1932

I imagine that it would surprise a lot of worldly people to learn that most of us bureaucrats are proud to work for the Government, and that one of the reasons many of us stick to our jobs is because we appreciate the honor of being representatives of the United States Government in various capacities. We consider it an honorable calling. Consequently we deserve to feel doubly proud when we are cited for outstanding work in our field. This is a preface to calling your attention to what some of you may have read in the press, to the effect that Howie Sargeant received the second highest award for outstanding service in a recent ceremony held by the Secretary of State. In the citation, quoted below, you will recognize references to the reorganization of the Department of State which has been in progress since the reports of the Hoover Commission began to appear. The citation for Howie read by Secretary Acheson is as follows:

"For superior service, notable achievement, and devotion to duty in his capacity as head of the reorganization task force studying substantive operations of the Department. Through his untiring personal drive and salient leadership the exceptional accomplishments of the task force which have contributed toward the goal of the Secretary of State of a more efficient, fully responsive Department of State were more completely realized."

As a result of this award, Howie is entitledto wear a distinctive emblem in his lapel buttonhole. I understand that no one else has one like it, as this is the beginning of the program of awards of this type, so you may recognize it by its unfamiliarity.

Joe Byram is reported to be running again for councilman of Ward 10 in Worcester, Mass., and I am confident that his re-election will have been reported long before this appears in print.

A clipping from a New York paper states that Jack O'Brion has left Oakland, Calif, to become buyer of furniture and bedding at Davison-Paxon Co., in Atlanta, Ga.

A very interesting story in the ChristianScience Monitor reports that Joseph Looker has been director of the Canton, Ohio, Players' Guild for 14 years, during which the Guild has been self-supporting and very successful. He gives a formula for making such a project work that might well be tried out elsewhere—even in Washington, where there is no legitimate theatre at all.

The sponsors of Morning Time, a new novel by Charles O'Neill '3l, quote CarlBaker in their ads to show what a good opinion of the book is held by various eminent literary experts. John Clark gave over an editorial column to the work in October, saying that it is a distinctive book whith has a useful lesson in history and also points a moral. The moral is that "the years between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitutional Convention are quite analogous to the era in which we live today." As an old history major and a present-day laborer in the effort to make peace stick, I intend to read it.

I wrote a few words about one of our classmates last month, and he was moved to sendin the following very satisfactory letter:

"You certainly have my sympathy, Mike, in trying to write something worth reading for a class that contributes so little. As John Keller understated the picture, "32 is not a chatty class.' As a mere matter of composition, it's much easier for one of us to dash off a piece about our own activities than for you to compose a full column out of a couple of newspaper clippings and your own imagination. Even if you hadn't mentioned me in that last column—and the account you had was entirely accurate despite its questionable source—I might have written you this week because I actually did see a couple of classmates recently whom I haven't talked to in all these years since

"My job takes me about the world quite a bit, and I found myself in Claremont, N. H. one day toward the end of October. It was just at the time when the trees were at their most exciting peak of autumn color, and the maples along the nearby hills were spectacular. One of Claremont's leading citizens. Col. William J. Wilgus, was buried that day in the cemetery in West Claremont where members of his family have found their last resting place for over 150 years. His grave is next to that of an ancestor who played a leading part in Revolutionary War activities in the area. His roots are certainly deep in those parts. JohnClark was an honorary pallbearer and Bob Buckley an active bearer. John, as publisher of the Claremont Daily Eagle, is a pretty big shot around there, and Bob is legal adviser to the city fathers. Bob got into a warm political fight in September, and went so far as to ask an opponent if politics required his 'total abandonment of honesty to yourself and others.'

"Naturally I whisked up to Hanover before leaving New England. I was surprised at the number of our classmates one can run into up there. I saw Ellie Noyes working with his track squad, and Dick Olmsted was very busy directing the move of various alumni offices into Crosby Hall. From all accounts Dick is entitled to a good deal of credit for arranging the new space in a way that will make a lot of people happier and consequently provide improved services for the alumni. I found that Paul Fox and John Fish were fellow guests at the Inn while I was there, but didn't get a chance to chat with either of them.

"Somewhere I ran into someone who had seen excerpts from a letter written by Ed Marks in September some time. Ed, as you know, has been in Switzerland for nearly two years working with the International Refugee Organization. The report from Ed stated that the IRO had succeeded in relocating well over half a million people, including Nansen refugees (White Russians) from the first World War, Spanish Republicans, Jews who survived concentration camps, Polish, Ukranian and Yugoslav forced labor—and other nationalities, overseas Chinese, Baits who had been conscripted into the German Army, Kalmuks, Armenians, and so forth. Ed seemed concerned over the fate of over 150,000 persons who will be left in Germany when IRO winds up its activities next year.

"I know how you always tell us not to worry if we haven't any news to write about other classmates, but to tell you, and the rest of the class, something about our own activities. Well, there just isn't a thing I can say about myself that hasn't already been printed. You told all about my immediate family last month. It's true that I travel a good deal for the company, but nothing ever happens on my trips. I never talk to strange women because I might be misunderstood, and I try not to strike up acquaintances with men because I would probably be bored. There's a uniformity of views among travelling men that astounds me, and my political views, on the fence bordering the left side of all of theirs, generally horrify them. So I keep to myself when I travel. I think a lot of my wartime meanderings, though, and I look forward to visiting some of those places again, with the family. You've been in a lot of places, so I wonder where you'd most like to revisit. For me, it's the Nile River; I want to see the tombs of the old kings and study the pyramids a little more. I've been reading about them since I saw them during the war, and I think I could appreciate them more now. It would be interesting to hear from some of the other classmates on this subject. Whip Walser used to write in now and then; I wonder what he found the most interesting spot in the world."

I'll save my comments on Joe's inquiries until some month when X don't have such a long, interesting letter to fill up space.

I always like to close with a romantic announcement: As of the beginning of October, Arthur R. Blais is engaged to Miss Gertrude Marie Kenney of Roslindale, Mass.

DIRECTLY BEHIND THE PRESIDENT stands Howland H. Sergeant '32, who recently was cited for his important role in carrying out the reorganization of the State Department proposed by the Hoover Commission. The picture above was taken last year at the signing of the Smith-Mundt Act authorizing the "Voice of America" and the world-wide exchange of students and professors. Mr. Sargeant then was Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.

Secretary, 3909 North 5th Street, Arlington, Va.

Treasurer, 144 Brixton Rd., Garden City, N. Y.

Memorial Fund Chairman

99 White Plains Rd., Bronxville, N. Y.