Minister Resident

There are five Negroes in the U. S. diplomatic service. One of them has the title of "Minister Resident", the only one in the corps. It is a post ranking below that of Minister and above that of Charge d' Affaires. It is the title of the U. S. Representative, traditionally a Negro, at Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. It is now held by S. P. Hood of New Jersey, who is on sick leave.

The four other Negroes in the diplomatic service are: William J. Yerdy, Consul at La Rochelle*; William H. Hunt, Consul at St. Etiennef James G-. Carter, Consul at Tananarive, Madagascar**; Clifton R. Wharton, Secretary to the Legation at Monrovia.

When Minister Resident Hood recently left Monrovia, the State Department announced that Reed P. Clark, white, former Consul at Mexico City, had been made Consul General and Charge d' Affaires at that place. Last week Negro politicians began to pour protests into the ear of Secretary Kellogg. The head of the legation at Monrovia had always been a Negro. Why could not Secretary Wharton have been made Charge d' Affaires? He had been in the service less than a year, was not eligible. Then why not one of the gentlemen at La Rochelle,* St. Etienne, Tananarive**? The Negro protestants feared that their race was to be deprived of its highest diplomatic post now that Liberia has given important rubber concessions to the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co.

*A port of western France.

An industrial town of east-central France.

** Large island off the southeast coast of Africa, a French colony.