The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-10-14

1dSI-IIlOVlIlS SOCldl Seb. IL Il
Therefore. when an American
diplomat can bring back from the
Pan-American Conference just
closed in Panama a definite and
far-reaching neutrality agreement,
it can be chalked up as achieve
ment-plus.
For Sumner Welles, the under
secretary of state, this was not a
new victory-except in one respect.
For several years he has been do
ing the spade work for Pam
American conferences. He plowed
the field where his chief Cordell
Hull reaped. But previously Welles
stayed in the background, and this
was the first occasion on which
he, himself, headed the American
delegation to an important con-
ference and steered the course
single-handed.
: Today the chief international
objects of the Roosevelt admins
tration are (1) to stay out of war,
and ~ to cement the relations
between the United States and
Latin America.
This was Welles' mission at
Panama. In fact, it has been his
mission ever since he joined the
New Deal. For it was he who first
coined the phrase GOOD Neigh
bor' in a speech which he wrote
for his chief in the White House.
SECRETARIES VS..
UNDER SECRETARIES
Secretary Hull and Under Sec
rotary Welles are a unique couple.
Hull Is slow, cautious, drawls out
his sentences with homely Ten
nessee accent. Welles Is quick,
imaginative, not afraid to probe a
difficult situation, bites out his
conversation with an incisive Har-
ward accent.
Washington under the New
Deal has become noted for its
inner department quarrels.
Frequently they occur between
Cabinet members and their I'M
der secretaries. Henry Morgen-
THAI, for instance, has tried out
whole row of under secre-
taries. Harold Ickes fired his
chief subordinate, Charley West;
Ed McGrady could not get along
with Miss Perkins; and the
Commerce Department has seen
several under secretaries come
and 60.
Hull and Welles are no excep-
ton. It is no secret that the old
gentleman sometimes chafeS at
the rapid-fire decisions of his sub
ordinate. But on the whole they
are good friends. Nearest break
between them, strangely enough,
occurred over a dog.
HULL VS.. TOBY
Welles Is a great dog-lover. AL
most any stray beast which he or
Mrs. Welles may meet Is likely to
be adopted. Their home Is full
of a motley assortment of pups
which get sumptuous repasts on
separate trays In the main dining
room.
One of the Welles dogs is named
Toby, who happens to be the
grouchiest of all, and who also
happens to be Summers pet. Toby
is so grouchy that when the
Welleses were in Panama this
month, the chambermaid at their
hotel purchased q mechanical
mouse to distract Toby while she
cleaned.
Toby is the constant consort Of
the Under Secretary Of State,
whether he Is attending a confer
ence in Buenos Aires or Havana.
And 1t was Toby who caused q
temporary breach between Welles
and his chief. On the steamer
returning from Buenos Aires con-
ference, Mr.. and Mrs. Hull and Mr..
and Mrs. Welles. occupied state
rooms in q reserved part Of the
ship.
Toby was there, too. and took
1t upon himself to dispute the
right of the Secretary of State to
occupy this area with the re-
suit that on one occasion Hull
called q ships officer and lapsed
into choice Tennessee mountaineer
language In describing "that
damned Welles dog" Then he
summoned his under secretary
and told him off.
During the remainder Of the
trip. the Welleses and the Hulls
were not as cordial Is they might
have been.
NSfN N nW wWCcVNyRS
Welles Is q tall and austere gen.
tleman who looks the proyerbial