MR. CARR OF STATE

Wilbur John Carr was administrator of the State Department for about forty years, during which time he managed to organize the Consular Service on a sound merit-system basis. While administrations and Secretaries of State came and went, Mr. Carr remained, keeping the organization he administered well oiled and ready to serve the country in all crises. He had the same problems that all Washington administrators have: the constant struggle for adequate funds; the battle to keep politics out of the Consular Service; the hiring and firing of personnel; etc. He was patient, conscientious and dedicated, like many public servants in Washington who with admirable modesty and great efficiency keep the government working while the politicians are busy setting headlines. This is a record rather than a biography, for the author has a somewhat colorless, documentary style which, more or less, suits the subject at hand.