Evening star., 1938-08-12
LIFE Of CAREER
D|PLOMATSTOUCH
Illness and Assassins Not
Infrequent|y Strike Down
ENJOYS in Service.
BY PRESTON GROVER.

BY PRESTON GROVER.
Nothing irritates the State Depart
ment 20 much as the spats- and
cocktail aroma about its career service.
Naturally there are few plowhands
among the career diplomats. BY the
nature Of their Jobs they travel with
mice people" But the number of
choice spots in the service is equalled
by the pest holes to which the de-
partment has to send its men.
A cruise through the tropics looks
well enough on travel posters but a
four.year stay at sweaty consular
post like as not will fill a mans liver
full of equatorial worms and his blood
with malaria.
Trouble is that the tea table stories
are the kind which get to Congress-
men, often of a rustic turn of mind.
That plays havoc with appropriations
for the service, even though the
United States already has the reputa-
ton of being the most pinch-penny
of any major nation In financing its
foreign staff.
Recent Malaria Death.
Secretary Hull recently pointed out
that tropical malaria had brought
down another career man. adding to
the IS who already have died or been
killed on duty.
The recent death of John j.
OKeefe, vice consul and clerk in
charge Of the consulate at Buena-
ventura. Colombia, deserves more
notice than 1t has received" Mr.. Hull
wrote, particularly in view Of articles
which appear In the press from time
to time and which represent the
foreign service as composed exclusive
" of persons Of the be-spatted and
stuffed-shirt variety.
"Vice Consul O'Keefe died OF
malignant malaria contracted in the
performance of his duties"
Within the last year Theodore Mar
riner, Consular General, was killed
at Beirut, Syria, by an enraged ap-
plicant for passport.
Another Assassinated.
Back in 1924 Robert w. 1mbrie was
assassinated at Teheran, Persia
Mr.. 1mbrie had had large portion Of
the tougher variety Of foreign service
before that. He was the first repre-
sentative Of the United States to
Kemal's Turkish nationalist govern
ment at the desert city OF Ankara,
Mr.. Imbrie went to Ankara with
his bride Of few weeks and main
tanned the consulate for several
months in the Asian equivalent OF a
railroad caboose.
After his transfer to Teheran,
Persia, AZ consular representative, Mr..
Imbrie and a companion were attacked
in the streets. Badly injured,
he was taken to q hospital, but
his assailants followed, broke in and
hacked him to death. July 10, 1924.
-Four days later Mrs. 1mbrie also was
injured in an attack.
Persia Pays.
Indemnity was demanded for Mr..
1mbrie's death. The sum Of 100000
was paid by Persia to the Treasury for
Mrs 1mbrie and $4,000 was paid
also as expense Of a cruiser in re-
turning the body to the United States.
Later, Congress awarded Mrs. Imbrie
$4,000 from the $4,000 as compen-
sation for her own injuries. The State
Department had recommended use of
the cruiser expense money to finance
Persian students in the United States
but Congress declined, and the balance
remains in the Treasury.
Even for hardy souls the life of the
foreign service officer in the tropics
often is a narrowing one. Walter
Foote, consular general at Batavia.
Java, lately hove into the department
to report that during his six-year
stay in the Dutch East Indies he had
typhoid repeatedly, malaria at least
once each year and sometimes oftener,
amoebic and bacterial dysentery re-
peatedly, and no end Of annoyance
from vicious leeches.
But he Is a stout Texan and sur
vived while two Of his aides had to be
transferred or perish. But CAD, you
should see the man sweat He Is 4
tropic waterfall.