Dollar Diplomacy

Scott McLeod, the State Department's chief of security, is a man of action. When Secretary of State John Foster Dulles asked his lieutenants to "act as forceful salesmen" in collecting contributions for the Washington Community Chest, Salesman McLeod reacted with characteristic forcefulness. Last week orders went down to the 1.142 employees of his Bureau of Security and Consular Affairs that everyone must either make a voluntary contribution to the chest or explain personally to McLeod. The word soon reached the Community Chest's Director Edward J. Keyes, who reacted with shocked surprise. He deplored McLeod's "excessive zeal," and added that "we do not approve of [this] kind of coercion." McLeod refused to explain personally to the press, but sent word through a spokesman that no coercion was intended: he was just so anxious to make a 100% showing that he wanted to see all noncontributors and "lend them a dollar" if necessary. This week bureau employees, fully aware of McLeod's zeal in firing department personnel, were well on their way to a 100% showing.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.