Evening star., 1938-05-13
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Cordell Hulls unvarnished denial of
any intention Of quitting the State De-
partment out Of pique over alleged dis
agreement with President Roosevelt on
foreign policy Is accepted at full face
value because Of the Tennesseean's
transparent honesty on all occasions.
Nevertheless and notwithstanding, the
notion persists in quarters that should
be qualified to know whereof they speak
that there's more in the situation than
meets the eye. Suspicious that the de-
partment is not the abode of unalloyed
brotherly love have permeated the diplo-
matte world ever since the recreation Of
the counselorship in May, 1887, and the
appointment Of Mr. Hull's old crony of
congressional days. Judge R. Walton
Moore, to fill 1t. Little birds whispered
see the veteran Virginian elevated to
F. D. r. finally bestowed upon that
uncommonly capable and ambitious
career foreign service officer, Sumner
Welles. Around no executive division
of the Government does gossip revolve
more continuously-and sometimes mali
ciously-than around the State Depart
ment. Periodically 1t ascribes to Welles
and the careerists Machiavellian desire
to maneuver the tall sycamore Of Oxon
Hill into the secretaryship. Such tales
thrive on the knowledge that Welles
stands high in the graces of that other
son Of Groton and Harvard enthroned
at No. 1000 Pennsylvania avenue.
80 ++
Events which eliminated in Hulls
disavowal of retirement rumors set in
on April 10. At his press conference
that day President Roosevelt tossed of
more or less casually the text of q state
ment approving the Anglo-Italian agree
ment. Undersecretary Welles having
been in conference at the White House
just couple Of hours before, 1t was
clear that the communiQue was pre-
pared while he was there. The whole
episode was marked by an incredible in
formality. The Chamberlain Mussolini
deal hadn't been mentioned during the
preceding 20 minutes with the cores
pondents. They were about to>disperse
when suddenly one of them-apparently
planted" to ask the question-piped up:
"Mr. President. have you anything to
say about the Italo- British accord?" In
his off-hand manner, Mr.. Roosevelt
chirped: "Oh yes, I almost forgot"
Thereupon he reeled of so haltingly that
most of his callers were convinced he
was perusing them for the first time
words which stamped with implicit
American approval the London-Rome
axis, with its recognition of the Ethiopian
annexation and the invasion Of Spain.
\
Because Hull was on vacation at Pine
hurst, N. c., the conviction Immediately
took root in many minds that the mice
had been playing while the cat was
away-in other words, that Welles, in
the absence Of his chief, had put some
thing over the President. Forthwith,
too, the story got around that Welles,
on his part, had had something put over
him by British Ambassador Sir Ronald
Lindsay, acting on q direct appeal from
either Prime Minister Chamberlain or
Foreign Secretary Viscount Halifax. The
Britishers' purported motive, Of course,
was to bolster the Tory governments
tottering prestige In the realm Of foreign
policy by evidence that, whatever critics
at home thought about 1t, the dicker with
the Roman dictator stood ace high In
Washington.
Next step In the amazing affair was
State Department memorandum for
the press, attesting that there was no
rift between Roosevelt and Hull In the
conduct of foreign relations; that policy
is laid down by them jointly, and that
any opinion or differences Of opinion
within the departmental STAFF are not
determining factors. Specifically. 1t was
insisted, the White House okay Of the