The Department publishes no list of vacant posts and is not able definitely to forecast when vacancies in the service may occur.

Clerks in consular offices, vice consuls, and consular agents are appointed without examination, but are only eligible for appointment to the grade of consul upon the passing of the regular entrance examination.

Appointments to the consular service are made only after a rigid physical examination of the

candidate.

The written language examinations include papers in French, German, and Spanish only, and no other language will be accepted in lieu of one of these. An oral examination is also given the candidate, in the language selected by him in his written examination, to test his ability to converse in that language. He may also present in his oral examination any other languages with which he may be familiar.

Dependent upon the number of candidates, the examinations last from three to six days. The written part of the examination covers a period of two days of six hours each. The first four subjects will be given on the first day, and the remaining subjects on the day following, probably in the order presented in the sample examination.

GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING CONSULAR OFFICERS.

DUTIES OF CONSULAR OFFICERS.

Consular officers are expected to endeavor to maintain and promote all the rightful interests of American citizens, and to protect them in all privileges provided for by treaty or conceded by usage; to visa and, when so authorized, to issue passports; when permitted by treaty, law, or usage, to take charge of and settle the personal estates of Americans who may die abroad without legal or other repre sentatives, and remit the proceeds to the Treasury in case they are not called for by a legal representative within one year; to ship, discharge, and, under certain conditions, maintain and send American seamen to the United States; to settle disputes between masters and seamen of American vessels; to investigate charges of mutiny or insubordination on the high seas and send mutineers to the United States for trial; to render assistance in the case of wrecked or stranded American vessels, and, in the absence of the master or other qualified person, take charge of the wrecks and cargoes if permitted to do so by the laws of the country; to receive the papers of American vessels arriving at foreign ports and deliver them after the discharge of the obligations of the vessels toward the members of their crews, and upon the production of clearances from the proper foreign port officials; to certify to the correctness of the valuation of merchandise exported to the United States where the shipment amounts to more than $100; to act as official witnesses to marriages of American citizens abroad; to aid in the enforcement of the immigration laws, and to certify to the correctness of the certificates issued by Chinese and other officials to Chinese persons coming to the United States; to protect the health of our seaports by reporting weekly the sanitary and health conditions of the ports at which they reside, and by issuing to vessels clearing for the United States bills of health describing the condition of the ports, the vessels, crews, passengers, and cargoes; and to take depositions and perform other acts which notaries public in the United States are authorized or required to perform. A duty of prime importance is the promotion of American commerce by reporting available opportunities for the introduction of our products, aiding in the establishment of relations between American and foreign commercial houses, and lending assistance wherever practicable to the marketing of American merchandise abroad.

In addition to the foregoing duties, consular officers in China, Turkey, Siam, Morocco, and a few other so-called non-Christian countries, are invested with judicial powers over American citizens in those countries. These powers are usually defined by treaty, but generally include the trial of civil cases to which Americans are parties, and in some instances extend to the trial of criminal cases.

VICE CONSULAR OFFICERS.

The office of vice consul is a subordinate office except during the absence from duty of the principal officer at the post, in which case the vice consulship becomes temporarily a substitute office. Vice consuls exercise and perform the duties of the consular offices to which they are attached, as stip ulated in the Consular Regulations and laws of the United States, including the duties heretofore per

formed by deputy consular officers. These duties will be performed under the direction of the principal consular officer when he is at his post of duty, and when he is absent the vice consul will assume full charge of the office under his bond. But a vice consul may be detailed by the Department for duty at a post in the district different from that at which the principal officer is stationed when the public interests so require.

In the case of offices to which it is necessary to assign more than one vice consul, the Department determines the relative rank of the vice consuls so assigned and designates which one of them shall take charge of the office in the absence of the principal officer.

Vice consuls receive no compensation as such when the principal officer is at his post of duty, but when the principal officer is temporarily absent or relieved from duty, the vice consul lawfully authorized to assume charge of the consular office shall be entitled to receive in addition to any salary or compensation due him as a subordinate officer or employee an amount sufficient to make his compensation for the period he may be in charge of the office equal to fifty per centum of the salary of the principal officer for the period. In case no such officer shall at the time be so assigned, the additional compen sation shall be computed on the basis of the salary of the principal officer last assigned to the post. A vice consul who receives no compensation as a subordinate officer or employee is entitled to compensation equal to fifty per centuin of the salary of the principal officer assigned to the post for the period during which the vice consul shall be temporarily in charge of the post during the absence of the principal.

CONSULAR AGENTS.

A consular agent is an officer subordinate to a consul general or consul, exercising similar powers at a place different from that at which the consulate general or consulate is situated. He acts under the direction of his principal, and one-half of the fees collected by him constitute his compensation, which may not exceed $1,000 in any one year. Consular agents pay the rent of their offices, the Government furnishing them with forms, record books, stationery, etc., for official use. A consular agent may engage in private business in the country of his official residence.

CONSULAR ASSISTANTS.

There are forty consular assistants, who are appointed by the President and hold office during good behavior. They may be assigned, from time to time, to such consular offices and with such duties as the Secretary of State may direct. When so assigned they are subordinate to the principal officer at the post, and perform such clerical or other duties of the office as he may designate. They receive a salary of $1,000 a year for the first three years, and thereafter $200 a year additional each succeeding year until a maximum of $1,800 is reached. Candidates for the office of consular assistant must be over twenty-one years of age. Consular assistants are eligible for promotion to the grade of consul without further examination.

CLERKS IN CONSULAR OFFICES.

Clerks are employed at the various consular offices and receive compensation varying, as a rule, from $300 to $1,500 a year, beginning with their arrival and entrance upon duty at the consular office. Their duties embrace bookkeeping, letter writing, recording correspondence, and routine consular work. It is usually required that they be stenographers and typewriters and possess a knowledge of the language of the country where they are employed. They are frequently appointed upon nomination of a consul general or consul, but the Department of State exercises its right to make independent appointments whenever that course appears to be in the interest of the service. American citizens only under fifty years of age are appointed to clerkships.

For such appointments no examination is required, but to become eligible for promotion to the grade of student interpreter, consular assistant, or consul a clerk in a consular office must pass the prescribed entrance examination.

Applications for clerical appointments should be filed with the Department of State.

STUDENT INTERPRETERS.

Provision is made for ten student interpreters at the legation to China, six at the embassy to Japan, and ten at the embassy to Turkey. These officers receive annual salaries of $1,000 and allowances for tuition of $180 each in China and $125 each in Japan and Turkey, and are required to study the language

of the country with a view of supplying interpreters to the American diplomatic and consular offices in China, Japan, and Turkey. Upon receiving an appointment each student interpreter is required to sign an agreement to continue in the service as interpreter to the legations and consulates so long as his services may be required within a period of five years. After acquiring the language of the country, they may be assigned to duty in diplomatic or consular offices, and are eligible to promotion to the office of interpreter and to that of consul of class 8 or 9.

COMPENSATION OF CONSULAR OFFICERS.

All consuls-general and consuls are prohibited from engaging in private business in the country in which they have their official residence, and the Department may extend this prohibition to any other consular officer or employce. Consular officers are required to account for all fees collected by them, and the salaries fixed by law or regulation constitute their sole and only compensation, except as specially provided in the case of consular agents, who are compensated, up to the limit of $1,000, by one-half of the fees collected by them.

TRAVELING EXPENSES.

Consuls-general, consuls, and student interpreters are entitled to additional compensation of five cents a mile when traveling under orders of the Secretary of State, and in going to and returning from their posts, except in connection with leaves of absence. Consular assistants are allowed actual and necessary traveling expenses, but no provision is made for traveling expenses of clerks in consular offices.

EXAMINATIONS.

As will be seen by reference to the foregoing regulations for promotion and examination, all candidates for the offices of consul of class 8 or 9, consular assistant, and student interpreter, and also candidates for the offices of vice consul and consular agent who may desire to become eligible for promotion are required to pass the prescribed examination. Applicants for appointment as vice consul, consular agent, or clerk in the consular service are not required to be examined. Vice consuls, consular agents, and clerks can not, however, be promoted to the grade of consul without having first passed the prescribed examination.

SAMPLE EXAMINATION FOR THE CONSULAR SERVICE.

[The relative weights of the subjects, on a scale of 20, are: International, Maritime, and Commercial Law, 3; Political and Commercial Geography, 3; Arithmetic, 2; Modern Languages, 2; Natural, Industrial, and Commercial Resources and Com merce of the United States, 4; Political Economy, 2: American History, Government, and Institutions, 2; and Modern History (since 1850) of Europe, South America, and the Far East, 2.]

SUBJECT-INTERNATIONAL, MARITIME, AND COMMERCIAL LAW.

Persons examined for Consular Assistant and Student Interpreter will answer six (and only six) of the following questions:

1. (a) Distinguish between citizenship and domicile.

(b) Name three ways in which citizenship may be terminated.

2. In the absence of treaty stipulations, what effect will the return of a naturalized citizen of the United States to his native country have, with regard to liability to military service?

It

3. (a) A vessel being overdue, her owners took out insurance to cover vessel and cargo. subsequently appeared that when such insurance was taken out the vessel had already been wrecked and the cargo lost. Can the owners collect the insurance?

(b) What rate of insurance may legally be charged on a respondentia bond?

4. Discuss the question of the right of a neutral power to have commercial dealings with a belligerent.

5. What is the modern practice with reference to private property of citizens of one belligerent power, found within the territory of the other belligerent?

6. What is the practice with reference to private property found on the high seas under the following circumstances: (1) Neutral goods, not contraband, under an enemy's flag; (2) enemy's goods, not contraband, under a neutral flag; (3) contraband goods under a neutral flag and consigned to a neutral port?

7. A, the holder of a promissory note made by B and indorsed by C, accepted from B, on the day the note fell due, a check dated six days later, which check was to be in full satisfaction of the note. The check proved worthless when presented on the day of its date, and B failed to pay the Has A a right of action against C, the indorser? Why?

note.

8. (a) Define bill of lading, invoice, power of attorney, and bill of exchange.

(b) Under what circumstances, if any, may a bank avoid liability for the payment of a forged check?

SUBJECT-POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL GEOGRAPHY.

Persons examined for consular assistant and student interpreter will answer four (and only four) of the following questions:

1. (a) Name five seaports on the east coast of Asia north of Singapore and exclusive of Japan. (b) Locate (1) the Gulf of Bothnia; (2) the Black Sea; (3) the Kongo River; (4) Lake Athabasca; (5) Lake Nyasa.

2. (a) Name two principal silk-producing countries.

(b) Give two leading exports of (1) Argentina; (2) Australia; (3) Norway; (4) India.

3. (a) Name the two river valleys which produce the most rubber.

(b) What two countries are the greatest manufacturers of steel?

(c) What are the two greatest cotton-producing countries of the world?

4. (a) To what countries, respectively, do the following belong: (1) The Bermudas; (2) Iceland; (3) the Galapagos Islands; (4) the Caroline Islands; (5) Madagascar?

(6) In what country is cach of the following-named cities: (1) Asuncion; (2) Adelaide; (3) Fez; (4) Teheran; (5) Liege?

5. Name eight bodies of water through which a ship would pass on a direct voyage from Baltimore to Odessa.

SUBJECT-ARITHMETIC.

1. The following table shows the number of passengers departing from seaports of the United States for foreign countries during a period of six years. Find the "total number of passengers departed" for each of the years given in the table and the "grand total" for all the years.

2. Make in the form below an itemized statement of the following account as it should appear taken from the books of Robert Rant, make a proper heading, close the account, and bring down the balance as it should have appeared February 1, 1911.

During the month of January, 1911, Russell & Sɔn had the following transactions with Robert Rant: Jan. 1, he owed them on account $98.75. Jan. 2, he gave them his note due in 20 days for $50. Jan. 4, he sold them 280 pounds coffee at 30% cents per pound. Jan. 5, he bought of them

369 bushels corn at 68 cents per bushel. Jan. 6, he sold them 2,750 feet lumber at $16.40 per thousand. Jan. 8, he transferred to them by indorsement a note of $400, less a discount of $4. Jan. 25, he bought of them 2,650 pounds of sugar at 42 cents per pound, agreeing to pay the freight also at 18 cents per 100 pounds, the freight to be prepaid by them. Jan. 29, they sold him 5.600 pounds coal at $6.30 per ton of 2,240 pounds.

.in account with..

Dr.

Dolls. Cts.

Cr.

Dolls. Cts.

3 A merchant bought goods for $2,058. For how much money must they be marked to sell in order that he may give a trade discount of 121⁄2 per cent, lose 163 per cent by bad debts, and still maki agan of 144 per cent of the cost?

4 The duty on certain woven fabrics in the piece is as follows:

If weighing not over!, ounce per square yard, $4 per pound.

It weighing over ounce but not over 2/3 ounce per square yard, $3 per pound.

It weighing over ; ounce but not over 1 ounce per square yard, $2.65 per pound.

It weighing over 1 ounce per square yard, $2.50 per pound.

What is the duty on an importation of such fabrics containing 79,200 meters, 34 yard wide, the total weight of the importation being 1,200 kilos.

Cameter -39 37 inches, 1 kilo -2.2046 pounds.)

(All the work of determining the rate of duty must be given in full, absolute exactness being required Compute the duty on the nearest whole number of pounds in the importation.)

SUBJECT-MODERN LANGUAGES.

Make a close translation of one (and only one) of the following into idiomatic English:

MESSIEURS V. ET FILS à Anvers,

KINGSTON, JAMAÏQUE, le 5 Juillet, 1911.

Notre ami commun, M. J. Roberts, capitaine du "Trelawney," m'ayant mentionné votre maison à Anvers comme une de plus respectables, je saisis cette occasion pour entamer une correspondence avec vous, en prenant la liberté de vous adresser ci-inclus le connaissement de douze tonneaux de sucre, chargés pour Londres à votre adresse, sur le navire "William et Mary," capitaine John Gray. Veuillez opérer la vente de cette marchandise au mieux intérêts, en gardant en vos mains le produit net à ma disposition La qualité est excellente, et j'espère que le résultat de ce petit essai sera un encouragement