Evening star., 1950-04-16
Dean Rusk Has Had Rapid Rise to Fame
New Pilot Of Pacific
Policy Noted
For ZeoI
By WoIIoce r. Deuel.

NJ 3S9e
BY WoIIoes Z. Deuel.
A man straight out of the
Horatio A1ger tradition has taken
over Americas troublesome and
troubled policy In Asia.
He Is Dean Rusk, who has Just
succeeded w. Walton Butterworth
as Assistant Secretary Of State for
Far Eastern Affairs.
Mr.. Rusk hasn't progressed
quite literally from rags to
riches" as Alger's heroes did. There
was no misery in his childhood
and there is no wealth In his
maturity. He hasn't chosen any
of the careers where riches are to
be found. But Mr.. Rusk did have
an extremely simple and even
austere youth, and he certainly
has achieved fame. Of q sort. III
not fortune.
The country's new pilot for the
far Pacific has risen rapidly in the
State Department. In January.
1916, he was only an assistant
chief of division, q post which
might be compared with that Of
an Army captain in rank. author
ity and prestige. Less than three
and one-half years later, he was
named Deputy Undersecretary in
charge of co-ordinating all policy
work in the department, position
more like that of three star
general.
Mr.. Rusk's rapid advancement
to such high places might not have
been possible if it had not been
for the fondness which President
Roosevelt and Secretary Of State
Acheson have shown for filling
the most responsible positions in
American diplomacy with men
whom the Hoover Commission has
characterized as "broad-gauge out
siders with a fresh approach" OF
the IA highest-ranking officials in
the State Department, under Mr..
Acheson, only three had had any
considerable experience in diplo-
macy when they were appointed
to their present posts. Mr.. Rusk
is not one of these three.
Two Years in Army
He has better background for
his present work than most of his
associates of equal and higher
rank in the department have for
theirs. however. He studied at
oxford and the University of Ber-
lin as young man, taught world
politics for six years, served two
years as an Army officer in the
China-Burma-1ndia theater of
operations during the war and
had a tour of duty in the War
Department thereafter dealing
with policy problems Of concern
to the State Department as well
as to the armed forces.
He is, moreover a hard-driving
worker and has f1rst-class mind,
according to men who have been
closely associated with him in the
State Department. He has a
creative, imaginative intelligence,
these men say. and he also has
a notable gift for devising ways
out of blind alleys in policy dis
and negotiations.
If he has a weakness, it is
tendency to what Tallyrand
warned all diplomats against
"too much zeal'-in this same
judgment. He sometimes acts
with more than appropriate speed
and less than appropriate reflec-
ton.
He is also inclined to act without
informing his subordinates what
he is doing. with the result that
he and they are sometimes work.
ing at cross-purposes. Mr.. Rusk
further fails to delegate as much
authority as he could and should,
some of his associates think.
Mr.. Rusk has. indeed, always
been fast on his feet. both literally
and f1guratively and has gone far
in life very speedily as result.
One of five children. he was born
February 9, 1909, on a small farm
in Cherokee County, Ga. north
of Atlanta.
He was christened David Dean
Rusk but dropped the David when
he was quite young. he says,
for no special reason"
When Dean was born and for q
few years thereafter, his father
was Presbyterian preacher whose
stipend was $50 a month and Who
supplemented this meager revenue