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to technological trends would seem to be a rewarding; exercise in 

 policy planning. On the other hand, the bridging effect of international 

 scientific cooperation also offers opportunities for diplomatic 

 exploitation. 



POLICY VERSUS OPERATIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE 



One issue that appears to be inherent across the entire spectrum of 

 the responsibilities and missions of the Department of State is that of 

 policy versus operations. Ever since World War II, the Department 

 has been caught up in an enormous volume of da3-to-day operations: 



— Foreign travel of U.S. nationals; 



— Trade problems; 



— Exchange students; 



— Foreign aid; 



— Telling the American story abroad ; * 



— Assisting other Federal agencies with overseas missions, 



— Greatly expanded consulate system; 



— Increased size and number of embassies ; 



— Great array of U.N. and other international activities; 



— Digesting incoming flow of cables ; 



— Increased number of contacts with new countries; and 



— U.S. leadership in making these contacts of increasing mo- 

 ment. 

 Operations inherently impose insistent demands for immediate 

 attention while planning for the longer term future can always be put 

 off. The planning may be more important, but operations tend to be 

 more urgent. 



In principle, operational chores ought to be handled at the lowest 

 possible level m the administrative hierarchy, but diplomatic errors at 

 this level tend to generate headaches higher up. (An injudicious 

 postcard can turn into an international incident.) Yet, urgent opera- 

 tional demands on staff attention can distract attention from the 

 thinking-through of big problems, the planning of large new initiatives, 

 and the sorting-out of uncommon subtleties. This unresolved adminis- 

 trative issue will become increasingly nagging as short-term problems 

 of science and technology multiply, while at the same time the oppor- 

 tunities for large initiatives tend to be neglected for want of staff time 

 and attention. 



