Evening star., 1938-03-20

While the Department Of State is
the Oldest Of the Federal cabinet
agencies, and perhaps the closest to
the President, it is the smallest exec
utive department in point Of numbers
Compared to the ever-spreading De-
partment Of Interior, the Department
Of Agriculture, the Department Of
Commerce and other departments of
the Government, it is just a dwarf
While the other departments are more
or less garrulous at all times, when
the State Department makes a state
ment, or merely expresses itself in
polite conversational tone, the world
stops to listen.
Mr.. Hull Reorganized
His Department..
Mr. Hull did not wait for the Gov
ernment reorganization bill to fight
its way through the Congress, but
some months ago began q drastic re-
organization of his department put
ting it on a more efficient business
basis and co-ordinating its different
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be less duplication of work. He cut
red tape where it was practicable to
do so, and made it known in no un-
certain terms that his department was
not composed largely of tea hounds,
cookie pushers and cocktail fiippers.
New blood has been injected into the
personnel on the basis of experience
and the ability to handle the job.
The actual business Of the depart
ment is conducted with a minimum
personnel of something like 1000 per-
sons. In Washington it has about 40
divisions, Offices and bureaus, includ-
ing the new Division Of Trade Agree
ments-which is so near to the heart
Of Mr.. Hull, and employs 755 to 760
persons Of all ranks and capacities
including charwomen and messengers,
as well as the spif1y and elegant gen.
tlemen who 60 forth in toppers,
striped trousers, spats and walking
sticks. Abroad 1t has 81 diplomatic
missions. IS general consulates, l89
consulates, vice consulates, 20 con-
sular agencies and 3 combined Offices,
which makes the total pay rolls. There
may be some later figures than the
above.
Walking Is the
Secretary's Amusement.
The Secretary Of State performs all
Of his oficial social duties with rigid
punctuality but enjoys society most
in small quantities, and dotes on an
evening spent with old friends. He
does not play golf or bridge. Is fond
Of walking and always walks to and
from his ofnce. Whenever possible he
leaves Mrs. Hull to do the official
honors outside OF his home They do
say that in spite of his quiet manner
and way Of expressing himself he has
q most expressive Tennessee vernac-
ular when he gets out Of patience. He
must have a rich sense of humor for
II one chances to see him at the Union
Station In formal dress waiting the
arrival Of distinguished visitor. there
Is Z quizzical amused look in his eyes
and . bit Of wonderment as to Just
what It's all about.
The State Department Building has
been called French renaissance-but
1t Is rather unfair to put that mon
strous conglomerate mass Of archi-
lecture of on q period that had so
much beauty and symmetry In its
makeup. Once inside, however, the
old building Is q thing Of beauty with
its long. well-proportioned corridors,
charmingly and simply designed rooms
and delightful marble fireplaces. The
old-fashioned swinging, half-shuttered
doors to many Of the Offices speak
Of bygone days when Uncle Sam was
not 50 secretive about affairs of state
As he has become in later times. The
Department of State is the custodian
Of the Great Seal of the United States,
that symbol of which Americans are
very proud and which carries weight in
all parts of the world. It's beautiful
seal. It maybe that Mr.. Hull likes
best the right claw Of the spread eagle
which grasps the olive branch, but
judging from his recent broadcast it
is well to accompany it with pre-
paredness.
It seems a curious coincidence that
at the moment OF Hitler's grand coup
and bloodless conquest of part of the
magnificent old Austro- Hungarian
Empire. cinema Of the tragedy of
Mayerling should be pictured within a
stones throw Of the State Department.
It recalls the romantic tragedies of
the House Of Hapsburg, which ended
in the assassination of the Archduke
Franz Ferdinand on the fatal day in
1914. which plunged the world into the
most devastating and horrible war Of
all time.
What About Austria's
Rare Art Collections?
With Hitler conquest Of Austria,
It is wondered If all the glories and
priceless art collections Of tn old en-
pire will be distributed or remain
where they are. The superb tapestries
the handiwork Of the Dutch and Span
ish masters; the thousand huge tap
estries which form one of the three
great Gobelin collections in the world;
the wealth Of rare painting which
were formerly the private property Of
the Hapsburgs; the court library, also
their property, with its papyri, manu-
scripts, musical and geographical COL
1ections and its 100000 selected
books some Of whose bindings are
worth q kings ransom. The Hapsburgs
were probably the richest house owners
in Vienna and owned Thousands Of
acres Of the richest lands Of the old
empire. It il not known how much
they were allowed to profit by after the
abdication Of Charles H., father Of the
present pretender to the throne, young
Otto.
A few years ago the Austrian gov
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