(1) General education, knowledge of languages, business training and experience. (2) The country in which the consul or commercial agent is to reside, its government, chief magistrate, geographical features, principal cities, chief production and its commercial intercourse and relations with the United States. (3) The exequatur, its nature and use. (4) Functions of a consul or commercial agent as compared with those of a vice consul or consular agent; relation of former to latter, also to the United States minister or ambassador at the capital of the country. (5) Duties of a consul or commercial agent as regards: (a) Correspondence with the State Department and the form thereof. (b) Passports, granting and visaing. (c) United States merchant vessels in a foreign port, and their crews, whether seeking discharge, deserting or destitute. (d) Wrecks within jurisdiction. (e) Wrongs to United States citizens within jurisdiction. (f) Invoices. (g) Official fees and accounts. (6) Treaties between the United States and the foreign country. (7) Relation of ambassador and minister to laws of the country to which they are accredited, as compared with those of consul or commercial agent to those of the countries where they reside. (8) Acts of ambassador or minister, how far binding upon his country. (9) Diplomatic, judicial, and commercial functions of consuls or commercial agents. (10) Piracy, what it is and where punishable. (11) Consular Regulations of the United States—copy of which (to be returned to the Department) will be supplied to each candidate upon application. (12) Such other subject or subjects as the Board may deem important and appropriate in any particular case. One might suppose that a man who could pass a good examination on the above subjects would be pretty well qualified for the service, with one glaring exception, namely, that nothing is said about _requiring_ an acquaintance with modern languages, especially that of the country where the consul is to be located. Moreover, complaints are still coming in as before, so that, although it is somewhat the fashion to condemn our consular system as the “worst in the world”, it is evident that we haven’t got to the bottom of the difficulty yet. It needs no argument to show that the “spoils system”, pure and simple, is the most suicidal policy possible. The logic of history—our own history—upon this very point, is conclusive. But to throw the consular and diplomatic service into the “classified list”, or, in other words, to decide upon the fitness of a candidate merely upon the merits of a civil service examination would make but small improvement. It would tinker the old machine instead of replacing it with a new one. Such a process may determine upon a candidate’s preparation—if an examination may be said to determine anything—but it can not reach his personality—what he is,—nor can it reveal his capacity for work—what he can do.