On Monday night in Committee Sir Edward Grey made an
important statement on the reorganisation of the Consular Service. While admitting that thtre was room for improve- ment, be asserted that much had been done to remedy the drawbacks of the old system. It was now a regular Service, entered by examination, for which considerable initial qualifications were required. These not only included lan- guages, British commercial law, etc., but candidates would be considered specially qualified to compete whO had a certain amount of legal or University training, and among other special qualifications would be that of having served for three years in a commercial house. He stated that although the right of making exceptions had been retained, the practice of appointing to an important Consular post people from outside the Service altogether had in recent years been largely dis- continued. The minimising of these "exceptional appoint- ments," we may note, is highly to be desired, for as matters stand Consuls have a real grievance in seeing outsiders "jumped" into their few good posts without having the com- pensating advantage of being "jumped" out of their own Service into something better.
Previous page
