The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-10-11
KEEPING UP
With
THE NE WIS
BY LUDWELL DENNY

XXTASHINGTON, Oct. 11-With
w Secretary of State Kellogg
joining President Coolidge in YER
bally spanking American minis
tiers "of career" working to re-
tain diplomatic posts regardless of
changes of Washington adminis-
trationS, the foreign service morale
is sinking.
Today many of the younger
American diplomats here were dis
cussing among themselves in dis
couraged fashion what they consider
an official misunderstanding of the
situation, seriously weakening the
professional diplomatic service.
The furry began with the report
that twenty-five American ministers
of career" have agreed tentatively
not to present their designations on
March 4, as is customary when adj
ministrations change. These career"
men, in contrast to political ap-
pointees, have spent their lives in
the professional diplomatic service,
working up slowly from humble sec
retaryships to ministerial posts.
They think the foreign service act
passed by Congress created a nom
political and permanent service,
comparable to the Army and Navy.
They add that, if they are subjected
to the same rules of automatic res
ignation applicable to purely politi-
cal appointees whenever a new
President takes office, there is no
point to the foreign service act. Both
the individual and the country are
losers.
Kellogg denies the ministers en-
tered into the reported agreement,
basing his denial on the fact that
he never heard of such an agree
ment which he would consider abb
surd. He firmly is of the opinion,
however, that career" ministers in
most cases are better than political
appointees. He has stimulated con-
sistently such promotions.
Il n
THROUGH Kellogg may be correct
a in doubling the general belief
that the twenty-five ministers have
entered an informal agreement, there
is no question that practically all
of them and of the foreiqn service
from which they graduated strongly
oppose automatic designations.
President Coolidge's Spokesman"
is alarmed over the violation of
White House powers implied in
these demands. COOLIDGE wants it
understood that the Constitution
makes diplomatic chiefs the repre-
sentatives Of the President, to be
hired and fired by him alone. He
wants the DIPLOMATS to know they
will not be allowed to create a self
perpetuating system for themselves,
and that the next President will do
his own appointing.
The diDlor1ats. of course. cannot
answer back, but they point out
among themselves that their desired
system would not in any way inter-
tere with the unduestioned right of
a President to dismiss any diplo-
matte officer at any time.
Tt merely would recognize for
mally the actual fact Of diFarenti-
alton that some ministers and am
baSsadors are merely personal po-
]itical appointees of the outgoing
president, while others were ap-
pointed to ministerial rank with a
presumption of perrnanence because
OF their life training and service in
the diplomatic corps.
Why should any young man want
to make the difficult and low-paid
entrance into the foreign service if
the highest success he can aspire
to in maturity is to be an underling
of any casual business man or poll
tician, unframed in diplomacy, who
IS given a ministerial or ambassa-
oorial post, it is asked?
n II
TENHEIR depression increases when
Il they recall that after Roosevelt
began reWarding career men with
promotion as chiefs of mission, thus
beginning Professionalism of our
diplomatic staff, the Wilson admin
istration swung back almost COM
pletely to the so-called "spoils" sys-
TEN. Now under Coolidge there are
twenty eight career ministers and
ambassadors, compared with twen-
ty-five political appointees. The lat
ter include the most important
posts, London, Paris, Berlin, Toxic,
Mexico City.
The twenty-eight career" chiefs
are:
Ambassadors-R. II. Bliss, Argen-
tina; H. S. Gibson, Belgium; E. V.
Morgan, Brazil H. P. Fletcher,
Italy; j. G. Grew, Turkey.
Ministers - ]. V. MacNurray,
China; William Phillips, Canada; J.
Caffery, COlombia L. Einstein,
Czechoslova.ia; H. P. Dodge, Dem
mark E. A. Young, Dominican Re-
public; F. M. Gunther, Egypt; A. E.
Southland, Abyssinia; R. F. Skinner,
Greece; G. T. Summerlin, Honduras;
j. B. Wright, Hungary; F. A. Ster-
ling, Irish Free State; M. Blake
diplomatic AGENT, Morocco; G. G..
Eberhardt, Nicaragua; H. Philip,
Persia; F. M. bearing, Portugal; w.
D. Robbins, Salvador; j. D. Prince,
Jugoslavia; L. Harrison, Sweden; H.
R, Wilson, Switzerland; II. A.
Schoenfeld, Rumania; u. c.. Smith,
Uruguay.