Evening star., 1939-07-23
Capital Side|ights
By viii P. Kennedy

In response to the earnest plea of Sec
retary of State Cordell Hull, by unani-
nous vote of the House Appropriations
Committee, four outstanding members
are starting this week to make a first
hand survey of the foreign relations of
the United States in crlsis-racked Eu-
rope. They will visit embassies, legations
and consulates, inspect public buildings,
and talk with leaders in each of the
countries visited. This trip is for the
purpose of improving the foreign service,
both economy and efficiency considered,
to see if the United States is represented
abroad by the right type of persons, to
get closeup on the political situation
behind the scenes and from the inside
throughout Europe. This group under
the leadership of Representative Thomas
S. Mcmillan of South Carolina, chairman
of the subcommittee handling the State
Department budget includes Representa-
tive Louis c. Rabaut, Michigan: Millard
F. Caldwell. Florida, and Karl Stefan,
Republican, of Nebraska. They will at
teno the Interparliamentary Union con-
ference at Oslo, Norway, beginning on
August Is. Representatives Mcmillan and
Caldwell are members Of the Executive
Committee of the American Group of
the Union, and they are all delegates to
the conference. Their proposed tour in
cludes London Berlin, Paris, Stockholm,
Rome, Copenhagen and Geneva.
In urging this study of the Nations
foreign service. Secretary Hull empha-
sized that it is a vital phase of the
public affairs of the American people, one
which is sometimes neglected by many
statesmen as well as by the people gen.
orally" He complimented Representa-
tive Mcmillan for his personal observa-
tions of the organization OF the State
Department, as well as the scope and ma
ture of the work which its oficials are
undertaking and the degree of success
they are achieving in carrying out their
duties and responsibilities. While we
run the risk of having our shortcomings
exposed" he said "the benefits of having
your opinion, based on personal observa-
ton abroad, and your cooperation at
home are so much more important that
we are willing to take the risk. We would
be glad if each member of the committee
would look at our work as often as he
conveniently can. We would consider
that to be very fine and valuable
phase of your cooperation"
One of the early presidential boom
circulars, reprint from the Congress
sional Record, but mot printed at Gov
e-nment expense" was distributed about
the Capitol yesterday-urging the candi-
dacy Of Hamilton Fish for President"
1t quotes an exchange of letters between
former Representative Carl G. Bach
mann, one-time Republican whip, who
was campaign manager for Senator VIII
liam E. Borah in 1886, and who now
urges Mr.. Fish to become a candidate
In reply Mr.. Fish said: There is no
objection to my friends expressing their
views and presenting my qualifications,
but he withheld any definite commit
ment' until after he returns from the
nterparliamentary Union Conference.
He Is president of the American group.
y \ y
The Smiths have it-there are seven
Of them In the House, outranking the
Johnsons Of whom there are six. The
Andersons. Fords, Kennedys and Mar
tins have three each on the roll call.