indeed，severaladmirablesecretaries——someofthemfittobeambassadorsorministers，butalllaboringunderconditionsthemostdepressing——suchasobtaininnogoodbusinessenterprise。DuringmystayasministeratSt。Petersburg，thesecretaryoflegation，amanideallyfittedforthepost，insistedonresigning。Onmyendeavoringtoretainhim，heansweredasfollows:"IhavebeenovertwelveyearsintheAmericandiplomaticserviceassecretary;Ihaveseenthesecretarieshere，fromallothercountries，steadilypromoteduntilallofthemstillremainingintheserviceareinhigherposts，severalofthemministers，andsomeambassadors。IremainasIwasatthebeginning，withnopromotion，andnoprobabilityofany。Ifeelthat，asarule，mypresentcolleagues，aswellasmostofficialswithwhomIhavetodo，seeingthatIhavenotbeenadvanced，lookuponmeasafailure。Theycannotbemadetounderstandhowamanwhohasservedsolongassecretaryhasbeendeniedpromotionforanyreasonsaveinefficiency。Icannolongersubmittobethuslookeddownupon，andImustresign。"
Whilethushavingasystemofpromotionbaseduponefficiency，I
wouldretainduringgoodbehavior，uptoacertainage，themenwhohavedonethoroughlywellintheservice。Clearly，whenwesecureanadmirableman，——recognizedassuchinallpartsoftheworld，——likeMr。Wheaton，Mr。Bancroft，Mr。CharlesFrancisAdams，Mr。Marsh，Mr。TownsendHarris，Mr。Washburne，Mr。Lowell，Mr。Bayard，Mr。Phelps，andotherswhohavenowpassedaway，nottospeakofmanynowliving，weshouldkeephimathispostaslongasheisefficient，withoutregardtohispolitics。Thisisthecoursetakenverygenerallybyothergreatnations，andespeciallybyoursisterrepublicofGreatBritain（forGreatBritainissimplyarepublicwithamonarchicalfigureheadlingeringalongongoodbehavior）:sheretainsherrepresentativesinthesepositions，andpromotesthemwithoutanyregardtotheirpartyrelations。DuringmyfirstofficialresidenceatBerlin，althoughthehomegovernmentatLondonwasoftheConservativeparty，itretainedattheGermancapital，asambassador，LordAmpthill，aLiberal;and，asfirstsecretary，SirJohnWalsham，aTory。Fromeverypointofview，thelongcontinuanceindiplomaticpositionsofthemostcapablemenwouldbeofgreatadvantagetoourcountry。
But，astheveryfirstthingtobedone，whetherourdiplomaticserviceremainsasatpresentorbeimproved，Iwouldurge，asaconditionprecedenttoanythoroughlygoodservice，thattherebeineachofthegreatercapitalsoftheworldatwhichwehavearepresentative，asuitableembassyorlegationbuildingorapartment，ownedorleasedforatermofyearsbytheAmericanGovernmentEveryothergreatpower，andmanyofthesmallernations，haveprovidedsuchquartersfortheirrepresentatives，andsomeyearsagoPresidentClevelandrecommendedtoCongressasimilarpolicy。UnderthepresentsystemtheheadofanAmericanembassyormissionabroadisatawretcheddisadvantage。Inmanycapitalshefindsitattimesimpossibletosecureaproperfurnishedapartment;and，insome，verydifficulttofindanysuitableapartmentatall，whetherfurnishedorunfurnished。Evenifhefindsproperrooms，theyarefrequentlyinanunfitquarterofthetown，remotefromtheresidencesofhiscolleagues，fromthepublicoffices，fromeverybodyandeverythingrelatedtohiswork。Histermofofficebeinggenerallyshort，heisusuallyconsideredaratherundesirabletenant，andischargedaccordingly。Besidesthis，thefittingandfurnishingofsuchanapartmentisaverygreatburden，bothasregardstroubleandexpense。IhavetwicethusfittedandfurnishedalargeapartmentinBerlin，andineachcasethisrepresentedanexpenditureofmorethanthesalaryforthefirstyear。Withinmyownknowledge，twoAmericanministersabroadhaveimpoverishedtheirfamiliesbyexpendituresofthiskind。Butthisisnottheworst。Themostseriousresultoftheexistingsystemconcernsourcountry。I
haveelsewhereshownhow，inoneveryimportantinternationalquestionatSt。Petersburg，ourmistakenpolicyinthisrespectoncecosttheUnitedStatesasumwhichwouldhaveforeverputthatembassy，and，indeed，manyothersbesides，ontheverybestfooting。IfanAmericanambassadoristoexerciseareallystronginfluencefortheUnitedStatesasagainstothernationshemustbeproperlyprovidedforasregardshisresidenceandsupport，——notprovidedfor，indeed，solargelyassomerepresentativesofothernations;forIneitherproposenordesirethattheAmericanrepresentativeshallimitatethepompofcertainambassadorsofthegreaterEuropeanpowers。Butheoughttobeenabledtoliverespectably，andtodischargehisdutiesefficiently。Thereshouldbe，inthisrespect，whatThomasJeffersonacknowledgedintheDeclarationofIndependenceasaduty，——"adecentregardfortheopinionsofmankind。"Thepresentconditionofthingsisfrequentlyhumiliating。InthegreatercapitalsofEuropethegeneralpublicknowtheBritish，French，Austrian，Italian，andallotherimportantembassiesorlegations，exceptthatofourcountry。TheAmericanembassyorlegationhasnosettledhome，issometimesinonequarterofthetown，sometimesinanother，sometimesalmostinanattic，sometimesalmostinacellar，generallyinadequateinitsaccommodations，andfrequentlyunfortunateinitssurroundings。
BothmyofficialtermsatSt。PetersburgshowedmethatonesecretofthegreatsuccessofBritishdiplomacy，inallpartsoftheworld，isthatespecialpainsaretakenregardingthispoint，andthat，consequently，everyBritishembassyisthecenterofawide—spreadsocialinfluencewhichcountsforverymuchindeedinherpoliticalinfluence。TheUnitedStates，asperhapsthewealthiestnationinexistence，——anationfar—reachingintheexerciseofitsforeignpolicy，withvastandincreasingcommercialandotherintereststhroughouttheworld，——should，inallsubstantialmatters，beequallywellprovidedfor。TakeourrecentrelationswithTurkey。WehaveinsistedonthepaymentofanindemnityforthedestructionofAmericanproperty，andwehaveconstantlyavastnumberofAmericansoftheverybestsort，andespeciallyourmissionaries，whohavetobeprotectedthroughoutthewhol...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：