Evening star., 1944-12-20
Five State Aides
Take Oath and
Begin Work
Stettinius Announces
Series Of Changes to
Increase Efficiency
BY JOSEPH H. BAIRD.

ny JUSEPH H. BAIRD.
The reorganization of the State
Departments high command was
virtually completed today when
oaths of Office were administered
to Joseph c. Grew, former Am
bassador to Japan, as Under
secretary of State, and to four
Assistant Secretaries. The cere-
mony took place shortly before
noon in the Office of Secretary
Stettinius.
Immediately after his new team"
took Office, Mr.. Stettinius an
nounced series of changes in the
alignment of the DEPARTMENT.
functions with view to increasing
its effectiveness in the conduct Of
our foreign policy" He described
the changes as further improve
ment" on the basic reorganization
put into effect last January is.
Mr.. Stettinius met with the press
and introduced his new aids, all of
whom pledged their best efforts to-
ward a successful American foreign
policy.
Holmes in Europe.
= The fifth Assistant Secretary
named in the reorganization pro-
gram, Brig. Gen. Julius C. Holmes,
is in Europe and will be sworn in
later.
Associate Justice Reed OF the Su-
preme Court administered the oaths
to James G. Dunn, former chief of
the State Departments European
division: Archibald MacLeish. who
resigned as Librarian of Congress;
Nelson A. Rockefeller, until recently
co-ordinator of inter-American af-
fairs, and Will L. Clayton, formerly
an official of the Reconstruction
Finance Corp. and earlier a Texas
cotton broker. Families of the new
officials. as we'll as a number of
Inigh-ranking department officials,
| witnessed the ceremony.
The five new officials took UP the
work of administering American
affairs after heated Senate con-
troversy over their confirmation,
The fight ended late yesterday after
an appeal from President Roosevelt,
How Staff Is Organized.
The reorganization plan provides
for a Secretary's Staff Committee,
consisting of Mr.. Stettinius as,
chairman. Undersecretary Grew, the
six Assistant Secretaries of State,
including Dean Acheson, who re-
mains over from Cordell Hull's ad-
ministration; the legal adviser and
the special assistant to the secre-
tary for international organization
and security affairs.
This group will act as a high COM
mand to pass on vital issues of
policy.
Secondly, there is set up a CO.
ordinating committee under Mr..
Grew which will have responsibility
for studying long-range problems.
1t will be composed of the II direc-
tors of offices and the special assist
ant to the Secretary in charge of
press relations, Michael j. McDer-
mott.
In one sense the new plan re-
stores the type of organization
which it had in earlier years "a
grouping of geographic divisions
under assistant secretaries, which
was abandoned in the early days of
Mr.. Hull's administration.
Duties of Assistants.
The duties of the Assistant Sec
retaries Of State were outlined as
follows:
Mr.. Dunn, supervision of the Of
flee Of European affairs, the Office
Of Far Eastern affairs and the Office
of Near. Eastern and African affairs.
Mr.. Rockefeller, supervision of
American republics affairs.
Mr.. Clayton, supervision of the
Office of economic affairs, the Office
of wartime economic affairs and the
Office of transportation and COM
munieations.
Mr. MacLeish, in charge of public
and cultural relations.
Mr.. Acheson, liaison with Congress
and the organization of interna-
tional conferences.
Gen. Holmes, supervision of ad-
ministration and management of
the State Department and foreign
service
Needs More Executives.
Commenting on the reorganiza.
ton, Mr. Stettinius said:
Further improvements will re-
quire additional executive person.
mel, and increased appropriations
still remain before us. The
Department of State must be made
effective in every respect, including
ehicient administration. No stone
will be left unturned to make the
lde part ment strong and fully
equipped to discharge its RESPONSE
Utilities in the future. Vigorous,
alert and forward looking leader
tship in the conduct of its foreign
relations by our Government is
more essential now than at any time
In our history"
i In introducing his new aides, Mr..
(see STATE DEPARTMENT, A-6.)