Evening star., 1945-08-22
State Department
Portisonship Feared
Writer Warns of Demasosuery in
Handling of Foreign Policy
By David Laurence

-
When President Truman said the
other day that politics now were open
and free, 1t was taken to mean that
from now on Republicans viii be cleared
out of high places and Democrats ap-
pointed intsead.
This is return to the old system OF
party Government and will be widely
commended. But there Is one place
where such program may cause diff
Guilty and affect adversely the best in
terests Of this country, and that's in
the State Department.
After many years Of debate, the Ma
ton has finally come to bipartisan,
or rather nonpartisan, attitude in for
eign policy. Much of the opposition
gress has been removed because the
present administration wisely refrained
from playing partisan politics with is
sues of foreign policy. This, in turn, i'm
posed on the Republicans in the Senate
an obligation to do likewise. Never be-
fore in the history of the United States
have the two major parties been as free
from political demagoguery in the han
ding Of foreign policy as they are Today.
Department Of Peace.
But 1t is among the subordinate officials
of the State Department where basic
policies are formulated. To call in United
States Senators after policies have once
been committed and friction has already
arisen in foreign affairs is not going to
be effective. What is needed in reality is
bipartisan team always in the State
Department itself SO that policies will
not be begun on a partisan basis by
partisan minded appointees.
The State Department, now that the
war is over, becomes our department of
peace. If the American Congress were
disposed to investigate the behavior Of
the State Department in the last Is years
since the World War, 1t would find many
an instance In our diplomacy where q
firm position could have been taken
and course laid out that might have
prevented this war.
The biggest single weakness in Amer
lean foreign policy is our habit of sup
pressing the exchanges going on between
our Government and foreign govern
ments. Only this month the State De-
partment has made public documents of
the year 1880 which throw an interest,"
ing light on the efforts of the japanese
government to cultivate friendship with
us and our refusal to cooperate with a
government in Tokyo that needed our
help. Would public opinion in the
United States have sanctioned such .
hostile policy If the facts had been dis
closed instead of being suppressed?
This certainly is not the way to transact
the peoples business. 1t Is not the way
to maintain peace.
Expansion Needed.
The State Department needs expan-
sion. 1t needs to retain men of expe-
rience, but it also needs additional divi.
sions and bureaus to take over the mani
fold problems growing out of the war.
But mostly it needs a spirit of nom
partisanship. Lately, rumors have been
current that ambassadorships and min
isterial jobs are to be handed out again
to contributors of large amounts to the
political campaign fund.
Certainly, while the Republicans were
the inventors Of that practice, it should
not be initiated by the Truman-Byrnes
administration. The people will not like
it. An excellent campaign issue will be
given the Republicans in 1916 If the
State Department becomes Just another
political department.
The administration will need Repub-
lican support in Congress in the passage
OF legislation to implement the United
Nations Charter. Many Republican Sen
ators already are saying that If the
State Department is to be run on
partisan political basis, there is no rea-
son why they should be asked to aban-
don their practice of partisan criticism
on any issues that may arise. Neither
side is right about this approach. Presi-
dent Truman has made some excellent
appointments thus far and there is no
reason as yet to assume that the re-
ports and rumors Of q partisan State
Department are true
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