Evening star., 1928-04-22
NEW STATE DEPARTMENT
ORGANIZATION IS URGED
Representative Porter Offers Bill De-
signed to Increase Efficiency at
Home and Abroad.

! tive branch. but practical experience
/ has shown that an arrangement of this
/ kind is quite helpful. as is well illuStrat-
| ed by the debt settlement with Repre-
/ SentativeS Burton and Crisp, and Sena-
/ tors Snloot and Simmons participating
and in the limitation of ornaments
/ treaty, with Senators Lodge and Under
wood in the conference. Some such
| common council on the Nicaraguan
matter would doubtless have prevented
a great deal of bothersome misunder-
| standing.
! The salaries for the undersecretaries
and the assistant secretaries are made
! large. and they are prohibited from TAX
+ ing any diplomatic position except that
/ of Ambassador Representative Porter
explains that the purpose is to create
! q body Of men in positions of such high
i dignity that the best minds OF the
country will be anxious to serve. Nothing
could be more dignified than to be an
under or assistant. Secretary of State
and have part in the preservation OF
peace not only for America, but for the
world. At least they would not Use
their positions as stepping stones TO
become Ministers in some foreign
country.
The bill also provides that five of
these under and assistant secretaries
must come from civil life. Careful in
vestisation shows that as far as the
Army and Navy are concerned there
never has been a man on the active list
of the Army or the Navy appointed
Secretary OF War or Secretary OF the
Navy. Since the earliest days of the
Republic ii has been the custom OF our
Presidents to chose the heads of the
executive departments and their assist
ants from citizens who have distinguish
ed themselves in civil life rather than
from persons holding offices IN sucn
departments. That is the only protec-
tion the people have against
bureaucracy; 1t avoids the creation Of
an officialdom.
Representative Porter emphasized
that the aim is to make this body OF
under and assistant secretaries OF such
Importance and dignity that they would
hardly deign TO take an ambassador
ship because they are performing the
infinitely more important duty of help
ing the Secretary to fix the foreign
policy of the greatest Government IN
! the world.
Provisions of Bill.
AS a dependable working force sup
porting these policy officials, the bill
provides that, with certain exceptions,
all the present officers and employees OF
the Department Who receive $4,000 per
annum or more shall be transferred
into a home service of the Department
that appointments promotions. demo-
tions and separations in this service
shall be subject 10 the Civil Service
Commission, and uses the language Of
the commission. 1t also gives home
service officers the benefit of the civil
service retirement act. These officers
Of the home service are given the
same salary classification as provided
By law for the foreign service officers.
and an absolute limitation Of IL on the
uppermost class and percentage limita-
tions in other classes is set
One of the assistant secretaries is To
be designated as counselor to advise the
Department on legal matters relating 10
foreign service. The Department is ad-
yised at present by solicitor who Is
under the direction Of the Attorney
General. His salary Is only $500
year.
Representative Porter argues that it
Is absurd to have a $500 man advising
the Government on such important
matters as treaties and other interna-
tioral affairs His bill does not dis
>
but makes a new Office Of counsellor
whose principal business Is TO advise on
grave and highly specialized problems
Of international law.
One Of the undersecretaries would 5e
designated as director Of business ad-
minlstration, Of both the foreign and
domestic establishments, and there
would be set up within the department
a board Of business administration. II
is desirable. Mr.. Porter explains. in the
interests of economy and efficiency that
the Department of State should con-
form with modern business methods by
having In IL an officer clothed with the
authority necessary 10 properly and
economically manage the equipment,
funds and personnel Of the department.
/ including the foreign service. The bud
get would be prepared under his super
vision and expenditures made, Mr.. Por-
/ ter foresees that such business admin
istration would obytate the rush for de-
/ flcieucy appropriations The depart
/ mental board would be composed Of the
lnderSecretaries and assistant secre-
taries and would meet at least once a
month with the chief clerk. the chiefs
Of divisions, bureaus and Offices Of the
/ department, for the purpose Of advising
! the Secretary Of State on problems re-
iating to the business administration Of
/ the department The War and Navy
/ Departments now have boards 10 direct
] questions Of policy and administration
similar TO that now proposed for the
State Department, only one is statutory
and the other is not.
Personnel Beard
10 meet the frequent charges Of
/ faY0ritiem. provision Ii made that one
Of the assistant secretaries shall have
! exclusive direction Of the foreign service
+ personnel and service personnel and
that he shall not have been for
elgn service officer within seven years
prior ~ his appointment II also
provides that no person concerned with
the administration of the personnel Of
the foreign service shall be a member
Of that service or shall b. eligible f0r
appointment 10 that service Within five
years after having been al officer con-
eefned with foreign service personnel
The Army and Navy make their APP
poiniments largely by seniority Mr.
Porter points out but thai rule cannot
I be applied ~ the State Department
There h no question IN the world, he
says but that a large number OF men
ia the State Department. both foreign
AID home service. are satisfied that
/ there Is faYoFitigm shown IN appoint
+ n1ents This feeling, spreading through
tfe entire Sergice has had disastrous
I effect For example. he cites that
] Joseph Drew. j Butler Wright. Leland
/ Harrison and Hugh Wilson as Assistant
! Secretaries of State made a majority
Ut the personnel board They have aIl
been appointed Ministers 10 rAstore
eonfdence throughout the service the
/, provision above has been placed IN the
! Porter bin
There Is created a personnel board
! where IL is impossible for any fnetnber
~ have a personal interest IN appoint
| ments II does away with back
! scratching" One of the assistant see
retaFies would b. IN charge and he can.
not be foreign service officer The