Evening star., 1939-05-14

that consular officials were working to-
ward the same goal in their official rep
resentative capacities
The Agriculture Department main
tanned a much smaller service for crop
reporting, but its work never came into
such direct conflict with that of the
State Department as did Commerce be-
cause it was not concerned with trade
expansion.
State Department Victory.
Merger of the Foreign Commerce
Service with the Foreign Service of State
is a victory for the State Department
and its handful of officials who have
carried on campaign for years to
eliminate the unsatisfactory double ap-
proach to foreign governments
This drive for a unified service was
consistently sought by Wilbur J. Carr,
who, as Assistant Secretary of State until
going to Czecho-Slovakia as Minister
two years ago, was chief of Foreign Serv-
ice personnel
When George c. Messersmith. former
Minister to Austria, succeeded Mr. Carr
ing for unifcation for dozen years and
from his vantage point in Washington
took up the cudgels more vigorously. AS
head of Foreign Service personnel he will
have charge of putting into practice the
plan of consolidation worked out at the
State Department. In its main outlines
it is as follows:
All present officers of Foreign Com
merce and Agriculture Services will be
taken Immediately into the Foreign Serv-
ice of State without examination and
will enjoy all the rights and privileges
pertaining to such officers. They will
be classified in their new jobs according
to their present grade and Importance,
and will be eligible for assignment in
any consular or diplomatic post
The commercial training and back
ground of most of these men will fit
them, however. for continued specializa-
ton within the unified Foreign Service,
and many may be designated as COM
mercial attaches, trade commissioners
or assistant trade commissioners at their
foreign posts, except that their admin
istration will be at the State Department
rather than Commerce.
Specialist Service to Be Expanded
The role of specialists within the serv-
ice will be expanded to take advantage
of the particular qualifications of the
new men, who will continue to receive
their instructions from the Commerce
Department, but by way of the State
Department.
Both Commerce and Agriculture De-
partments will have a voice in deter
mining the fitness of men coming into
the service henceforth. An Assistant
Secretary of Commerce and one from
Agriculture will become members of
the Foreign Service Examining Board,
and their particular needs will receive
consideration in selecting new men for
the service.
All reporting activities abroad will be
in the hands of the State Department
officers, but the digesting and dissemina-
ton of information within the United
States will continue to be carried on
by Commerce and Agriculture Depart
partments have proved highly valuable
to many branches of American industry
and agriculture.
Besides assigning commercial special
lists to continue in their particular fields,
the State Department plans temporary
duty abroad for technicians within other
interested Government departments,
these men to carry State Department
commissions for the term of their for
eign service and have the full character
of Foreign Service officers
At a time when world peace and do
mestic prosperity hinge so heavily upon
foreign policy, both political and COM
mercial, the united front in its formula
ton and application is essential. Con-
solidation of all governmental activities
abroad within the department which is
charged with carrying out these policies
akec that roo1ity