LECTURE BY TOWER IN UNION

Hon. Charlemagne Tower '72, late ambassador to Germany, lectured before the members of the Union last evening on "Diplomacy and Diplomatic Life." After referring to some of the details of diplomatic procedure, Mr. Tower dwelt on the rules governing diplomacy.

As diplomacy is, in reality, a business, it can best be transacted by men who have had business training and experience. Any man of intelligence will make his mark in the diplomatic service of a government but he must in addition have training as he would necessarily have for the army or navy or any large business concern.

Nations deal with each other in channels edited by a long period of customs which have become what we know as the system of diplomacy. As the interests of the United States as a world power are enormous, and since their rights and privileges create business of all kinds, the ambassador is the most important minister of his country. He is considered to be equal to the king of the country which he represents, and in the United States he outranks all men but the president.

Every government reserves the unquestioned right to reject or accept the appointment to an embassy, with the result that the man chosen to fill a vacancy has to be in the first place acceptable to the foreign government. In this country the president makes the appointments to all the diplomatic offices, but his choice has to be passed by the senate. Since President McKinley's administration men have been appointed who have had previous training, and in Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Japan a strict preparation is required of each candidate. These men advance step by step through the different grades of the profession.

Immediately after arriving at his post, the ambassador informs the minister of foreign affairs of his presence and plans for a visit from him. This visit may be formal or informal according to the customs of the country. There is often a difference in the language of two representatives, and in such cases the common language is always French. The responsibilities of an ambassador are great, but have been greatly lessened by the easy communication between country and representative. To fill these positions of responsibility we must have the ablest men of our country and we look to our universities to furnish such men.