DIPLOMACY ON THE WING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70-00058R000100130081-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 3, 2000
• Sequence Number: 81
• Publication Date: July 15, 1956
• Content Type: NSPR

UL 15 1956
FORT WAYNE (Ind.) J
JOURNAIpj91:For Release 2000/08/24: CIA-RDP70-00058R000100H383b7
Circ.: m.J 62,256
S 91,802
Front , mth*-
Page P e Page
CPYRGHT
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Diplomacy On The Wing
When Dr. Henry NJ- ris on,
emeritus of Brown University, spoke out
fri clear and sharp words against the habit
of Secretary of State John Foster Dulles
of rushing around-.the w Tlc trying to cony
duct diplomacy in person and leaving the
State Department to fe for itself, it was
no ordinary attack. *~'
Dr. Wriston las been a valued adviser
to Secretary Dulles. He has done as much
as anyone to help Dulles reorganize the
U. S. foreign service, .
he has a long and distinguished career
behind him in education and public af-
fairs. The article antitled "The Secretary'
of - State;; Abroad" appeared in the well-
known American quarterly review "For-
eign Affairs" of which Allen. W. Dulles,
head of the Central Iia ei ce Agency
anti brother.to Se_eretary Dulles,, isg mem-
ber of the--editorial advisory board
Dr. Wristontakes cognizance of the fact
that American Secretaries of State have
been traveling more in recent years since
the United States became ,the greatest of
the world powers and since the. use of the
fast airplane.
But he thinks the very frequent absence
of the Secretary of State from his office
is a serious handicap to the formulation
and conduct.of foreign policy.
With that position, we Kaye long
agreed.
Mr. Dulles is so frequently on the wing
that he does' not have time to do much
basic and balanced_ planning of foreign
policy.
He is usually thinking in terms of some
specific visit he is going to make and no-
body seems to have given thorough atten-
tion to general, world-wide policy.
Perhaps this is why Mr. Dulles so often
changes his position in his public state-
ments on policy.
When Dulles is gone, there is. nobody
of top rank to brief the President on for-
m gn policy and nobody hi the State De-
partment to make top decisions.
7Ts the
ly has-appeared ridiculous by its inability
to make a necessary decision or by doing
quick reversals from one position to an-
other. '
Dr. Wriston, in his drticle in "Foreign
Affairs'"', says:
`.`After his status as adviser to the Pre-
sident, ' the second principal function of
the Secretary is to keep under continuous
over-all review every phase of our world-
wide responsibilities and opportunities. In
the present state of world affairs this a-
lone is a. back-breaking task. Over concen-
tration upon one area seriously impairs
the balance ... So swift is'the movement
of events that even brief absences can ser-
iously dislocate policy formation."
The,Autlior'of the article declares at one
point `That ao far as competent diplomacy
is concerned, "The airplane has become
more ian -a convenience; it is a tempta-
tion." w,.
To 1, this, Secretary Dulles replies;
that "dy we all have to travel," andq.
that Khrushchev and Bulganin have trav-
eled More than he has in the past six
months. He says it is old-fashioned to sit': at thome and that he can accomplish so
much more with a personal talk
There are, a lot of people who do not
believe Secretary Dulles is' accomplishing
very much in any way.
Whether the very pointed remarks of
Dr. Wristop will tend to cause Mr. Dulles
to be more sparing with the use of his
"magic carpet" we cannot tell. Certainly
the former has been closer than most peo-
ple to the situation which he discusses. He
may p able to see with more pel'specti'e
than the flying Secretary.
Most Americans will agree with Dr.
Wriston when he says: "The vital requisit-
es for the effective discharge of the dutiT
of Secretary of State are perspectite an
wisdom. Those qualities find their mot
effective employment when there is 4
least a modicum of leisure for quiet re'
flection." i
Approved For Release 2000/08/24: CIA-RDP70-00058R000100130081-7