Chapter 23. For the improvement of the foreign service
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CHAP. 23.— An Act For the improvement of the foreign service.February 5, 1915.[[S. 5614](/us/bill/63/hr/5614).][[Public, No. 242](/us/pl/63/242).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,That hereafter all appointments Diplomatic and Consular Service.Secretaries, consuls general, and consuls appointed to grades and not posts. [R.S., secs. 1675,1690, pp. 294,296, amended](/us/rs/sec1675,1690/pp294,296).of secretaries in the Diplomatic Service and of consuls general and consuls shall be by commission to the offices of secretary of embassy or legation, consul general, or consul, and not by commission to any particular post, and that such officers shall be assigned to posts and transferred from one post to another by order of the President as the interests of the service may require: *Provided*, That *Provisos*.
Duty in Department of State.any such officer may be assigned for duty in the Department of State without loss of grade, class, or salary, such assignment to be for a period of not more than three years, unless the public interests demand further service, when such assignment may be extended for a period not to exceed one year, and no longer: *Provided further*, That Promotions subject to action of Senate.no secretary, consul general, Grades established.or consul shall be promoted to a higher class except upon the nomination of the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate.
Sec. 2. That secretaries in the Diplomatic Service and consuls general and consuls shall hereafter be graded and classified as follows, with the salaries of each class herein affixed thereto. secretaries. Secretaries in Diplomatic Service. *Ante*, p. 443. Secretary of class one, $3,000. Secretary of class two, $2,625. Secretary of class three, $2,000. Secretary of class four, $1,500. Secretary of class five, $1,200. consuls general.Consuls general. Vol.35, p. l01. Consul general of class one, $12,000.
Consul general of class two, $8,000. Consul general of class three, $6,000. Consul general of class four, $5,500. Consul general of class five, $4,500. consuls.Consuls. Consul of class one, $8,000. Consul of class two, $6,000. Consul of class three, $5,000. Consul of class four, $4,500. Consul of class five, $4,000. Consul of class six, $3,500. Consul of class seven, $3,000. Consul of class eight, $2,500. Consul of class nine, $2,000. Sec. 3. That section sixteen hundred and eighty-five of the Revised Chargés and vice consuls.
Statutes is hereby amended to read as follows: "“Sec. 1685. That for such time as any secretary of embassy or legation Chargés d’affaires ad interim.shall be lawfully authorized to act as chargé d’affaires ad interim 806 Pay of secretaries acting as. [R. S., sec. 1685, p. 295, amended](/us/rs/sec1685/p295). Vol. 35, p. 673. at the post to which he shall have been appointed or assigned, he shall be entitled to receive, in addition to his salary as secretary of embassy or legation, compensation equal to the difference between such salary and fifty per centum of the salary provided by law for the Vice consuls.Additional pay while in charge.ambassador or minister at such post; and for such time as any vice consul shall be lawfully authorized to assume charge of a consulate general or consulate during the absence of the principal officer at the post to which he shall have been appointed or assigned, he shall be entitled to receive, in addition to his regular salary or compensation as a subordinate consular officer or employee, compensation equal to the difference between such salary or compensation and fifty per centum of the salary provided by law for the principal consular officer at such post.”" Sec. 4.
Pay for special duty outside of Washington.That a secretary, consul general, or consul of whatever class detailed for special duty outside of the city of Washington shall be paid his actual and necessary expenses for subsistence during such *Proviso*. Limitation.special detail not exceeding $5 per day: *Provided*, That such special duty shall not continue for more than sixty days unless in the case of international gatherings, congresses, or conferences, when such subsistence expenses shall run only during the life of the international gathering, congress, or conference, as the case may be.
Sec. 5.Promotions and transfers, regulation of.That the Secretary of State is directed to report from time to time to the President, along with his recommendations for promotion or for transfer between the department and the foreign service, the names of those secretaries in the Diplomatic Service and the names of those consular officers or departmental officers or employees who by reason of efficient service, an accurate record of which shall be kept in the Department of State, have demonstrated special efficiency, and also the names of persons found upon examination to have fitness for appointment to the lower grades of the service.
Sec. 6. Diplomatic and consular officers.That section sixteen hundred and seventy-four of the Revised Statutes is hereby amended to read as follows: " “Sec. 1674. Official designations defined.[R. S., sec. 1674, p.293, amended](/us/rs/sec1674/p293). That the official designations employed throughout this title shall be deemed to have the following meanings, respectively: “First. Consul general, and consul.‘Consul general’ and ‘consul’ shall be deemed to denote full, principal, and permanent consular officers as distinguished from subordinates and substitutes.
“Second. Consular agent.‘Consular agent ’ shall be deemed to denote consular officers subordinate to such principals exercising the powers vested in them and performing the duties prescribed for them by regulation of the President at posts or places different from those at which such principals are located, respectively. “Third. Vice consuls.‘ Vice consuls’ shall be deemed to denote consular officers subordinate to such principals exercising and performing the duties within the limits of their consulates at the same or at different points and places from those at which the principals are located, except that when vice consuls take charge of consulates general or consulates when the principal officers shall be temporarily absent or relieved from duty they shall be deemed to denote consular officers who shall be substituted, temporarily, to fill the places of said consuls general or consuls.
“Fourth. Consular officer.‘Consular officer’ shall be deemed to include consuls general, consuls, vice consuls, interpreters in consular offices, student interpreters, and consular agents, and none others. “Fifth. Diplomatic officer.‘Diplomatic officer ’ shall bedeemed to include ambassadors, envoys extraordinary, ministers plenipotentiary, ministers resident, commissioners, charges d’affaires, agents, secretaries of embassy and legation, and secretaries in the Diplomatic Service, and none others.
” Offices abolished.The offices of vice consul general, deputy consul general, and deputy consul are abolished." 807 Sec. 7. That no ambassador, minister, minister resident, diplomatic Diplomatic officers forbidden private business, etc., in country to which accredited.agent, or secretary in the Diplomatic Service of any grade or class shall, while he holds his office, be interested in or transact any business as a merchant, factor, broker, or other trader, or as an agent for any such person to, from, or within the country or countries to which he or the chief of his mission, as the case may be, is accredited, either in his own name or in the name or through the agency of any other person, nor shall he, in such country or countries, practice as a lawyer for compensation or be interested in the fees or compensation of any lawyer so practicing.
Sec. 8. That this Act shall take effect on the day of its approval by In effect.Inconsistent laws repealed.the President, when all Acts or parts of Acts inconsistent with this Act are repealed. Approved, February 5, 1915.