WASHINGTON ON THE ART OF QUITTING AND FIRING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70-00058R000200090061-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 8, 2000
• Sequence Number: 61
• Publication Date: May 24, 1963
• Content Type: NSPR

J d \ - A ~)PK ryMn M ? 4 1963
4
Approved For Release 2000/05/24: CIA-RDP70-0005
Washington
On the Art of Quitting and
Firing
By JAMES RESTON
WASHINGTON, May 23-The art
of quitting . and firing has almost
vanished in Washington. Officials
are never "fired". these days: they
are merely "called to fields of higher For example, if Admiral George W.
dedication." They never quit on Anderson is being stubborn, awk-
orinciple: they, slip away silently, ward or too talkative, or all three,
blaming "family epnsiderations." as Chief of Naval Operations, he is
Baseball is the last of the profes- given the option q;, retirement or
signs where losers are booted out opulent banishment., to a new post
publicly. When-the Washington Sen- which, the President explains, "re-
ators lost 10 out of 11 games re- quires. a good deal of skill and a
cently, which is only slightly worse good deal of dedication." All men
than their average, Mickey Vernon, who get this treatment are "dedi-
the manager, was canned on 12 cated'.
hours' notice. But even he issued a From the.Administration's point
communique of unsurpassed sweet- of view the system;has certain ad-
ness. vantages. Mainly it muffles the
"I just feel disappointed," he said. struggling on the back stairs and
"But I think I've been treated very keeps a lot of awkward questions
well." from being debalod' in public.
How John ' McGraw would have What is harder to' explain is why
hooted, at that! He would have the victims go so quietly. Here the
kicked in. the clubhouse door. He expert is former Secretary of State
would'have declared' that even an Dean G. Acheson, Who after long
act of Congress 'couldn't get the Personal study and experience has a
Senators out of the American League taste for stylish resignations and
cellar. And, so saying, he would deft decapitations.
have shoved over the" Washington' Mr. Acheson believes that officials
Monufnent and lent town in a blaze stay on partly because ef??the bore-
of prdfa ,ity. dour of private life, par`tly' because
4
a
s, i e other people,
Even Sherman Adams, who was, like to eat. ??; r
-supPosbd'to''be the' curmudgeon's, Stifled DIssent7
lurmud?*on. took his rur and flaw'
m';LCam,ngiy. important
Sion. W+e haven`t had a good slam-' in the Western world, and partly be-
bang exit since General MacArthur.' cantie offici
l 111.
softly away, and, Allan Dulles, as a' One result ofi, all this is that a
reward for Cuba, was all but canon good deal of informed and dissent-
iled at the end. ; in, opinion within this Admin1stra- Back to Topeka.
Under President Kennedy the sys- tion is not getting out.
tern. is remarkably smooth. He is a Equally important, the dissenters Accordingly, the d&Im ' of the
master of the delayed shift. Chester are hesitating more and more to volcanic resignation is a loss. This
Bowles is the best illustration of push their views up to the top in is not to slYy that tame and deserv-
this technique. If the ?man doesn't private. ins .bureaucrats, like condemned
measure up as Under,iSecretary of Every President has"this problem' convicts, do not deserve a good din-
State, or somebody ; at the White sooner or later. As time; goes on ner before they go, but an apoplectic
House thinks he doesn't measure and problems and' frustrations build i dissenter on his way out had a cer-
up, he is not called-in and asked up, officials hesitate to add their fain therapeutic and educational
to go away, but is shifted to the own doubts to the President's wor- value. .
White House and given a fancy title ries. Meanwhile, Presidents 'hesitate Anyway, the polite habits of the
as adviser to the President on Af? to provoke dissent, important. as Government establishment do not
rica, Asia, Latin America and under- it is. have to be transferred to baseball.
developed points East. This problem increases in direct The opposite might even be pref-
proportion to_ the respect and affec- erable.
In Lonely Splendor lion inspired by a President in the For the old rule of professional I
.
until he is sufficiently softened ul burdens, the more they hesitate to
There, then, he sits in lonely splen. ii )embers of his staff. The more thev baseball was that losers were either
dor, like a deviationist in Siberia admire him and sympathize with h
is benched, traded or sent back to the
smuggled off to India without a fuss is a real problem for President Ken- the outfield, or tanglefoot outfield-
.Sometimes t dic~es tian8f j~~j r ~jP,j h ers to e i ,He didn't ask
ct~t~YiiOtreL'Ythf~~~h7ltdm'frataf his staff ~- ce guys. either.
He just sent them back to Toneka.