Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-13
HUGHES PROTESTS
THAT UNNECESSARY
CALLERS ANNOY HIM
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal,
Copyright. 1929

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11.-Secre-
tary Hughes speech protesting that
too many organizations and indi-
viduals outside the government
make a practice of bothering fed
tral officials and that about half
their time is given by public execu-
tives to contacts that are really
unnecessary" occasioned today not
little gossip as to just what the
head of the department of state had
in mind.
For many months there have been
repeated requests from the outside
from various societies and associa-
tons who feel that they should make
known to the secretary of state
their views on foreign policy. Their
suggestions range all the way from
a plea that the soviet government
in Russia be recognized to demands
that the colored man in Haiti be
freed from American restraint.
Mr.. Hughes has no objection to
getting the views of all kinds of
organizations but what he finds is
that the same things that are sa1d
to him can usually be put in writing
Just as well and time saved, To re-
fuse to give his time to various or
CARNATIONS, of national scope leads
to bad feeling and all sorts Of i'll
effects for the administration. To
give ones time means, as Mr..
Hughes describes it, countless in
trusions upon serious work.
Prefers to Concentrate
Mr.. Hughes is the type of man
who likes to concentrate on his
work. He is of the reflective and
sfudious class of statesmen. While
he recognizes that the press for in
stance is an important institution
and he gives a least twenty min
utes of his time nearly every day
to the conference with the CORE
spondents, in order to answer their
many questions, there is not the
slightest doubt that he wishes even
that task could be spared so that
he could work uninterruptedly when
he wants to do so. Then there is
the feeling that the press by it's
enterprise discusses in print many
delicate situations which might be
more easily adjusted by the gov.
eminent itself, if the press report
didn't produce definite impressions
on the minds of those with whom
the department of state is in the
process of negotiating. Sometimes a
situation is completely altered by the
necessity of denying or simplifying
an innocently intended press report
that has produced irritation.
When Secretary Mellon. of the
treasury department, took office he
is said to have remarked to his
friends that a government portfolio
wasn't a bit like a private business
because nearly half of his time had
to be given to members of congress
who were seeking jobs for their
friends. Personal problems that
ousht to be handled by lesser execu.
tives were thrust upon the head of
a department by the insistence of
members of the legisls, i've branch of
the government, to incur whose i'll.
will was not wise for the department
head, who must go before congress to
get needed appropriations Or sanction.
for other acts.
Secretary Hughes has spent a
great many years on the supreme
court of the United States where
neither the press ror outside organ
izltions can take up any time of the
court. The judges regulate their
own time. What Mr.. Hughes misses
is that freedom WHICH he enjoyed on
No 1,a ~
day on a legal opinion if necessary
and tJrn out a satisfactory piece OF
work without being harassed by
dozen different demands on his time.
The department of state is an ex-
ceptionally busy institution nova
days, It began to develop unprece-
denied Importance with the outbreak
of the European war in 1914 and
there are literally thousands of
questions hanging over from the
war period. Besides the formulation
of a policy, the secretary Of state
must give tine to conference with
the bureau chiefs and subordinates
and also watch the administrative
side of the whole organization. To
be obliged to receive callers day in
and day out who could just as well
write what the have to say is
what Mr.. Hughes had in mind in his
Gliding remarks last night when he
referred to the "unceasing require
ments of those who have little to do
with public business and by thei"
| constant opportunities for extra of
fetal attention use up the nervous
energy which should he devoted to
| public service