The Chronicle star the Moss Point advertiser., 1949-12-30
Whdt II Means :.
Professional Diplomats Have Learned
Results Come When People Back Them
BY CLARKE BEACH
APP Newsfeatures

the American government or re-
cent years has managed to carry
on its intense, many-sided activi-
ties in foreign affairs without any
concerted and damaging public
opposition.
President Truman has encount-
cred none of the bitter, wide
spread antagonism President Will
son met when he tried to get this
country into the League of Ma
tions. Yet his involvement in for
eign affairs is far nor extensive
than Wilson's - at a time when
many persons and groups in this
country have strong feelings on
foreign policy, largely a result of
the US's becoming a world power
and abandoning its traditional
iSolationism.
The secret is that Inc profess
sional diplomats have learned
they cannot accomplish anything
unless they have the people be-
hind them. They have developed
since l945 an elaborate system for
learning what the public is think
ing. and for telling key people
outside the department confiden-
tally what the diplomats know
and plan.
A major element in the system
is a series of off-the-record con-
ferenses here and throughout the
country. The press is told nothing
about them unless it asks. Then
only the names of the conferees
and the theme of the conference
is disclosed. The idea is to keep
it all strictly confidential SO that
the State Department men and
the outside citizens can talk
freely.
Frequent Gatherings
Some of the most prominent
men and women in the nation
slip quietly into Washington ev-
cry week or 10 days for a gath
ering with State Department of
ficials that lasts two or three days.
Sometimes the State Department
sends its officials out for similar
conferences in different parts of
the country.
Each conference has a special
subject, such as China, the North
Atlantic Pact, the atomic energy
program, military assistance or
aid to underdeveloped countries.
Usually 35 to 10 persons attend.
Twice a year there is a large gen.
eral conference on the whole for
eign policy field, and this is at
tended by about 235 persons.
The department invites two
types of persons: experts on for
eisn policy - usually university
people and writer's; and repre-
sentatives of various segmenfs of
the population. and who may or
may not be foreign policy ex-
perts. The latter include leaders
in industry. labor. religion. vet
eran OF ~fraternal organizations.
businesses. publishing. social well
fare and the professions.
Conferences Vary
The conferences are of two
types: Cd Where the department
officials just sit and listen and
let the guests do all the talking
unless the guests ask questions;
~ where the department career
heather with a well nigh I'M
limited opportunity of spread
ing the gospel. I flexed my mus
eles and listened to my bones
creak.
My boys practice once a week
(when they can find an avail
able GYM so l had to wait in
breathless anticipation until the
following Tuesday night to dis
play my wares. Outfitted in a
strange garb, | sneaked through
the back streets to the scene
of execution. For an hour |
demonstrated the miracles of
the feint, the slow-motion pivot,
and the screen play. Believe it
or not, these fellows listened to
me. My enthusiasm even car
ried me into a slight scrimmage
without fatality.
We're going to practice again
next week. provided we come
across a day without rain so
that we can run the grammar
school boys outdoors while we
take over their cslisthenies
room. Then we play the Uni
versity of Edinburgh.
I still think that the club had
an Interior motive in electing
me. unseen and u~nheralded,
honorary president. It's mem
bers could hardly have suspect
ed that they were getting a
live-wire. if partly shop-worn,
coach as we'll. Our ball is of
uncertain vintage and lopsided
and we could certainly use five
jerseys of the same color.
The morale is high and there
is no need to worry about train