The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-06-03

Some say that the construction
of the charter at San Francisco
and its ratification by the Senate
will be jeopardized by recognizing
that with the death of Roosevelt
and the end OF the European war,
the State Department needs to be
put under new management. l
venture to think that the position
of Mr.. Stettinius would be
strengthened, not weakened, if his
future were settled and his posi-
ton defined. For since it is ac-
knowledged that there is going to
be new Secretary of State, il
does not add to Mr.. Stettinius' S
personal prestige and authority to
have the whole world specializing
about who is to be his successor
and when he is going to take
charge Mr.. Stettinius would be
better off in San Francisco as
chairman of our delegation if his
successor as Secretary of State
were named and installed in
Washington.
There is not the slightest reason
to treat this as a personal matter.
Britain. Russia, France. the Meth:
erlands, Belgium, no longer have
their foreign ministers as chair
men of their delegations. The for
eign ministers have left to conduct
foreign policy. Mr.. Stettinius could
step down from Secretary OF State
to chairman of our deleg alton with
the rank of ambassador without
any need to feel embarrassed. The
chairman of the British delega-
ton. Lord Halifax. has been Sec
rotary of State for Foreign At
fairs. and it never seems to have
occurred to him or to anyone else
that he cannot play a great part
in the diplomatic service of his
country because he is no longer
at the head of that service. The
British take such changes of of.
flee in their stride. We shall learn
to do likewise. and to stop talk
ing as if it were a personal els.
grace to change the Secretary Of
State when h circumstances
which caused his selection have
changed completely.
If there is anv embarra ssment
about making the change, it is be.
cause so many people have beer
saying how embarra ssing it would
be-
The events of the past few
weeks have demonstrated how I'M
avoidable is reorganization Ct
the S a tie Department. Under
President Roosevelt FOREIGN nolicv
was not only determined but di-
rected in the White House: Mr..
Stettinius was chosen to see to it
that the State Department exc
cuted the decisions which were
Hopkins as his principal adviser.
The reorganization of the State
Department which took place
when Mr.. Stettinius was APPOINT.
ed was based on the principle that
the department was not to be a
policv-making body but only an
operating service The critical ap-
pointments in the political field
economic affairs are quite an
other matter) were given to men
like Mr.. Grew and Mr.. Dunn and
Mr.. Rockefeller who had served
faithfully and well but never had
been. and never protested to be.
makers of high policy.
When Mr.. Trua m n became
President, the two men. Roosevelt
and Mr.. HOPKINS. his lieutenant.
who had made high policv-that
is to say had guided our relatio
with our principal allies-were no
longer there to direct the State
Department. 1t could not direct
itself. 1t was not stated or organ
lied to direct itself, and it was
like a ship without a captain and
navigator. Our foreign relations
not only with Russia and Britain
bit were hnffeted about lettering