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134 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS [voL. 48 
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 head lingering 
along on good behavior); she retains her representatives in these 
positions, and promotes them without regard to their party rela- 
tions. 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. The 
same indifference to party claims was evident at St. Petersburg 
during my two residences there, and at Berlin during my stay just 
closed. 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 con- 
dition precedent to any thoroughly good service, that there be in 
each of the greater capitals of the world at which we have a repre- 
sentative, a suitable embassy or legation building or apartment, 
owned or leased for a term of years by the American Government. 
Every other great power, and many of the smaller nations, have pro- 
vided such quarters for their representatives, and some years ago 
President Cleveland recommended to Congress a similar policy. 
Under the present system the head of an American Embassy or 
Legation abroad is at a wretched disadvantage. In many capitals 
he finds it at times impossible to secure a proper furnished apartment ; 
and, in some, very difficult to find any suitable apartment at all, 
whether furnished or unfurnished. Even if he finds proper rooms, 
they are frequently in an unfit quarter of the town, remote from the 
residences of his colleagues, from the public offices, from everybody 
and everything related to his work. His term of office being gener- 
ally short, he is usually considered a rather undesirable tenant, and 
is charged accordingly. Besides this, the fitting and furnishing of 
such an apartment is a very great burden, as regards trouble, ex- 
pense and time. Within my knowledge, two American Ministers 
abroad have impoverished their families by expenditures of this 
kind, and, without doubt, there have been many others. But this 
is not the worst. The most serious result of the existing system 
concerns our country. It is within my personal knowledge that in 
one very important international question our mistaken policy in this 
