The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-08-27
. Capital
Comment
Diplomatic. Consular
Officers Repsirisied
Former Prisoners OF
Axis Men Tell OF Plight
State Department Men
Prove Of Tough Fiber
N. nuxrn E...~~.
BY PETER EDISON

from Tokyo, together with near
" $50 diplomatic and consular
officers who were under the Jap
snese thumb in the Far East
marks the end Of the effort to
get some 400 u. s. state depart
ment people clear Of axis-domi-
mated territory. That II has
taken eight months since Pearl
Harhor to accomplish these
transfers is indicative Of the
kicking around and the impris-
onment which the u. S. foreign
service agents have TO take in
time of war. Ambassador Nell
son johnson, for instance, has
been in this war for more than
five years. As ambassador TO
China, he and his staff have
taken Jap bombings at Marking.
Hankow and Chungking. john
son is now envoy TO Australia,
and likely to be in the thick of
IL again.
Experiences Of these u. s.
foreign service people, in fact,
practically tell the story Of the
war. John Ker Dais and the
embassy and consular staffs
took the worst the Germans had
To offer for IL days in the siege
of Warsaw.
Daisy Hartman, only woman
head of an American diplomatic
mission, was recently decorated
by Norway for her part in NOV
ing her embassy five times TO
keep in touch with the Norwe-
gian government during the Ger
man invasion. One member Of
her staff was killed by Ger
man bomb. In Paris, bomb
dropped through the ceiling OF
the dining room in the American
embassy while Ambassador Will
liam c. Bullitt was at lunch.
In London, Ambassador Jo-
seph P. Kennedy and his success
sor. John G. Winant, and their
staff have gone through the
heaviest bombings, and over a
period longer than at any post
except Chungking, China. The
embassy in London has not had
a direct hit, but u. S. consulates
at Plymouth, Bristol, Liverpool
and Manchester have been COM
pletely Quilted by fire and ex-
plosions. Miraculously, not one
American foreign service en-
ploye has been hit in Great
Britain, though their work has
gone on uninterrupted.
Ballyhoo Banned
Foreign service personnel sta
toned in the Balkans and In the
Mediterranean AREA have had
perhaps the toughest gong OF
any American civilians in the
war zones. In Belgrade, fugo-
slavia, the embassy staff under
Arthur Bliss Lane took a ter
rife beating. Bombs destroyed
one side of Minister Lanes resi-
dence. A member of his stan
carried a diplomatic pouch rlght
through the city at the heignt
of a bombardment, and deiiV-
cred it safely. When 1t came
time for the Americans to get
out of the country, all orioges
over the Danube had been de-
stroyed, so a boat was chartered
and they made their way 10
Budapest.
Not only bombings, but near
starvation hit the American dip
lomatic and consular missions IN
Greece. Many of those who nave
returned 10 the United states
have had to undergo long peri
DDS of convalescence to recover
from blood and diet Deficiencies.
So reserved and conservative
Is the state department about
making heroes of any Of its for
eign service personnel that It's
reports delete mention Of names
when exploits of individuals are
passed along. In the eyes OF
the state department, all us
people are modest, retiring pup
lie servants. so why ballyhoo
any of them. When Congress
man Foster stearns Of Hancock
N. H, who used to be foreign
service man himself. wanted TO
make a speech about the brave
deeds Of these men. the depart
ment made him take out al
names, for fear that some OF
those not mentioned might feel
sighted.
HEROES IN HOMBURGs
But individual experiences
will get around. There Is the
story Of Walter A. Foote, VINO
has been consul and consul gen
ersl at Batavia, Java, since 1884
When the Jsps launched their
invasion Of the Netherlands
East Indies. Foots was IN the
trick If II. He stayed At ms
post as long as he could ara
then under pressure made = re-
treat across Java, finally esosp-
ing 10 Australia by plane. j
took him three months 70 get
hack 10 the United States on an
unescorted. slow freighter. out
after reporting 70 Washington
he was ready for another as
signment and is now on his way
to a new post in the Pacific.
Returning with Ambassador
Grew and the party Of Far
Eastern perxornel Il Addison