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Show Hull's Trade Principles Backed by Stettinius New Policy Shapes as State Department Is I Remodeled to Attend to United States Commercial Interests. By BAUKHAGE Views Analyst and Commentator tVNU Service, Union Trust Building, Washington, D. C. One of my punster colleagues asked the question the other day: Is there any significance as far as United States foreign policy is concerned, con-cerned, in the fact that the nickname nick-name of Edward Stettinius, the new secretary of state, is "Stet"? (For the benefit of you who do not handle type or typewriters, "stet" means "let it stand" and is usually written beside a sentence or paragraph in a manuscript which had been marked out by error.) Observers have already expressed the opinion that the policies of Secretary Sec-retary of State Hull, resigned, will undoubtedly be carried out by his successor but many have overlooked over-looked the fact that the two men have In common a certain "formula" "for-mula" which is characteristic of the most Important trend in the state department policy of recent years. Although It was perhaps his character char-acter and his integrity which did more than anything else to carve the name of Cordell Hull deep in the annals of American statesmanship, those qualities were not the only ones which Influenced President Roosevelt when he chose the stalwart stal-wart Tennesseean to occupy the highest office in the cabinet. Most important recommendation was Cordell Hull's long and single-minded single-minded study of, and the completeness complete-ness of his belief In, the importance im-portance of international commercial commer-cial relations and the vital role they play in the whole economic structure struc-ture of domestic as well as world affairs. I have dealt with that philosophy pf Secretary Hull frequently In these columns. Suffice It to say that the war and the study of postwar problems prob-lems has already proved the necessity neces-sity of international trade agreements, agree-ments, one concrete product of this theory which the secretary espoused so whole-heartedly. The trend is generally recognized, but not many persons realize how tlte growing importance of commercial commer-cial negotiations on the highest diplomatic dip-lomatic level has revolutionized the functions of the state department. Still mors important is the fact that an awakened Interest In the importance impor-tance of international trade is actually creating a United States foreign policy, something which diplomatists dip-lomatists have always declared never really existed in the sense that other nations have fixed policies poli-cies in dealing with their neighbor nations. The link between Secretary Stettinius Stet-tinius and his predecessor is based upon this same influence. Both men, despite their highly different backgrounds, back-grounds, have a similar "formula" the formula for relating American Ameri-can trade to American diplomacy. This is an innovation in our foreign for-eign service where a tradition of protocol has grown up in an atmosphere atmos-phere bordering on snobbishness and so far removed from the marts of trade that it looked down its diplomatic dip-lomatic nose at business. Secretary Hull was the first man to head our state department who believed that trade relations have in them the roots of war and peace. Edward Stettinius is the first secretary secre-tary of state who comes to the office with a training in industry. (He left the chairmanship of the board of the United States Steel corporation to join the committee of national defense.) de-fense.) So much for the innovations in the viewpoints of the past and present pres-ent heads of the state department. Now consider -the material change in its organization. New Functions Added to Office When I sat down the other day and ran over some of the new offices of-fices and divisions and branches that are sheltered beneath the old rococ-co rococ-co rooftree which were not even a wink in the most progressive statesman's states-man's eye when I first walked its marble corridors, I had quite a shock. There would be nothing to raise the eyebrow of past secretaries of state, of a Hay or Hughes, a Kellogg Kel-logg or even a Madison in the items now officially listed such as the direction of our 35 embassies and 23 legations, nor the description ',, of the duties of ambassadors, ministers minis-ters and consular officers, nor the head of protocol or of the divisions which deal with passports and treaties. They all fit into the traditional tradi-tional atmosphere of gold seals, tail coats and top hats. But what about aviation and shipping? ship-ping? And what about the whole great, new office of "wartime economic activity," ac-tivity," many of whose functions will be continued when peace comes. Here is lodged the responsibility for "initiation" that means the alpha and the omega of the coordination not only of "policy" but of "action" on such a highly businesslike matter mat-ter as the procurement of all essential essen-tial war materials from foreign countries. You may be the lowliest or the mightiest of importers or exporters, but if you wish to buy or sell such materials you will have to talk with a representative of the department of state. Then there is a complete "office of economic affairs." Here again action as well as policy concerning "protection and promotion of all American commercial and agricultural agricul-tural interests" in foreign nations is Initiated that sounds more like Kansas City or Madison avenue or Wall street than Pennsylvania avenue ave-nue or Downing street. And those are only part of a modern mod-ern diplomat's duties. There is also the tariff, trade treaties and agreements agree-ments and international commercial policy as well, in just one division of the office of economic affairs. In addition, there is a monetary division, and (believe it or not) labor la-bor relations and another separate unit to deal with that essential to the American home (when it gets on wheels again) petroleum. How we have departed from the haughty aloofness that sneered at vulgar trade! The spats and the monocles have been laid aside and the gentlemen once referred to by the cynical as "cooky-pushers" have gotten right down to the brass tacks of everyday life, and the activities shared by America's millions. Foreign Policy Mast Interest Nation And that brings me to the last observation ob-servation which is the most important: impor-tant: the formation of a definite American foreign policy. The reason why we have had "no foreign policy" in the past is because be-cause the people have been too busy with their own affairs to demand any special treatment for other countries coun-tries except that they be let alone. But increasingly since World War I, the people have come to realize that the consequences of acts of government govern-ment which affect other nations are very likely to re-act on the individual individ-ual American's private affairs. It is fairly well established by this time that one reason why we had a depression in the '30s was that the world went broke and wouldn't buy from us. Less broadly realized but growing clearer to most people is the fact that although we loaned money abroad to nations with which to buy their goods, when we refused to buy their goods (shut them out with high tariffs) they couldn't earn the money to repay us. Then they went broke and we lost our trade as well as our money. Other nations na-tions which might have bought spent their money to get ready for a war which eventually stopped all buying.- Now many of the best business brains of the country have waked up to the fact that if this nation is going to achieve prosperity after the war, it is going to have something some-thing to say about a foreign policy that will produce a stable world. In a democracy there can be no foreign policy unless the people make it, and unless foreign affairs af-fairs become personal affairs, the people do not express themselves. Their public servants do the best they can in the short period of their terms or periods of influence. The permanent members of the foreign service move along according to a pattern which has little to do with the swift vicissitudes of present day life and, until recently, no more attuned to the healthy and human sounds and scenes in field and market-place than an ancient princeling surrounded by courtiers and serving-men. |
