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Travel Piece by Ida Nasatir
Letter from Paris by Ida Nasatir, July 6, 1951
July 6, , 1951—Ida Nasatir, "A
Letter from Paris," Southwestern Jewish Press, page 4: Dear
Julia and Mac:. Did I ever remember to tell you that the American Embassy acts
as a benign father to the large family of tourists in Paris? The first
impulse of the American abroad who receives a traffic citation or has a dispute
with his "concierge," or who is a victim of confidence games,
pickpockets and absentmindedness is to yell: "You can't do this to me! I'm
going straight to the Embassy!" And off he goes to make good his promise
and threat. Once in the Embassy he finds a compatriot behind a desk who will
listen sympathetically. When the sad tale is out, the indignant citizen
will be reminded gently of a circumstance which the American traveler
occasionally forgets: A visitor to a foreign country is subject to the laws of
that country, just as a foreigner within the United States is subject to Uncle
Sam's laws. Although this homely truth is pressed frequently upon American
citizens abroad, the Embassy people hasten to say that there are a great many
concrete services which they are prepared and happy to render. One particularly
helpful person the complaining American is apt to meet in the white marble
Embassy building is Miss Adele Dix, vice-consul in charge of the welfare
section. A kindly, gray-haired lady, she has been with the State
Department for 30 years and she has one of the most fascinating jobs in the
foreign service. Rather than with red tape, Miss Dix deals with people. Any
American who has got into a financial trouble, has disappeared, been arrested,
hospitalized, robbed or has had any other misfortune is referred to her. With a
staff of four, she interviews over 4,000 people a year, receives 3,000 telephone
calls, gets over 5,000 letters and countless queries ranging from the currency
exchange in Sicily to marriage possibilities in Paris. Part of this
vice-consuls work is finding missing husbands, alcoholic friends and long-lost
relatives. Wit the help of the French police, a good majority of these cases are
settled. An American who has a mental breakdown in France is Miss Dix's
responsibility, and if a United States citizen gets thrown into jail she must
look into the case and see that he gets legal advise. Murder, mayhem and
matrimony, if they have to do with an American are channeled through Miss Dix's
office. Each case is different and each must be handled personally. A few
months ago, Miss Dix managed to get a kleptomaniac out of jail and sent her back
home. After the woman left Miss Dix discovered that someone had stolen her
scarf. It took no serious sleuthing to know who did the job. It is a
comforting feeling to walk past the huge, modern and majestic American Embassy.
It symbolizes "home" to the American abroad. It will do anything
possible for its citizens, even to the extent of helping the unfortunate person
who has spent money too quickly, by cabling home...Collect...for money.
What more could it do? Fondly, Ida Nasatir.