The Foreign Service Journal, March 1929
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THte AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Photo from John Q. Wood. SUNSET, HARBOR OF VERA CRUZ, MEXICO Vol. VI MARCH, 1929, No. 3 (/F you want a motor car that is Qy fast, a car that will not wilter under rough usage, then you want a "Century Eight.” If you want a car that is among the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, one that is easy to drive and flexible,even at tre¬ mendous speeds —a car with quick pick-up, anti unusual power on the hills — then you want a Hupmobile "Century Eight.” HUPP MOTOR CAR CORP. DETROIT, MICHIGAN, U. S. A. CABLE ADDRESS—HUPP, DETROIT UPMOB1LE THE VOL. VI, No. 3 WASHINGTON, D. C. MARCH, 1929 Anniversary Message From HONORABLE WILBUR J. CARR, Assistant Secretary of State THIS, the tenth anniversary of the birth of financial support of that Service is about to be the AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL, realized. Therefore, one can not but wonder should have a permanent place in the mind whether, when the future of the Service is as¬ of every member of the Foreign Service. The sured and provision for its maintenance upon an modest publication which first appeared 10 years adequate scale is made, the officers themselves will ago as the organ of one branch of the Service have developed in ability and usefulness and will under the title of “The American Consular Bulle¬ have given to their organization the strength suffi¬ tin” has now grown in dignity and scope and ap¬ cient to meet the then expectations of our Gov¬ pears as the magazine of the whole Foreign Serv¬ ernment and people. ice. There is a significance in that fact which is In any large organization there is always dan¬ of great importance apart from the credit which ger that the members of it may become so im¬ it reflects upon the American Foreign Service As¬ mersed in its internal problems and in their own sociation. The business ability and the vision advancement or in their own personal convenience which the Association has shown causes one to that they neglect their development and the oppor¬ feel that before another 10 years shall have elapsed tunities that surround them for useful service. the magazine will have taken on a still more cred¬ The quality of the Foreign Service will inevitably itable form and that its influence in the improve¬ be what the combined efforts of the officers are ment of the Service will have become greatly able to make it. If the Service is to attain its multiplied. proper place in the public estimation its members But there is another thought which this anni¬ will need to continue to put forth their best efforts versary should suggest to every member of the to serve their Government and people in the most Service. During the past 10 years the Service intelligent and effective manner. has made great gains : compensation has been gen- By contributing encouragement, inspiration and erally increased ; retirement pay has been provided ; information the JOURNAL can do a highly impor¬ more generous treatment in connection with leaves tant work in behalf of every member of the Serv¬ of absence has been granted; and a highly liberal ice and by promoting a high idealism and a fine program of housing has been adopted. There has spirit it can help that organization to render a been more constructive legislation than in any maximum of public service and attain its proper similar period in the history of the Service. No place in the public estimation. It is my earnest one can look into the future and contemplate the hope that the Association and its JOURNAL will growth of the interests of this country in foreign continue to grow in usefulness and keep alive and lands without being convinced of the necessity for a larger and better Foreign Service. Likewise one stimulate the spirit of loyalty and service to the who has observed the increasing disposition of the country which has thus far been an outstanding Congress to be generous in the support of the characteristic of the members of the American Foreign Service can have no doubt that adequate Foreign Service. 73 Our Tenth Anniversary TEN years ago, March, 1919, the AMERICAN eign trade might become interested in the BULLE¬ CONSULAR BULLETIN, the progenitor of the TIN, and that it would bring about closer relations present publication, made its first appear¬ between the United States Consular Service and ance, and it is appropriate at this time to look American business. back and try to recall the events in its life his¬ The first number was a modest little thing, con¬ tory. Would that it were possible to have one sisting of eight pages of reading matter and no of its founders write this account, but if any in¬ advertising, but how proud we all were of it, and teresting details are here omitted, it is hoped that how we devoured every word of its contents. someone will tell us all. During the following year it grew to 16 pages, On March 18, 1918, 17 Consular officers met and had 5 advertisements. The publisher evi¬ in the office of the Foreign Trade Adviser, then dently tried hard to interest business firms, but located at 1653 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, in May, 1920, he reported to the Association that between Jackson Place and Seventeenth Street, in he had not been able to make the enterprise pay, Washington, in order to consider and discuss the but asked that he be allowed to continue for proposed formation of an organization among the awhile so as to try and recoup himself for various members of the Consular Service. Sentiment expenditures; this was agreed to temporarily. being in favor of such an organization, the neces¬ In December, 1920, the executive committee of sary steps were taken to prepare articles of asso¬ the Association undertook to supply all material ciation, and on April 1, 1918, at a meeting held at for the BULLETIN, and under the “masthead” of the National Club, 607 Fourteenth Street North¬ the issue of January, 1921, appeared for the first west, such articles were duly adopted and the time a statement of its new policy, which is the American Consular Association (the predecessor same as that of today. of the American Foreign Service) came into Those responsible for the collection and editing being. Ralph J. Totten was elected as the first of material for the BULLETIN worked in those president, Marion Letcher, vice president, and early days apparently without even the reward of James B. Young, secretary-treasurer. having their names disclosed; they surely are The early meetings of the Association were worthy of the honorable title of pioneers, as are held at first at various clubs, the Metropolitan, also the contributors of material during the first the University, and the Cosmos, and indeed at years of struggle. Among those contributors that time there was a movement for the mem¬ occur the names of Wilbur J. Carr, Nelson T. bers of the Association to affiliate in some way Johnson, Charles C. Eberhardt, Hugh R. Wilson, with a local club, but the plan fell through. Later R. J. Totten, Dewitt C. Poole, Edward J. Norton, Cushman’s Restaurant, 607 Fourteenth Street E. S. Cunningham, Henry P. Starrett, Addison Northwest, was a favorite place of meeting in the E. Southard, C. E. Gauss, J. B. Stewart, Samuel evening, when after a supper there would be a H. Wiley, Homer Brett, W. E. Chapman, Charles business session. The Association in those days H. Albrecht, G. C. Woodward, Leslie E. Reed, apparently circulated information as to its pro¬ O. Gaylord Marsh, and several others that might ceedings and plans by means of news letters. be mentioned. In March, 1919, however, after much careful The first announcement of the names of those preliminary work, the first number of the AMERI¬ charged with the duty of “preparing items for CAN CONSULAR BULLETIN” was issued under an the JOURNAL” was in July, 1920, when Wesley agreement with Mr. J. W. Young, an engraver Frost, Tracy Lay and Lowell C. Pinkerton were and printer of New York (a brother of Consul so designated; but the veil of modesty still clung George W. Young, resigned, 1922). The Asso¬ around those busy hidden workers for the com¬ ciation agreed to subscribe monthly for not less mon good, and it is only by careful search in the than 400 copies at the rate of $1.50 per annum, minute book of the proceedings of the Associa¬ and was to have the first five pages of a 16-page tion that we learn that Dewitt C. Poole undertook publication, furnishing the copy therefor. The the responsibility for the JOURNAL some time in publisher was in addition to he compensated by 1921. if you will look at your file of the BULLE¬ the advertising, and to use the rest of the publi¬ TIN—of course you have one—you will note that cation, all advertising and reading matter to be of in the issue of May, 1921. and in November of a character approved by the Association, ft was the same year, as also in the January. 1922, num¬ then thought that American firms engaged in for- ber, there are signs of new life and vigor. 74 The January, 1922, number was indeed a By resolution of August 4, 1924 (the act of memorable issue, for at the close of the previous May 24, 1924, reorganizing the Foreign Service, year Harry A. McBride had on behalf of the having gone into effect July 1, 1924), the Ameri¬ Association terminated the agreement with Mr.