Evening star., 1943-09-28


nor has he served in any diplomatic
post. Just why the President de-
cided that of all the very fine men
in the diplomatic service, not one
should be chosen to serve as Under
secretary of State as q successor to
Sumner Welles is something that
has not been explained.
Up to now nearly every Secretary
of State has had as his right-hand
man some one of experience in our
foreign service. The idea has been
to leave the Secretary free to deal
with broad policy and for the Under
secretary to administer the depart
ment and assist in the formulation
of policy.
Mr.. Stettinius has had experience
In the lease-lend administration and
has the kind of personality which
can harmonic differing viewpoints
and improve administrative eff
cheney. If anybody without policy or
foreign, service experience was to
be chosen, Mr.. Stettinius represents
the best choice among the young
men in the administration.
Curiosity Is Expressed.
But with Secretary Hull burdened
with the larger tasks of foreign
policy and with the reports that
he soon will make a journey to
Moscow, it is natural that there
should be some curiosity as to why
a man without diplomatic expert
ence should be given the post of
Acting Secretary of State in the
absence Of Mr.. Hull,
The resignation of Mr.. Welles has
been accepted in many quarters here
as due to differences between him
and Secretary Hull, and it is under
stood that Mr.. Welles could have
had a post as special ambassador,
but declined. Nothing authoritative
has been said publicly about this and
the text of the exchange of letters
between the President and Mr..
Welles was not given to the press,
30 it cannot be determined whether
Mr.. Welles declined a new post
before or after his resignation If,
indeed, he was offered another
appointment.
Mr.. Weiles was one of the ablest
men on foreign policy in the last
two decades OF his period of service
In the State Department. He has
been close personal friend of Mr..
Roosevelt for many years, and it
is a matter Of genuine regret that
his abilities will be lost to the Gov
ernment especially in the critical
months ahead when postwar and
peace policy must be formulated.
It will be recalled that before our
entrance into the war Mr.. Welles
made trip to the important coun-
tries of Europe to canvass the
possibilities of peace and was grant,
ed a special interview by Hitler. He
never made public his findings, but
It was taken for granted that only
. person possessing the unlimited
confidence of the President would
have been selected for that mission
Hopkins Suggestion Accepted.
The appointment of Mr.. stettinius
has been coupled with the inference
that businessmen would have more
to say hereafter about foreign policy
especially with the immensity of the
economic problems that lie ahead Of
us. But it would appear that this
is merely way of justifying the
appointment. 1t may rather be as
sumed that the President found
himself in a dilemma in trying to
find some one who might bring
peace to the State Department fam
lily itself and that he accepted Harry
Hopkins suggestion that Edward
Stettinius be given the job.
1t will be noted that most of the
economic operations of the State
Department have been taken from
that agency and placed in sepa-
rate organization headed by Leo T
Crowley, so the report of increasing
business emphasis would seem to
be somewhat puzzling,
One thing is clear-the State De-
partment hereafter is to be con-
cerned largely with diplomatic policy
and Secretary Hull will be the chief
spokesman In that respect. The
President has close relations with
the British Prime Minister and IL
much more familiar than Secretary
Hull with the discussions that have
taken place in their conferences
So 1t would appear probable that tn,
President will in the future, as ir
the past, actually formulate Amer
lean foreign policy.
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