Evening star., 1937-05-30

Buildings Commission to solve the
Moscow diplomatic and consular
housing problem, however, have made
little progress. The commission has
authorized funds for construction of
distinguished group Of Embassy and
consular ofices and living quarters
there.
Problem Overcome in Liberia,
Perhaps the most difncult problem
overcome to date in the effort to
equip American dipomats and consuls
with American buildings and furnish.
ings was in Monrovia, Liberia. 1t
was only last January that arrange
ments were completed for construction
at Monrovia of an adequate and sani-
tary Legation.
There was no contractor Of any kind.
much less an American contractor.
able to undertake the task in the
country. Moreover, 1t was found
necessary not only to purchase all
materials in the United States but
construction equipment and tools as
well. Designed after the Carroll house
IN the grounds Of the Johns HOPKINS
University at Baltimore, the Legation.
when completed. will be entirely self
contained, including even its own
water supply.
A somewhat similar problem at
Tlrana Albania. was simplified by
the existence there of the Albanian
Vocational School, operated under
the direction of the American Red
Cross. No American contractor
wanted such remote. and therefore
costly. job under 100000 allotment
hmltatlon. So suitable design,
rejecting, as usual, American archi-
lecture. was perpared; materials were
shlpped, and the Legation was con.
structed by the students of the school
as part OF their training under the
direction of their American SUPER
visor Harry T. Fultz.
The foreign service housing picture.
OF course, has its happy side, which
has been considerably expanded in
recent years through the building
program. The most striking example
OF the happy side, however. remains
outside the current boundaries of
that program.
John Cudahy. it was observed re-
Gently, appeared to be delighted to
give up the rank and sl7.5O0-a-year
salary OF an Ambassador to POLAND.
where the Embassy quarters are
rented, to take the lower rank and
$4,000 salary Of a Minister to the
Irish Free State, where the quarters
also are rented. The explanation
seems to lie in the fact that the
Dublin Legation is rated one Ct the
"orloS most delightful places to live,
Situation Better in Ottawa.
Another happy situation, this time
olrectly attributable to the foreign
service housing program. is in Ottawa
Where the Minister and his staff have
oeen provided with exceptionally At
tractlve living and working quarters
at cost Of about s750,0O0
In London, where the Ambassador
is quartered in a residence given to
the government by the elder j. p
Morgan, arrangements have been
made for long-term lease of Office
space on the two lowest floors and
part OF the third floor of a building
at 2 Grosvenor square, which !. tn
be completed by September. Although
owned by Englishmen, it is being
constructed by Hegeman- Harris, Of
new York, builders of the Embassy
once Building in Paris and of nrin-
cipal structures of Radio City in New
York.
The Paris building, first and most
ambitious Of the American structures
completed under the foreign building
program. stands on the northwest
corner of the historic Place de Ia
Concorde. In design it departs from
the basic policy of adapting the arci,,.
lecture OF noted American buildings
10 local needs. and conforms to the
original plan for that Partisan center
prepared more than 100 years ago bv
Ange-Jacques Gabriel.
FOR the Berlin Embassy the govern
ment has purchased the ancient
Blucher palace. residence of the one.
tlme field marshal, but Congress has
not provided funds for the extensive
remodeling which will be necessary
before 1t can be occupied. Allegations
OF funds already appropriated. how
ever, have been made for remodeling
properties in Rio de Janeiro and
Vienna, and for construction of
consulate at Shanghai, when condi-
tlons become more settled in China
on property which has been increasing
rapidly In value since 1t was purchased.
Inc ALLEGATIONS also provide for the
MOSCOW Embassy and for handsome
though less extensive Colonial.tvne
legations at Helsingfors, Finland:
Managua. Nicaragua, and Port-au-
Prince, Haiti, as we'll as the new
building In Monrovia and the Legation
at Montevideo.
of the BIS foreign service stations in
the world-exclusive of the % ad-
oltlonal ports at which part-tima
consular agents are employed-the
United States now owns office or
residence buildings, or both. for its
EMBASSIES or Legations in Is capitals
and IL additional consular posts, to-
gether with sites for two Legation resi-
dences and for the projected office and
residence building in Shanghai. In
all construction and remodelinp proi-
ects the commission and State De-
partment officials are at great pains to
nave each building as nearly COM
pletely American in the material and
furnishings as possible.