Evening star., 1952-11-30
Cost Of Little THINGS
Held Too Burdensome
New Administration Urged
To Trim Useless Agencies
By Fronk R. Kent

By Fronk R. Kent
A wise old Maryland judge used to
observe that often in life 1t is the little
things that are big and the big things
that are little. Any one capable Of
thinking that statement through knows
it to be true. Certainly it can be ap-
piled to the present appalling state Of
the Federal finances.
Here we are with debt ($268 billion)
larger by far than any nation ever
dreamed OF and an almost unbroken
record Of deficits covering 20 years and
mounting with almost every year. The
interest on the debt alone is SOS bill
lion annually. The deficit for the last
fiscal year was five times the total cost
OF government generation ago I'm
doubtedly. these are big things but, if
intelligently dealt with, in their ulti-
mate effect they are not really as dew
astating as lot of little things that
help swell the total but which get scant
attention.
Though the debt and the deficits do
threaten national bankruptcy, if the
little things" are properly handled we
can swing the first, decrease the sec
ond and gradually bring Federal finances
again under control. But that cannot
be done unless the multitudinouS little
things" which corrode and degrade are
chopped off and weeded out. Otherwise
the whole Federal fiscal structure will
remain unhealthy and unsound. Nor
can the danger of collapse be removed.
In this case, the 'little things" really
are the big things"
There are so many of these 'little
things" that it is impossible to do more
than touch upon one or two as samples.
For instance, there is the so-called
Office of Women's Affairs, created a
few years ago by William Benton,
ther Assistant Secretary of State, later
Senator from Connecticut and recently
defeated for reelection. The cultural
officer" Of this Womens Affairs de-
partment is Mrs. Margaret Austin. A
few weeks ago Mrs. Austin sailed for
England. there (she explained in an
interview to promote the growing in
te1est and desire of English women to
understand more about America and
American women" It is further ex-
planned that despite the weightiness Of
this mission" Mrs. Austin has not
sacrificed one whit of her femininity'
go to parties. Considerable newspaper
space is given to the new dresses, hats.
shoes, coats, etc., with which she pro-
poses to show British women just how
attractive the American woman really is.
There is no information as to how
many cultural officers for women's
affairs" are on the State Department
payroll, to what other countries they
arc being sent and what is the total
cost of this section of the departments
activities. Nor is there any evidence of
any beneficial results achieved by the
cultural officers" The fact is they
appear to be regarded by our ambas-
sadors and ministers in the same light
as are the press agents attached to our
legations and embassies and as were
those cultural experts from Hollywood
whom Nelson Rockefeller. during the
Roosevelt era, sent as good will" am
bassadors to various South American
countries.
From one angle these cultural activi-
ties may seem little thing but from
another they are not little at all. They
clutter up the department with useless
employees: they spend money without
discernment or results: they are SYM
bols of waste and often tend to make
us objects of ridicule abroad. Undoubt-
edly an argument tending to justify
these cultural officers can be made.
Always some argument to defend such
agencies and agents can be made.
The agency dealt with here is by no
means the only one. The whole govern
mental structure is honeycombed with
such non-eSSential boards, bureaus, COM
missions and agencies. There are so
many that. though they seem little
things they really are big things, and
until they are eliminated, the Govern
ment will continue unwholesome and
unsound. 1t Is to be hoped the new
Secretary Of State, Mr.. Dulles, and the
other cabinet heads will not make the
mistake OF regarding these little things"
as really little. but will recognize that
in their effect they can become very big,
indeed.
Another little thing" that already
has become big thing" is the con-
fusing and costly army of press agents
oullt up in Washington in the past 20
years. 1t is estimated by the national
Chamber Of Commerce that these turned
out more than six tons of press releases
during the last two weeks of October.
mostly extolling the administration pro-
grams and policies. There are more than
1000 OF these full-time press agents and
approximately $4,000 other Government
employees contributing portion of their
time to processing and distributing the
material. The total cost of this runs into
many millions of dollars annually. A
large proportion Of the activities Of this
army is useless, foolish and without
excuse. In the new administration il
ought to be somebody's business TO 90
after all these little things" which ara
really big things.
was the last survivor of the sieners NJ