The simplest single thing that could be done for world peace is not done, and it could be accomplished if the men and women of America demanded it. That is to improve our diplomatic service, writes Dorothy Thompson in the "Ladies! Home Journal."
It is the business of that service to keep the United States on the best possible terms with all nations; to promote the interchange of goods, services and ideas; to carry out policies designed to deter hostilities. In a troubled and unstable world, peppered with dictators and bristling with armaments, these men represent a great democracy, whose primary interest is the maintenance of world peace. Yet the conditions of our service make it impossible to call upon our best talent.
In many of the main capitals we are represented, not by experts on foreign affairs, not by men who have been trained through the years in a knowledge of history, diplomacy, Janguages and the contents of various world cultures, but by men who are there because they are rich.
Of our 54 Ambassadors and Ministers only 24—not half—ever went through diplomatic training from the smaller posts to the higher. And of ambassadors—the highest position in the diplomatic service—seven are career men and ten are political appointees. Except for Rome, Tokyo and Peiping, the career men are in South America and Havana and Turkey. They are not in Europe,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.