nate dragomans transact the less
important business, comprising routine matters such as requests for the
recognition of consuls, the settlement of claims or furthering of other
demands of their nationals, and in general all the various matters in
which the interests of foreign subjects may be concerned. An important
part of the dragoman's duties is to attend during any legal proceedings
to which a subject of his nationality is a party, as failing his
attendance and his concurrence in the judgment delivered such
proceedings are null and void. Moreover, the dragoman is frequently
enabled, through the close relations which he necessarily maintains with
different classes of Turkish officials, to furnish valuable and
confidential information not otherwise obtainable. The high estimation
in which the dragomans are held by most foreign powers is shown by the
fact that they are usually and in the regular course promoted to the
most important diplomatic posts. This is the case in the Russian and
Austrian services (where more than one ambassador began his career as a
junior dragoman) and generally in the German service; the French chief
dragoman usually attains the rank of minister plenipotentiary. The value
of a tactful and efficient intermediary can hardly be over-estimated,
and in the East a personal interview of a few minutes often results in
the conclusion of some important matter which would otherwise require
the exchange of a long and laborious correspondence. The more important
consulates in the provinces of Turkey are also provided with one or more
dragomans, whose duties, _mutatis mutandis_, are of a similar though
less important nature. In the same way banks, railway companies and
financial institutions employ dragomans for facilitating their business
relations with Turkish officials.

DRAGOMIROV, MICHAEL IVANOVICH (1830-1905), Russian general and military
writer, was born on the 8th of November 1830. He entered the Guard
infantry in 1849, becoming 2nd lieutenant in 1852 and lieutenant in
1854. In the latter year he was selected to study at the Nicholas
Academy (staff college), and here he distinguished himself so much that
he received a gold medal, an honour which, it is stated, was paid to a
student of the academy only twice in the 19th century. In 1856 he was
promoted staff-captain and in 1858 full captain, being sent in the
latter year to study the military methods in vogue in other countries.
He visited Fran