362 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE -XXV 



Thus formed, it would become, in its main features, like 

 the military and naval services, and, indeed, in its essen 

 tial characteristics as to appointment and promotion, like 

 any well-organized manufacturing or commercial estab 

 lishment. It would absolutely require ascertained know 

 ledge 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 in 

 terest should seem to require it, as ministers resident, 

 ministers plenipotentiary, and ambassadors, without hav 

 ing gone through examination or regular promotion. 



But the system now proposed, while thus allowing the 

 frequent bringing in of new and capable men from pub 

 lic 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 ser 

 vice, 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 diplo 

 matic experience, on reaching his post, whether as am 

 bassador or minister, would not find as was once largely 

 the case secretaries 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 



