Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-19
BUSINESS MEN GET
DIPLOMATIC PLUMS
Hoover's Appointments Dis
close Policy of Sending
Proven Men Abroad.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.


President Hoovers policy of sending
business men to key posts abroad as
American Ambassadors and Ministers Is
now seen to be steadily working out
Every new major appointment to the
foreign service thus far has been given
to a man who has distinguished himself
in the fields of finance, commerce and
industry. The President signalized this
policy when he sent Gen. Charles G.
Dawes to the embassy in London and
has just carried it a step farther by
nominating Harry F. Guggenhelm OF
New York as Ambassador to Cuba. In
the meantime Mr.. Hoover named Sena-
tor Walter E. Edge of New Jersey as
Ambassador to France, and John w.
Garrett of Maryland as Ambassador to
italy. Dawes is a banker. Guggenhelm
is a mining man." as he calls him.
self. Edge is banker, newspaper pub
Usher and advertising agent. Garrett
is banker, though long diplomat. In
the ministerial category, President Hoo
yer has selected still another business
man, with the appointment of Gerrit j.
Diekema of Michigan as Minister to
the Netherlands. Diekema is lawyer,
banker, sugar magnate and life inSur-
ance executive.
Two "Active Career" Men.
Only two out of the seven foreign
service plums distributed to date have
gone to active career men," as those
who have grown up in the service and
made 1t profession are called. These
are George T. Summerlin, who Is pro-
NOTED from Minister to Honduras to
the miniStership in Venezuela, and Lee
land Harrison, who is transferred from
Minister to Sweden to the ministership
in Uruguay. Ordinarily, Stockholm is
regarded a more important diplomatic
post than Montevideo. Mr.. Hoover Wis
tied Uruguay during his good will tour Of
South America and the decision to dis
patch an experienced career man" like
Mr.. Harrison, former Assistant Secre-
tary of State, to that country is inter-
preted as sign of the Presidents be-
lief in the Importance OF American
Uruguyan relations, especially trade re-
1ations. Mr.. Summerlin'S appointment
to Venezuela from the comparatively
unimportant legation in Honduras also
has its commercial aspect. Venezuela
is likely some day to be the worlds
greatest oil field, with strong interna-
tional rivalry for its domination. Ameri-
can capital is already heavily interested
in Venezuelan oil.
Unusual significance attaches to the
Guggenheim ambaSSadorShip to Cuba.
Mr.. Guggenheim, though a mining en-
gineer by profession, like Herbert Hoo
yer, has devoted practically all Of his
time in recent years to the promotion
of aviation. He has probably been Col.
Charles A. Lindberghs closest friend.
The colonel is one of the trustees of the
Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Pro-
motion of AeronauticS. Indy is
about to start on an air cruise of the
Caribbean area to inaugurate what it is
hoped may some day become a regular
air service for mails. passengers and
freight between the United States and
the Central and South American coun-
tries in question. In the working out
of these plans Lindbergh has had the
active cooperation and support of Gug-
genheim. Cuba is destined to be a
key" link in the scheme to bring the
various Americas closer to one another
by air and the United States Ambassa-
dor in Havana will be assigned major
role in the creation of that politlco-
commercial scheme.
Stimson's Worries Many.
Secretary Stimson has had so many
worries at the State Department during
his six months there that the long-an-
ticipated shake up in the foreign
service has not yet engaged his atten-
ton, at least to the point of making
sweeping changes in its personnel. Re-
ports persist that when these take place
they will be somewhat cyclonic in scope,
with many career man" finding him
self in the discard. Just who is marked
for retention or transfer and who for
honorable discharge from the service re-
mains Col. Stimson's secret. It is GER
tain that several prominent career
men" can remain If they choose. Fore
most among these is Hugh Gibson, Am
baSsador to Belgium, who has played so
conspicuous role in the Anglo-Ameri-
can naval negotiations Gibson enjoys
the close friendship of President Hoo
yer. Joseph G. Grew, Ambassador to
Turkey, is another distinguished serv-
ice man who is likely not to be I'M
horsed One of Mr.. Crews claims to
fame is that he is a brother-in-law Of
Murray, at Peking: ]. Butler Wright, at
Budapest and Robert P. Skinner, at
Athens, are also veteran foreign service
men who will in all probability keep
their present ministerships or get better
ones.
It goes without saying that the one
big business man whom President Hoo
yer already found in the foreign serv-
ice-Dwight w. Morrow, Ambassador
aspire to a better one. Morrow's
name continues to be mentioned as a
future Secretary of the Treasury, If and
when Mr.. Mellon retires. Col. Lind
bergh's father-in-law is precisely the
type Of new patriots"-men of affairs
who have made their pile and can af-
ford to serve Uncle Sam-whom Her
bert Hoover is Systematically seeking to
bring into the Federal service.
Copyright, 1929
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