360 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE-XXV 



fied in certain leading subjects, such as international 

 law, the common law, the civil law, the history of treat 

 ies, and general modern history, political economy, a 

 speaking knowledge of French, and a reading knowledge 

 of at least one other foreign language. I would make the 

 examination in all the above subjects strict, and would 

 oblige the Secretary of State to make his selection of 

 secretaries of legation from the men thus presented. But, 

 in view of the importance of various personal qualifica 

 tions which fit men to influence their fellow-men, and 

 which cannot be ascertained wholly by examination, I 

 would leave the Secretary of State full liberty of choice 

 among those who have honorably passed the examinations 

 above required. The men thus selected and approved I 

 would have appointed as secretaries of lower grades, 

 that is, third secretaries of embassy and second secreta 

 ries of legation, and these, when once appointed, should 

 be promoted, for good service, to the higher secretary 

 ships of embassy and legation, and from the less to the 

 more important capitals, under such rules as the State 

 Department might find most conducive to the efficiency of 

 the service. No secretaries of any grade should there 

 after be appointed who had not passed the examinations 

 required for the lowest grade of secretaries as above pro 

 vided ; but all who had already been in the service during 

 two years should be eligible for promotion, without any 

 further examination, from whatever post they might be 

 occupying. 



VI. I would attach to every embassy three secre 

 taries, to every legation two, and to every post of minister 

 resident at leasjt one. 



One of the thoroughly wise arrangements of every 

 British embassy or legation an arrangement which has 

 gone for much in Great Britain s remarkable series of 

 diplomatic successes throughout the world is to be seen 

 in her maintaining at every capital a full number of sec 

 retaries and attaches, who serve not only in keeping the 

 current office work in the highest efficiency, but who be- 



