The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-09-19

When William G. Bullitt was AM
bassador to Russia, he used to play
baseball with the members of his
staff and newspaper correspondents
behind the Embassy Bullitt
learned to speak Russian fluently
in six weeks, which made him more
popular with the Russians than any,
thing else he could have done !.
Ambassador Joe Kennedy is ex-
tremely popular with the Britishers.
He is the typical Englishman,s con-
ception Of the typical American.
A popular fallacy Is that any
American citizen stranded abroad
can get his fare home by applying
to the local consulate. (Consuls are
only authorized to repatriate Ameri-
can seamen. Money advanced to
others would have to come out Of
their own pocket.) Members Of
the Foreign Service don't get vaca-
tons every year. (Only every 10
months.) They must send their
children to private schools. cts
against the Departments rules to
send them to public schools In
foreign countries.) An Ambassa-
dor Is paid $4,000 a year. A min
lister gets $4,000 Diplomats
get an allowance for rent ranging
from $500 to $1,000 a year, repend-
ing on where they're stationed
The Foreign Service used to be
kidded as a haven for cookie push
ers". But on the walls of the State
Department is a memorial tablet
listing the names of some three
score diplomatic and consular Of
ficers of the U. s. who lost their
lives while on active duty.
Before Congress passed a law re-
curing applicants for the Foreign
Service to pass regular exams, Har-
ward supplied most of the men in
the Service Students In the
Departments training school don't
know their destinations until they
complete the course In December
Their examination results have a lot
to do with where they are assigned.
(When the students learn where
they are to 60, pandemonium breaks
loose and study Is inpossible-which
Is the reason why announcements
are saved for the last moment.) ). :.
In Espionage Agent" the students
are shown tossing darts into a map
an hour before they are to receive
their assignments, the superstition
allegedly being that they will be as
signed to the spot where the dart
lands. (Actually, there Is no such
custom. Robert Buckner, who wrote
the picture, inserted 1t for drama
tic effect.)
Although the Monroe Doctrine Is
named after President Monroe, it
was actually thought up and worked
out by his secretary of state, John
Quincy Adams -. Arson Burlin-
game, who was U. S. Minister to
China from 1861-67, was so capable
diplomat that when he resigned
from his post. the Chinese govern
ment made him China's ambassador
to the U. s.! When Franklin
Pierce was elected President, he ap.
pointed Nathaniel Hawthorne Con-
sui to Liverpool, just to help out his
former college chum who wasn't able
to earn a living as an author +.
American ambassadors are the only
ones who don't have special uni
forms. (They wear full dress on for
NAL occasions) When James
Russell Lowell, the poet, was U. S,
Minister to Spain, he showed up at
the court one day in full dress in
stead Of a uniform like the ambas-
sailors of other countries. AS a re-
suit. the snobbilsh Major Domc
snubbed him by not giving the prop
er salute. Lowell stopped to talk
with the man and wound up the
chat with the gentle warning: "If
the American ambassador doesn't get
the proper salute, the Major Domo
won't get the proper gift at Christ
mas" Lowell never needed a uni
form after that.
A priced possession of the State
Department is the Flag which
avenged the death of Abraham Lin
coin. 1t was draped over the box
in which Lincoln was sitting In
Fords theater when John Wilkes
Booth fired the fatal shot. When
Booth tried to jump from the box
to the stage, the spur Of his boot
caught in the Flag, tripping him
The injuries he got were responsible
for his ultimate capture and death.