A CONSUL'S WORRIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 167, 18 July 1927, Page 6

A CONSUL'S WORRIES.

An unenviable lot is that of the British Consul in a small foreign port. Held responsible by his own compatriots for the inconveniences and abuses of the local laws, and by the local authorities for misdemeanours of his own nationals, he suffers the usual fate of the well-meaning peacemaker in any quarrel. I speak feelingly, for I was one myself, in a small seaport of a South American republic—small in population (about 800), but big in its own importance as head of a department and boasting of many officials. There was a Governor, Fiscal Treasurer, Captain of the Port, Judge, and various police officers in charge of the 70 policemen in the town. These dignitaries had always to be kept in good humour, and in return the stately Spanish ceremonial demanded that I should always receive a place of honour at the many official banquets and functions taking place—and they were many. A Latin-American celebrates every occasion, whether a visit from the Intendente or the departure of a minor official, with an interminable and most boring banquet of food and speeches, which usually concludes about 3 a.m. A splitting headache and. ruined liver is the result next day.

The arrival of a British ship will usually exercise the Consul's mental, and often judicial, powers. An example of this comes to my mind from the visit of one to discharge cargo. During her 30 hours in port I had to settle the differences between the chief officer and chief engineer, one of whom thought the other was out to murder him, pay the fines of three men arrested ashore for being drunk and disorderly, search out and engage a native seaman in place of a deserter, and all this in addition to the routine paper work. As I wa3 only a "trading" Consul, i.e., an ordinary business man, and not a fulltime Consul, all this work was in addition to the usual business routine, and there was no seven hours about my day in these cases. The only appreciation I ever got was from a wireless operator, who was very drunk, and came to see me especially to say that I must be a fugitive from justice, or I would not be living in such a hole.

The Consul is »2so responsible for the care of all British subjetfbs ashore, and is the natural prey of all the many beachcombers that haunt the West Coast. A man once approached me for the train fare to a neighbouring city, he being stranded without any hope of work in our town, and the next thing I heard was that, with my money, he had gone to another village and robbed several shops. Legal work forms a great part of the duties. At one time I had in my care the interests of a man accused of the murder of two women during a picnic, the evidence being very confused owing to everybody being drunk at the time. Under English law he would have been discharged after a quick trial owing to lack of evidence of guilt, but under Latin law his case, dragged on for years owing to lack of evidence of innocence. I believe he is etill out on bail. Simultaneously I had charge of the estate of a cashier who committed suicide after embezzling funds, and that of an eccentric old Glasgow ex-engine driver, who died of too much whisky. Between English and Latin-American lawyers fighting over these estates I led a troubled life.

A useful service that the Consul does nowadays is to work in with the Board of Trade in London to further commercial interests by giving timely notice _of big works likely to be con° structed requiring tenders, and by advising on the best means of gaining the local market for British manufactures. In fact, it is at last being realised that the Consul can be a big factor in promoting the prestige and commerce of the Empire, and far greater care is now taken in selecting the right men. There is enough glamour about the position to attract the business man who is not afraid of responsibility, but, as I have indicated, it is not the job for those in seorojj of a. auiet life. -—RETIRED.