The Foreign Service Journal, February 2011

After internal discussions, Chapin decided to explain the situation to the budget office and request its permis- sion to forward the draft legislation to the Hill; unable to prevent the House action, the bureau reluctantly granted his request. The draft then went to the subcommittee. Chapin anticipated that the sub- committee would share some of the BOB’s concerns. Again, he was sur- prised, this time pleasantly. The sub- committee not only supported all of the department’s central positions, but in some cases it even went further (e.g., authorizing FSOs to accept pres- idential appointments without losing their Foreign Service status). Its enthusiasm stemmed in large part from the subcommittee’s belief that Congress had for too long abdi- cated its authority to the executive branch. Patronage was seen not only as corrosive to professionalism, but a source of growing concern about al- leged communist infiltration of the de- partment. (Another factor in the subcommittee’s support was personal affinity with Sec. Byrne: two subcom- mittee members were close friends.) In the course of eight hearings be- tween May 9 and May 28, 1946, the subcommittee steadily assumed own- ership of the bill. None of the many technical amendments adopted un- dercut the bill’s central thrust. The evolving situation, however, raised a flag for Chapin and others in the de- partment. How would BOB, despite having authorized the department to deal directly with the subcommittee, respond to a fait accompli? More Hurdles In a word, poorly. Although the de- partment had kept the Bureau of the Budget broadly apprised of the hear- ings, events were rapidly moving to- ward a collision. Having prepared a final draft of the bill with the subcom- mittee’s input, Chapin again consulted his superiors. It was decided to have Sec. Byrnes request the budget office’s approval of this draft before sending it to the sub- F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 1 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 51 Chapin not only developed the legislation that would become the Foreign Service Act of 1946 but shepherded it through Congress.