Evening star., 1936-09-05
REFUGEES OF WAR

tree-a service based upon knowledge
and the performance Of duties.
THE protection afforded Americans
abroad by the Foreign Service
Administration is natural one Of the
State Department. Up until 1914
there were not many occasions for the
exercise of its welfare program. There
was the Messina earthquake, in which
the American Consul was killed, and
other small disorders and disasters.
But it was the World War which gave
the service its greatest impetus.
On the Sunday following the out
break of the war, in August. 1914, Mr.
Hengstler thought that he would come
down to his Office just to see if there
was anything he could do. Was there?
He found about so persons outside his
door waiting for him to unlock it and
find out something about their rela-
tives in Germany.
The next morning there was a mill
ing crowd in the corridors Of the State
Department-so thick and so insistent
that he thought he would never get
to his office. And from there the
work started. In one day he took on
all the stenographers that all the
stenographic schools in Washington
could supply. "Hengstleris Harem,-
his Office was facetiously called, be-
cause of the 200 or more girls who
overf1owed it. Eventually he was to
care for over 10000 Americans out of
total of 100000 travelling in Europe
at the time of the wars outbreak In
three days he forwarded over $500, 900
to stranded Americans.
One of the incidents of these wild
days that Mr.. Hengstler likes to re-
call is that of going out into the cor
ridor one DAY and seeing face at a
typewriter that he thought looked ia
miliar. 1t was that of Nelson John
son, now Ambassador to China, then
Consul General at Chungking. He had
dropped it for a visit to the State De-
| partment. on leave, and, noticing
needed work to be done, proceeded TO
assume some of it.
IN ADDITION to looking up your
relatives in war-aff1icted countries.
the Foreign Service Department will
see that they get needed funds from
! you, if necessary. But, as a rule. this
Is not a service extended. The serv-
ice will do it only when the banks of
that country are not functioning. If
the regular banking channels for the
sending of money to friends and rel
| atives abroad are open, the service
refuses. In those cases where money
is sent the procedure is as follows:
Deposit is made with the State De-
partment of the amount wished sent
| The Consul abroad is then instructed
| to draw on this amount and pay the
proceeds to the individual for whom
it is designated.
In cases where the service looks
after persons abroad the expense of
kilograms and cables is borne by the
interested parties. The service has
no funds for this purpose. But it does
telegraph now a list of names to the
Consuls daily of those about whom in
quiry Is made. This saves personal
messages, if one so desires. Inquiry
is also made by mail without cost to
you.
Today passports are required OF
every traveller going abroad. Prior TO
1914 this was not the rule. Because
of this it was very hard those days to
trace an individual lost, strayed or
stolen abroad. Now 1t is much easier.
Even criminals are looked up" both
for the Government and the Stats
governments.
One of the great difficulties in
searching out travelling Americans
abroad in times of trouble is the null
tiplicity of requests-or rather dupli-
cations. Aside from the direct rel
ative or friend are the requests Of
Representatives, Senators and othei
public officials. The idea is that the
more pressure brought to bear on the
Foreign Service Department-like the
regular departments where political
job is concerned-the more likely are
results to be had. One request will
get results just quick as a multi
plicity-in fact, quicker results-for Q
multiplicity of requests about one in.
dividual tends to confusion, whereai
one request does not.
Another secret of our success
says Mr.. Hengstler. is that I've don't
let our problems worry us. Do thu
best you can to help and don't per.
nit yourself to get worked up ovsi
some pathetic case" >,e -.
And his fresh, buoyant manner
after 80 years of caring for distressed
An ericans abroad, bear3 out the Wis.
aoin of his philosophy. =