Evening star., 1943-08-24
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cipally on expanded trade. The
Undersecretary's ideas went much
further into the political field.
The Secretary of State, who in
his youth had to work hard to forge
ahead, belongs to the group of
Southern Democrats who believe in
limited postwar cooperation of
the United States with the outside
world.
The Undersecretary, born with a
silver spoon in his mouth and who,
like the President, has a Groton-
Harvard background, was a strong
New Dealer and advocated an "all-
out" co-operationist policy. He was
firm believer in policing the Eu-
ropean continent with an American
force after the war.
This conflict OF ideas made team
work between the Secretary of State
and his principal assistant increas-
ingly difficult.
The hostility of a group of State
Department officials close to Mr..
Hull but opposed to Mr.. Welles, did
not help matters, either. And while
the reports of lack of harmony
among the various responsible OH
cials of the department have been
frequently denied. those well &C.
quainted with the State Department
know that there are conflicting
groups within that organization.
There have been cliques within
the State Department for many
years. In the Hoover administra-
ton, Undersecretary William Castle
did not see eye-to-eye with his chief,
Secretary Henry L. Stimson, par
ticularly in regard to the policy of
the United States toward Japan.
There were some high officials who
were on Mr. Castles side, while a
number of them were supporting
Mr.. Stimson.
In the Hull administration, Mr..
Welles had few followers within the
department. Mr.. Hull Is less in
clined to overlook dissidents than
was Mr.. Stimson. The various as
sistant secretaries and political ad-
visers-even those who were brought
into the department through the
intervention of Mr.. Welles-soon
went over to the Hull group.
Acted in HulPs Absence.
While the Secretary of State dis
agreed with his chief OF staff on
many occasions, fuel was added to
the fire of dissension by the anti
Welles groups. When Mr.. Welles
was Acting Secretary OF State during
the rare absences of Mr.. Hull from
the department., he took it upon
himself to make certain decisions
which were, of course, carried out
But when the Secretary returned
to his post the anti-Welles officials
sometimes presented them to the
Secretary in such light as to in
crease the suspicion of Mr.. Hull that
his first assistant was following a
policy of his own.
Thus, fundamental divergences of
opinion, together with a good deal
OF wire pulling and intrigue with
In the department, made further
cooperation between the two men,
who had worked together for 10
years, increasingly difficult.
An article published in the New
York Times recently, reporting lack
of policy in the State Department,
is said to have brought the situa-
ton to climax. The usual denials
about a rift within the department
were issued But it became evident
that the Secretary and the Under
secretary could no longer work un-
der the same roof.
Hull Saw President.
Mr.. Hull went to see President
Roosevelt before he went to Hyde
Park and put the situation squarely
up to him. According to those
close to the White House, Mr.. Hull
told the President to choose between
him and Mr.. Welles.
Mr.. Roosevelt decided that Mr.
Welles would have to go. He called
him in and explained the situation
at length. He offered him, accord
ing to reliable reports, q rowing am
bassadorship to prepare the bases
OF peace after the Nazis were de-
feated. This commission would
have taken Mr.. Welles to Russia, to
England and to other parts of the
world where Mr. Roosevelt wanted
to be per sonally represented 1t is
doubtful that Mr.. Welles will ac-
cept the offer.
His physicians say that he now
needs long rest. Moreover, he feels
that since his ideas about the post
war organization Of the world are
at variance with those of his former
chief, and since all the suggestions
he may offer must obtain the ap-
proval Of the State Department be-
fore being presented to Mr.. Roose-
welt, he would be wasting his time
abroad on such a rowing commission
Moreover, he would once more be
the cause OF dissension within the
Government. Mr.. Welles' friend.
say, however, that he has not YET
finally decided on the offer Presi-
dent Roosevelt made him when hi
broke the news to him that he must