Evening star., 1932-07-10


from your post. Any additional time
required to get back to post will be
leave without pay. May utilize July
furlough in return transit If desired"
Warned of Ruling.
When Congress enacted the payless
furlCugh. it literally fired a shot 'heard
round the world" for there is scarcely
foreign country in which some Amer
ican foreign service officer was not
planning to take his accumulated leave,
with pay, of course. Cablegrams have
warned those who had not yet started
with their families, but in some cases,
cfncers are aboard ships now en- route
to the United States, only to find upon
their arrival here that they have un-
Willingly dug deep into their savings.
Ambassador Walter E. Edge is the
only Ambassador on leave in this coun-
try, having arrived from Paris some
time ago. The Minister to Guatemala.
Sheldon Whitehouse. and the Minister
to Norway, Hoffman Philip also are en-
Joy1ng their leaves here-without pay.
Some of the foreign officers, who can
not afford to take two months leave
Wnen their pay is to be deducted. are
preparing to return to their posts by
the first available steamer or transport.
Every day they are on the water is eat
ing INTO their cash reserves.
Allowed so Days.
Foreign Service officers, a majority of
whom are wholly dependent on their
salaries, are given travel time from
their posts, plus go days at home, when
they have accumulated leave
10 many OF these officers already on
leave IN this country, some from the
Far East, the Near East or South Amer
ice, the unexpected news that they are
now actually on leave without pay
creates an embarrassing financial prob
lem. When they began to examine into
thelr status they received another jolt.
In addition to the loss of two months
pay. they discovered their salaries are
10 be cut 813 per cent, which in itself is
Sufheient worry for some with families
II those who arrived here on July l.,
when the economy law became effective,
start back Immediately for their posts
they Will lose the time it takes for the
return passage. which may be eight
Gays or eight weeks, Then, in addition
to this disappointment, the Govern
ment returns to the Treasury a per-
SSAA0oSS "a WilhG ID lelJ OF lnelr income.
Against Five-Day Week.
Another question which comes up
before the State Department under
conditions peculiar to the operations
OF that department is the application
OF the proposed five-day week to the
personnel in Washington. In the
opinion of most officials, it Simply
cannot be done because the State De-
partment, in all its branches, is
included.
There are few offices in which the
hve-day week could be put into effect
without interfering much with the
routine OF business, but these are very
few. officials pointed out. Eternal
vigilance" is the rule Of most of the
bureau chiefs and the forces under
them. This is particularly true Of the
Far Eastern division, the Public In
formation Bureau, whose members
keep nightly contact with the press,
numerous others, where it is necessary
to be in touch with all quarters of the
earth day and night the year round.
Even the Secretary of State and the
assistant secretaries are not exempt
from this rigid rule. When important
issues are pending, like the recent
troubles in Shanghai. or matters deal
ing with reparations, they drop into
the department at night to answer
pressing cables or to send instructions
that cannot wait until the janitor opens
the offices the next morning. Conse-
quently, the State Department stats
are unaccustomed to keep regular
hours, and there is scarcely a geo.
graphic division in the entire depart
ment, 1t was said, that could operate
on a rigid five-day week by closing
down on Saturday.
Arms Farley Example.
officials cited the recent proposal to
European nations to reduce their arma-
ments as an example of the conditions
which make a fiVe-day week unwork-
able in the State Department.
All day Friday and Saturday and late
Saturday night, Secretary Stimson and
his assistants worked on the intricate
questions involved, only to return to
their Offices on Sunday to put in an
other hard days work. The following
Monday morning, before O'Clock, As
sistant Secretary Rogers received call
from the President, which summoned
him Immediately to the White House.
Inc rest OF the day was one OF un-
ending work About o'clock one of
the private secretaries brought Mr..
Rogers some crackers and told him
heartlessly, There's water in the Jug"
But all the problems involved in the
-day-week plan are not confined to
the personnel in Washington. In the
case of foreign service officers in tropi-
cal countries, particularly near the
Equator, the omission of customary
furloughs is said to be detrimental to
their health, unless the officer is for
tunate enough to be able to afford leave
without pay.
Due to the climatic conditions which
are unsuited to Northern races, it has
been customary for foreign officers at
stations along the Equator to recuperate
for two weeks every quarter of year.
This has been practice on which physi-
clans have issued strict orders, for other
wise few white men could live and
keep well under the torrid conditions
They usually go to the mountains, if
there are any, or some higher altitude
to escape the relentless heat and
humidity. Under the economy bill this
privilege, it was said, would be denied
them unless they do so at their own
sacrifice of pay.
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