Evening star., 1948-02-24
By cordeII Hull
Assisted by Andrew Bsrdins)
CHAPTER XXyI.

CHAPTER XXvI.
Before President Roosevelt left for
Quebec in August, 1943, he requested
Sumner Welles to resign as Under
secretary of State. He called Welles
to his Office at the White House and
made this clear to him.
During the previous few weeks the
President and I had talked more
than once about the problem of
Welles. We were in agreement that
Welles should resign, be given a spe-
cial appointment outside the coun-
try and assume the new duties in
volved.
Some of the problems presented
by Undersecretary Welles, which I
will not enumerate at length since
no purpose would be served by so
doing, had been growing for two
to three years. The Rio de Janeiro
Conference in January, 1912, had
demonstrated an attitude of his
which was not new to me-his read
iness to make major decisions from
time to time without consulting me.
From our earliest association I
had sought to give him reasonable
latitude in carrying on his work. I
had asked him to 60 directly to the
President, especially when I was
closely engaged at the department,
to take up with Mr.. Roosevelt mat
tiers on which Welles was working.
This was in line with my policy that
my immediate associates, the under
secretary, the counselor and the as
sistant secretaries, should see the
President themselves on specified
matters and with my knowledge.
I felt that this occasional contact
would give them more experience,
greater prestige and keener interest
in their work, and also relieve me OF
some Of the innumerable burdens
thrust upon a Secretary of State,
especially in the difficult times
through which we were passing.
WelIes Abused Privilege.
7 found, however, that Welles
abused this privilege by going to the
President on occasion without my
knowledge, and even attempting to
secure a decision, again without my
knowledge. There was perhaps some
explanation for this tendency in the
fact that Mr.. Roosevelt and Welles
were old family friends with the
same social and school background.
During the period leading up to
the outbreak Of the war in Europe,
when my duties in the department
were piling higher and higher each
month, authorized Welles to see
many or most Of the ambassadors
and ministers desiring to call at the
department, especially in connec-
ton with routine matters and those
Of lesser importance.
Naturally I would, In any event,
see all foreign representatives desir-
ing to see me, and also would keep
in contact with them on matters of
major Importance. Also, Welles was
expected to bring or send foreign
representatives to me in connection
with important questions.
This last I soon discovered he
was not doing in a number Of in
stances, Notwithstanding that I had
made clear that T must insist on
seeing Representatives on such oc-
casions, no mater how busy was.
Later, when an important ambas-
sador came to see me at my invita-
ton and T asked him to come back
again and resume our discussion
he Immediately threw up his hands
and said I would have to speak first
with Mr.. Welles, The foregoing
practices gradually but steadily be-
came more aggravated.
Carried on Personal Contacts.
I began to note that Welles was
carrying on personal correspondence
with our diplomats and with Of
flcials Of other governments which
should have been carried on through
the official channels Of the State
Department. He was sending per-
sonal notes to them and inviting
personal responses from them on
matters calling for department notes
handled in the regular way.
The adverse effect of this was
that he was gathering into his own
hands items of negotiation or dis
cussion that should have been OF
more general knowledge to me and
to the officers Of the department di-
rectly concerned.
In the late Spring of 1912 Welles
delivered two addresses on foreign
affairs that tended to commit this
government to new lines of foreign
policy. The more important was on
Memorial Day at Arlington Gem