Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-07
SAVED BY POOR AIM BILL CAUSES ALARM
House Legislative Measure
CrippIes State Department.
NOW is BEFORE SENATE
Conferees Are Expected to Face
Heavy Responsibility-Blow to
Modern Methods.

The legislative bill. which passed the
House some time ago. Is now before the
Senate. The greatest concern is felt at
the State Department over this bill, be-
cause it is believed that the very life
of the Department of State las it now
exists. is at stake. Officials Of the de-
partment claim this is no misrepresenta-
ton. since the bill passed by the House
eliminates the four divisions of Latin
America, the far eastern. near eastern
and western European affairs. as we'll as
the bureau of trade relations and the di
vision of information. In other words 1t
is claimed that 1t sweeps away the mod
ernized State Department.
These divisions handle the important
political and other matters involving the
special conditions in the different coun-
tries of the world. Representatives call
upon the State Department. for instance,
to ascertain the whereabouts and Sc
cure protection of the life of American
citizens in Mexico. The member of Con-
gress is appealed to by constituents
who are relatives Of the man in Mexico.
All this correspondence, which has, OF
course reached enormous proportions. is
drafted and attended to in detail by Of
ficials of the division of Latin-American
ny IueIl WHO KNOW SPANISH, KNOW
Latin-American conditions and have
served in Mexico.
Cases Are Expedited.
With the present organization these
cases, to give only a single instance. are
handled with an efficiency and expedition
otherwise impossible.
Perhaps the very same members Of
Congress, it Is suggested. then vote to
abolish these divisions and to send back
to the foreign service the very men who
as officials of the Department OF State
are every day helping their constituents.
The incredible smashing of the State De-
partment appears. SO 1t is said. to have
been almost accidental, and to have been
a mere incident of a paltry question of
possible duplication in some OF the work
of the bureau of trade relations and the
bureau of manufacturers In the Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor.
The Senate committee on appropriations
in reporting the bill has restored In
measure what is necessary to the con-
tinued existence of the reorganized De-
Department we'll as business men
generally look for favorable action upon
the amended bill by the Senate.
Conferees Hold Fate.
1t is pointed out when the bill goes to
conference the conferees of the two
houses will be facing an unusually heavy
responsibility. for their action will de-
termine the fate of the modernized State
Department. and the question of continu-
ing our foreign service upon that high
plane of efficiency which the foreign
trade interests Of the United States have
SO loudly applauded.
In this connection it is pointed out that
all foreign governments maintain a bu-
reau Of commerce a necessary adjunct
to their foreign service. Germany. as an
illustration, spends S12o,0GO annually upon
it's trade division. Belgium appropriates
SD, TAO annually for its commercial branch.
under the minister of foreign affairs and
Austria gives support with an annual ap-
preparation of So. 800 commercia divi-
sion under the direction of it's foreign
office.