Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-27
Unemployed
Diplomats
Increase
HitIers Successes
leuve Few Posts
In Europe
BY EDGAR ANsEL MowRER.

BY EDGAR ANSEL MOWRER.
The universally welcomed ap.
pointnient of Rear Admiral William
D. Leahy as new American Ambas-
sador to France calls attention to
one unexpected feature Of this war:
The startling growth Of unemploy-
ment among American diplomats.
One might, indeed, measure the de-
gree Of axis success by the number
of American Ambassadors, Minis
tiers and lesser fry who are back
here in the United States and, pro-
fessionally speaking, on the bread
line.
The successful italian seizure Of
Ethiopia made it impossible for Am
bassador William Phillips at Rome to
be succeeded by any one, since the
American government refuses to
recognize King Victor Emmanuel as
an emperor, and the Italians won't
permit him to be addressed merely
as king. When, therefore bad
health and the italian attack on
France drove Ambassador Phillips
back to this country, the Rome job
became open and has remained so.
And Ambassador Phillips is, for the
time being, out Of job.
Wilson Leaves Government.
The post-Munich program cost
Ambassador Hugh Wilson the Ber-
lin position. The President con-
e{Iarad that with a ~ ,x,{,,- az Az
bassador was the proper method Of
showing this country's horror Of Hit
ler's anti-Semitic outbursts. Mr..
Wilson returned home. Since then
he has had various odd-jobs around
the State Department, the latest
of which, surrounded by secrecy,
was believed to be some sort Of
preparation against a sudden OUT
break Of peace.
Mr.. Wilson has now left the Gov
eminent service, largely, it is felt,
because he wished to be free openly
to oppose the anti-appeasement poll
icy of the administration. Stimuli
taneously with him, there resigned
from the American diplomatic serv-
ice his old lieutenant in Bern and
Berlin, the former Minister to Haiti,
Ferdinand Mayer. whose views are
believed to be similar to those Of
Mr.. Wilson.
Joseph P. Kennedy. still nominal-
ly Ambassador to Britain, is idle as
a diplomat, but busy as a travel
ing salesman for his own particu-
lar brand of foreign policy, best
outlined in his recent uttered Bos-
ton statement that Britain Is not
a democracy.
Voluntarily Jobless.
If Mr.. Kennedy did not intend that
the statement should make his re-
turn to London definitely impossible
Che had had enough Of that town
anyway, his friends claim then he
Is not the shrewd fellow men take
him for.
Another voluntarily jobless diplo-
mat is William c. Bullitt, Ambassa-
dor to France. Like Mr. Kennedy.
Mr.. Bullitt did mis- best to get Mr..
Roosevelt reelected. Unlike Mr..
Kennedy, he is endeavoring to per-
suade the American people that their
interest lies in going the limit to
help Britain crack Hitler. But this
auxiliary work is really not full
time Job for man Of Mr.. Bullitt's
energy and capacities.
1t is believed that he could, II he
chose, succeed Mr.. Kennedy in
London, but that he has definitely
declined because personal reasons
make indispensable his presence In
this country. There is much con-
lecture as to whether he will not
ultimately turn up in a cabinet lob.
Meanwhile, he too graces the Dip
lomatic breadline
Little Work for Biddle.
Anthony j. Drexel Biddle, formal
" still Ambassador to the head OF
the Polish Republic, is the State
DEPARTMENTS No. / war sufferer,
having been bombed out of house.
home and almost existence, IN
Poland. incidentally, his claim for
several hundred thousand dollars
as compensation rather astonished
many. Mr.. Biddle could return to
the Polish government in Great
Britain, but there is little real need
for him there at present and he is
said to be ready to accept an am
bassadorship to Mexico should one
be offered.
Another unoccupied Ambassador
is John Cudahy, who preceded Mr..
Biddle in Warsaw and then went on
to Brussels. Mr.. Cudahy became
very friendly to the King of the Bel
gians and presented that sovereign's
case sympathetically But the State
Department can hardly use an AM
bassador in Brussels at present
Diplomatic w. p. A. Jobs.
Mrs. Florence Hartman. Amer
lean Minister to Norway, whose Job
was more or less cut from under her
feet by the Nazis, is literally suffer-
ing the results of physical exposure
Alring the German invasion. Praise
Of her conduct then runs high.
Further unemployed diplomats
now assigned to what might be
called fill-in, or diplomatic w. P. A.
jobs are:
Ray Atherton, Minister to Den
mark, acting chief Of the European
Division Of the State Department;
George Gordon, Minister to the
Netherlands, engaged in State De-
partment work so mysterious that
every one tells you about 1t only in
the deepest Of whispers; John Wiley,
Minister to Esthonia and Latvia
(and therefore a victim Of Stain
rather than of Hitler, who has been
loaned to the Treasury for an in
side Job. Stains other victim.
owen Norem, American Minister to
Lithuania, is not doing much Of
anything.
Add Myron Taylor.
Among this distinguished COM
pany Of the higher unemployed is
still another who Is at home con-
valescing and who will return to his
Job whenever he feels well enough,
namely, Myron Taylor. Mr.. Tay-