Evening star., 1946-07-14

J. LeUfS
tually all the nations Of the world know
that diplomat without adequate COM
pensation Is at notorious disadvantage.
Foreign service officers, as distinct
from ambassadors and ministers, are
paid substantially according to scale
set by the Rogers Act of 1924, though
they are benefited by the general Fed
eral pay raise of this year and last year.
Salaries Lag Behind Costs.
AS of July /, the scale ranged from
$3,27l to $4,000, and thus, the sub
committee pointed out, has fallen far
behind the increase in the cost of living,
the prevailing American standards, for
work of comparable responsibility, and
the levels required to perpetuate one Of
the most important principles of the
Rogers Act, namely. that the service
should be open to men of brains and
ability, regardless of the accident OF
private means"
Foreign service career officers are now
chosen on the basis OF stringent written
and oral examinations. However, the
department, itself, admits that talents
which frequently gave high promise
"often atrophy even though there may
be no lessening in the conscientious de-
sire for self improvement -
The reasons for this deterioration"
the department indicated to the sub
committee, are to be sought in the
manpower shortage which has made 1t
difficult to divert men to training assign
ments from the immediate task; in the
absence of rational assignment policy
on the part of personnel management.
and, most Importantly. in the lack of
any program of continuous training (like
that which made our modern Army
directed by strong, central authority
which will keep men up-to- date in their
specialties and in developments in Amer
lean Government and business.
Need for Training Urgent.
THE need for special training in
languages, economic reporting, CONNER
cial work, area problems and, indeed,
in every major function of the service,
is more urgent than ever before, since
the responsibilities confronting the
service demand increasing specializa-
ton"
After passage Of the Rogers Act, the
State Department set sp a Foreign
Service Officers Training School, but it
has served largely to give brief basic
orientation courses to officers. Not long
ago, few officers were assigned to
universities for study. and early last
year the Division OF Training Services
was established In an effort to prepare
officers for special diplomatic tasks
"All these measures were helpful"
department memorandum pointed out,
but they are not sufficient to meet the
present needs OF the service
Another handicap under which the
service has labored is the inability to
pay an officers way back to the United
States more than once every three
years. Many officers have been unable
to return for periods of as long as
five years
AS result there has been tendency
that a member of the corps may lose
touch with the United States and there
fore is handicapped in serving his coun-
try well.
Broad Series Of Changes.
To meet these and other weaknesses,
the bill charts broad series of changes
affecting salaries, allowances, retirement
recruitment, training and administra-
ton. The cost of putting immediate
recommendations into effect for the
present fiscal year has been estimated
at $4.295,000 above the $58,222, 900 re-
Gently provided by Congress for l947.
OF the current appropriation, incidental
ly, $6,158,000 was for temporary war
agency employees who have become a
part of the service
Major provisions of the bill would:
Cd Classify posts held by ambassa-
dors and ministers, depending on their
Importance, into four groups, with a
salary of S25.000 and allowance of
like amount for class / posts, such as
London: salary of $4,000, with an al
lowance of $4,000 for class posts, such
as Rome; salary of s17,50O, with s1O,-
900 allowance for class posts. such as
Cairo. and $4,000 salary plus IS 900 al
lowance for class posts. such as Mana
qua, Nicaragua. In addition an "estab-
lishment allowance" would be provided
to maintain the embassy or legation.
90 Fix foreign service officers salary
range from $4,000 to $13,5OO, at the
same time reducing the number of
classes from II to seven
Plan Reserve Service.
90 Set up new category to be known
as foreign service reserve officers as
a means Of gaining the temporary
services Of specialists in all fields"
These would include such men as in
formation specialists, telecommunica
tions experts, aviation authorities and
cultural attaches
% Establish staff corps, to include
specialists, technicians and administra-
tive and subordinate personnel, which
would consist of all Americans In the
service who are not foreign service on
GERS or reserve officers.
80 Transfer alien employees to q
separate administrative group.
90 Permit assignment of officers for
special duty or instruction to other
agencies of Government, international
organizations, trade conferences, trade,
labor or agricultural associations or
commercial firms and thus widen their
capabilities.
Cd Establish a Navy-patterned sys-
tenn of "promotion-up or selection out" :"