Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-10-28

leisurely from party to party.
II you're one OF this group. /
have news for you.
Protocol. as practiced in
the highly integrated world
OF today. Is hard labor. Dur
ing It's slackest seasons Il 10
the full-time labor OF the ~
employees who comprise the
Protocol Division.
During its busiest times
lie. before and during q state
visit-it means q le-hour
daily grind. including SAT-
urdays and Sundays. for all
members Of It's ceremonial
once.
Division Of Work
For the division Is divided
into two main branches, and
1t is the branch dealing with
the ceremonial or social do
ings that has to put in the
longest hours.
The operations once, which
deals with diplomatic inn
munity. licenses. excise taxes.
customs. etc. and keeps al
records Of the 80 missions.
can 60 along on q fairly even
keel. Though it gets q heavier
load ct certain times Of the
year. such as Christmas time
and auto license time.
The head Of each ONCE Is
an assistant chief Of protocol.
Charles Spruks. who or
ganixed the protocol once
20 years ago. is boss Of opera
tons. He likes his job, be-
cause it doesn't thrust him
into the social forefront for
which he has no inclination.
The other assistant chief
Of protocol is Clement Con-
ger. ceremonial ofiicer who is
concerned with state visits,
precedence and, state enter
tanning by the President or
Department Of State.
There IL q third. smaller
section in the division that
has two main functions-to
run the Presidents Guest
house blair and Blair Lee
Housesl and to take care Of
the fiscal matters for the
whole ONCE. Two women per-
form these duties - Mrs.
Katherine Laird and Mrs.
Mary Edith WilrOy.
Presiding over the whole
division Is the Chief OF Pro-
tccol. appointed BY the Presi-
dent. and his deputy chief.
The former Is 43-year-old
Texan Wiley T. Buchanan.
The deputy. since 1854. has
been Victor Purse. but he
announced Saturday that he
was going TO New York per-
haps to look for another job.
Business-Like Basis
Mr.. Buchanan became Chief
of Protocol February /. 1857.
and immediately instituted q
set Of new rules. The first
was-take everything about
your job seriously except
yourself. when you deal in
the rarified atmosphere that
we do" said Wiley thinking
Of the kings. queens and pres
idents they socialize with in
the line Of duty. lit can 60
to your head. But n you
don't take yourself seriously
you won't get pompous."
Rule No. Amy employe
can come TO my once and
see me at any time"
He also started something
that had never been done
Theoretically meetings Of
the whole staff when every
grippe, every new suggestion.
every proposed plan could be
aired.
, "He put the ONCE on q
sound. businesslike basis"
says Charlie Spruks. "And the
morale Of the ONCE has been
very good since he's been
there. He has the friendly.
normal approach to the sub
ordinate instead Of big-shot
approach. He's one Of the
best chiefs Of protocol we've
ever had"
Says the other Assistant
Chief Glenn Conger: Hes
correct. but he's informality
personified in . pleasant way
which puts everybody at his
ease. He's the youngest chief
Of protocol in history and he
has q fresh. new. young APP
proach. He's done an out
standing lob"
Mr.. Conger thinks it's q
difiicult role because 1t IL 10
in the public eye. The hours
are long. too. Mr.. Buchanan
gets to the ONCE at S:45 or Q
every morning and works 70
8. 7 or later. and has TO 60
out every evening.
Because he's q millionaire
In his own right he's In q po-
sition TO do any personal en-
tertaining Of ofncials that
seems important.
New Improvements
Wiley's associates give him
all the credit for the sprucing
UP Of the Presidents Guest
House. State Department
dinners. the Protocol Offices.
and airport arrivals during
this year.
When the new chief took
over he found that the Sec