Evening star., 1933-05-14

treaty with Mexico. and another $40 .0OO
in connection with the Canadian bound
ary. The International Joint Com
mission of the United States and Great
Britain, to cite another case. requires
an appropriation of $3.50 from this
Government.
Then there are contribution quotas"
amounting to $575.43l which also must
be left strictly alone These quotas are
for the American Union the Per-
manent Court OF Arbitration at The
Hague, the International Public Health
once, the publication Of customs tariffs
the United States Court in China and
numerous others necessitated by an ever
widening program of international CO.
operation. Out Of each employees salary
must be deducted q S per cent contri-
button to the retirement fund. Trans
portation charges for officers en- route
to or from foreign posts. prisons for
American conv1cts in extra territorial
countries and other necessary liked
charges" create a problem for the
budget ofiicer. As result Of these re-
strictions. the burden Of economy must
be borne mainly by the personnel.
The appropriation. including de-
ficiency appropriations, under which
the department is operating now is
$14 .070, ,247.89. Congress has appropri-
ated for the fiscal year beginning July
l total of $l2,227,51s. representing a
decrease under the present year of
s1,842,728.
Lean. Hard Days Indicated.
This decrease in itself would entail
the most drastic economies the de-
partment has yet experienced. But on
top Of this decrease, the administra-
ton asks an additional reduction of
10 per cent on the amount recommend
ed. which represents nat cut of
81 ,220,846 This would mean a total
reduction of s2,767,147 under the ex-
isting appropriation. When the fixed
charges" amounting to 2l.1 per cent
Of the whole are set aside, the neces-
sity Of applying the 10 per cent cut
to the remainder presents an economy
situation which indicates lean, hard
days ahead for the entire personnel.
No wonder, then, officials claim, tina.
foreign service ofncers are making ap-
plications to be assigned to less expen-
sive posts, while some are being COM
PEELED to leave the service.
drastic reduction of others Is the straw
that actually has broken the cameIs
back. In China and other sections of
the Pacific electric light and drinking
water represents a cost of approximately
$40 to $50 a month. A departmental
board in Washington works out the re-
ductions In rental and allowances, which
are based, or were at one time based,
on the differences in rental. heat and
light costs in respective foreign coun-
tries. This allowance is being cut so
per cent for the average foreign service
ofiicer, while Ambassadors and Minis
ters will suffer q cut Of rs per cent.
Travelling allowances have been re-
duced IS per cent, and are likely to be
cut still more. Formerly officers were
allowed to transport automobiles free
Of charge. Now they must pay.
Losses From 1882 Income Shown
With the representation allowance for
entertainment eliminated under the
economy act and for next year also.
the cost of social obligations, which
are really official obligations. must be
met out of individual pockets. They
can be reduced, but cannot be avoided.
An accounting of the financial status
OF vice consul under existing econo-
| AlCo ollOWc lOoSSS II OII IlkS lSSE lIlCOIIle
somewhat as follows: $375, or Is per
cent taken from his basic salary; 1919
for rent, heat and light; $3.50 lost
through discontinuance Of the post al
lowance; $35 in travel allowance, and
$66 for the transport Of his car, If he
has one. Add to this q prospective loss
through the year of 1928 based on q
disconcerting figure of approximately
IA per cent depreciation in the Ameri-
can dollar and the total comes to the
$500.
Just what other losses the future. will
bring no one will know of certainty
until the budget rearrangement is finally
announced. With the State Depart
ment appropriation, however, amount
ing to only quarter of . cent of each
dollar expended by the Federal Govern
ment, the task that lies ahead Of the
foreign service In recapturing and
holding Americas foreign trade be-
comes increasingly difficult. Omcials
question whether the small savings In
volved in the economy measures are
worth it.