Evening star., 1933-04-30

Department of State with Democratic
ONCE seeker He said that on the whole
he agreed that this department, at least
should be divorced from politics. 1T
might we'll be q rule" he said, that
half the Office seekers should be Demo
Gratis and half Republicans" Although
an intelligent man, he could not un-
derstand that any such regulation a
this would merely be to introduce more
politics into the department, to under
stand that the criterion in appoint.
ments ought to be the man, the intel
lectual training of the man, his ia.
miliarity with foreign affairs IN Their
whatsoever to party. Actually, OF
course. the whole basis Of his argument
was that he himself wanted a job, his
qualification being that he was Dem
ocrat. There Is no more sense in this
than there would be in hiring man as
plumber because in college he had
taken courses in banking.
But all these considerations affect
not at all the voracious appetites OF
the vast army Of Job hunters who have
attacked Washington like q swarm Of
locusts. They fiutter about the variou,
departments and will not be denied ad.
mission. If you want to see Senator
or Representative on legitimate busi-
neas and suggest going to his ofice. he
will tell you: Don't think Of it. Send
In your card and Will leave the dool
to talk with you. ! don't dare go neal
my office because Of the job hunters
and II I did I could not push my way
In" The transaction Of routine gov
ernment business Is almost at a stand
still, even In these critical times.
The Job hunters are shameless. "How
long have you been in this depart
ment?" they ask Of every official whose
job Is classified in the famous book as
not protected by civil service. Are you
Democrat?" and unless the officer
who probably has never voted-being a
resident Of the District of Columbia
asserts fervent and undying loyalty tc
the Democratic party they begin i'm
mediately the fascinating task Of un-
dermining his position in order to gel
it for themselves.
Generally they start high. these job
hunters. Their vote getting for the new
President in the home town seems to
them to entitle them to something very
important. The tired Congressman
agrees because 1t is easier to sign q
letter OF endorsement than to have an
argument But as hope fades the de-
mands become more modest II no less
insistent. There Is story Of q man
in Harding's day who wanted to be
Ambassador to London and was finally
rewarded by being made dog catcher
for his home town.
They have no idea what 1t is all
about. They have worked for the party
and are therefore entitled in their
oyn opinion to be on the Government
pay roll. A man who asked recently to
be sent to the Court Of st. James's'
gave as his qualifications for the posi-
ton his wife's ability to handle din
ner parties of any size" The larger
the pay, Of course, the more attractive
the job, and very few realize that to
hold the big positions in the Govern
ment IS enormously expensive. A cabi-
net member for example, has often to
give his entire salary to the rent of q
suitable house The Ambassador to
Great Britain has to spend $500 q
year out Of his own funds at the lowest
estimate. People do not realize these
things any more than they realize that
the need Of the Government for trained
and eficient service is far more i'm
portant than the need Of the indtvid-
ual for appointment.
Flood Washington.
Even for the individual place hunters
there IS good bit Of tragedy. Fol
months after Inauguration time Wash
ington swarms with them-bright, eager
people who are certain that at last they
will be rewarded; drab, dreary people
who have little real hope, because even
In good times they generally are look
ing for jobs; people who, at home, have
been pushed out by more active and in
telligent competitors and have beer
advised by their relieved employers to
"try for q Government job" Many Of
these ,unfortunates have used up all
their savings in this Washington quest
During the bank holiday many Of them
were literally stranded. Some even tried
to borrow from the very people whose
positions they were trying to get fol
themselves. One man said cheerfully
1.-THE filing Of these thousands OF
positions Is going to do q lot toward
relieving unemployment" Either he
did not realize that every appoint
ment involved q dismissal, or else he
was so good Democrat that he did
not think it worth while to count the
unemployed Republicans.
The Civil Service has had its viscissi-
tudes. Its stanchest builder and sup
porter was Theodore Roosevelt. Much
that he accomplished has been whit
tied away, although President Hoover
tried, with some success, to broaden
the scope Of the service. President
Roosevelt, II he viii, can thoroughly
rehabilitate it. not only through exten.
sions but through reformation. He can
hearten the foreign service through
recognition Of the real value to the
Government Of the best men at the
top by retaining them; by replacing
those who have not measured up te
what was expected with younger men
In the service who have shown rea
ability. II he has the courage at q
time when the Job hunters swarm As
never before, he can give new life and
hope to the permanent services and
can enormously increase the prestige
and the ef1ciency Of government.