The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-26
PRESENT SYSTEM
 NUT CONVENIENT, SENATOR ASSERTS
Tennessee SoIon Would Buy Old Castle In Berlin For
 u. S. Officials
SAYS OFFICES SHOULD
 BE TYPlCALLY AMERICAN
Claims Nation Would Save Money By Consolidation
 Of Various Agencies

BERLIN, August 25.-(By Associ- ated Press.)-A suggestion that the American government purchase one of the Berlin palaces of former roy atty for use as an American embassy Is made By United States Senator Kenneth McKellar of Tennessee, who recommends. the consolidation of va rious branches of the United States departments under one roof for con- venience and economy.
 "The interests of the United States government .n Berlin, declared Sen ator Mcclellan, "are many and at present scattered over various parts of the city, making 1t difficult to ob- tain information. These interests con- stitute diplomatic, consular, military naval, commercial and agrtcultuTal the agencies, tariff commission and the treasury, and perhaps others, all working separately with virtually no connection or co-ordination.
 Consolidate officeS.
 As all information must come through our foreign offices here these various activities or services should be consolidated under the direction and supervision of our ambassador and transmitted to whatever depart ment in America such service may re- port.
 Tt would give infinitely greater eff ficiency, prevent duplication of work and above all, greatly lessen ex- penses
 we should buy or build an office building in all European capitals suf- ficient for every service. This build ing should be large enough to house all branches of the American govern ment from the embassy down. It should be surrounded with purely American atmo sphere, equipped with American furniture and conducted Tn American fashion.
 Such building should be of easy access to American business men and travellers, and a place where they al- ways would receive information and protection. The personnel of every service as far as possible should be American. In other words our ol- fees, agencies and official activities in Berlin, London, Paris. Rome and other capitals should be distinctly representative of the government and people and not fashioned after the ways and customs of the old world. Buy old Palace.
 T am not criticising; I am merely pointing out how each foreign activ- ity may vastly be improved and the expenses reduced"
 Regarding the embassy for Berlin, Senator McKellar suggests buying palace because they are so numerous.
 As Germany is a debtor of the United States" the senator added and now has a great number of houses and palaces of royalty on hand, which have been taken over by the government. she would, no doubt, be willing to sell us a cen trally located house or palace sufft- cient for our needs. and have us credit, whatever the building might be worth to her account.'
 New Theatre Scale.
 Berlins theatrical managers an nounce the adoption of a gold mark tariff effective with the opening of the fall season. All prices of seats will be based on about one-third their pre-war cost, the cheapest being 30 gold pfennigs, while the charge for marks. These prices will be multiplied by an index figure to be posted at the box office each day before the per fOrmance.
 Several dozen well-known actors and actresses, who accepted jobs with a summer stock company operating the Deutsches theatre in Berlin, are now drawing unemployment pensions as the venture failed, and there Is no prospect of a new management talk ing it over
 Under the circumstances these job less thespians are lucky in being able to qualify for municipal unemploy- ment doles as numerous as colleagues unable to find summer employment because of the surplus of musical shows and reviews now holding Ber- lin stages, were forced to engage in various pursuits pending the opening of the fall season.