WASHINGTON, D.C.--The Peace Corps occupies three floors of a fairly typical, utterly unimaginative office building in downtown Washington. Through square windows set regularly into the light gray stone you can see Connecticut Avenue and a few of the neighbors--the Chamber of Commerce and the ICA. About two blocks away, across a park that is the home of a number of pigeons, squirrels, and a rather weatherbeaten statue of Andrew Jackson astride his favorite thoroughbred, is the White House.

Lone evidence in the lobby of the building of its frantic occupants is a sign that says "Peace Corps Personnel, Room 500." Aside from the incredible number of loose papers that occupy just about every bit of spare room, one notices several things that symbolize the Peace Corps project.

One is a series of four pictures hanging on the light green wall opposite the elevators (which are not used very often, the stairs are quicker). The first shows a group of workers planting seed in an African village; the second, aged tribal chieftains dressed in colorful native costumes, bending over simple textbooks in an outdoor classroom. A third picture shows an Oriental girl, her jet black hair cropped to look like an overturned bowl, gazing suspiciously at a glass of milk and a piece of bread placed before her on a gay print tablecloth. The fourth picture is of two tiny children. Their hands are gripping a wooden railing of some sort, and their eyes are open wide, fascinated by something to the right, outside the picture.

Kennedy Inspiration

Also, displayed prominently, is an enlargement of the portion of President Kennedy's Inaugural address that contains the sentence "And let every man and woman who works in any area of our national government, in any branch, at any level, be able to say with pride and honor in future years: 'I served the United States Government in that hour of our country's need.'" The word 'served' is in italics.

Then there is a large colored map that hangs over the head table of a long conference room. Yellow areas, indicating the presence of ICA personnel, are heavily-scattered all over except for a large brown mass that dominates the center of the map. In small white letters are the words "soviet bloc."

Most noticeable in the Peace Corps office is the people. They don't stroll through the halls, they walk with a brisk stride, if not a canter. They type furiously, answer telephones at a fantastic rate, and always seem to be smiling.

Out of Chaos...

At this point the smiles would seem to be well justified. Established by Executive Order on March 1, the Corps has developed into an efficient, if not always smooth and neat, organization. At hearings on the Peace Corps Bill conducted by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Stuart Symington (D-Mo.) publicly lauded Director R. Sargent Shriver for his presentation of the Peace Corps' case. It is a good thing he did not take the short tour on the heels of a Public Relations man that some did. The senator would undoubtedly be amazed at how anything coherent could emerge from the chaos, unless he once worked on a college newspaper or performed a similar exercise in literary prestidigitation.

The President's order authorized the Corps to draw on funds available under the Mutual Security Act of 1954, and set it up as a semi-autonomous body in the Department of State. After an initial rush of excited inquiries and applications, both the mail and the publicity have settled down to something approaching normal, whatever that is. The decline in the news-making power of the Peace Corps, however, did not signify a decline in either enthusiasm or production.

In their own quiet desperation, Peace Corps employees have been working in two areas--the drafting of the bill that is known as S. 2000 in the Senate, and H.R. 7500 in the House, and the actual planning for Peace Corps projects. Both areas are currently in good shape.

In Congress, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee completed two days of hearings on the bill late last month, and after finishing its work on the foreign aid program will probably begin reviewing it the second week in July. House action has been slower, and the Foreign Affairs Committee has yet to schedule hearings.

Religious Ties

One issue that has aroused heated controversy here recently is the Peace Corps' entrance into contracts with religious organizations. Present plans indicate that much of the Corps' work will be done in cooperation with private groups sponsoring existing aid programs, and many of these have religious ties. The question is aggravated by the current debate in Congress over federal aid to private schools.

Peace Corps spokesmen are firm in denying any possibility of religious overtones entering a Peace Corps project. They say that before signing a contract with the Corps, any organization must foreswear proselytizing, and guarantee open recruitment of volunteers. A sponsoring group, therefore, is not only restricted from promoting its own religious doctrines, but must open its ranks to all applicants.