THE ADMINISTRATION: Bohlen for Cohen

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Two Presidents and two Secretaries of State had leaned heavily for political counsel on Benjamin V. (for Victor) Cohen. One of the first New Dealers, the quieter, brighter half of F.D.R.'s legislation-drafting team of Corcoran (Thomas) & Cohen, he had almost always kept himself out of the public eye. For the last 22 months he has quietly served first Jimmy Byrnes, then George Marshall as Counselor of the State Department. Last week, after 14 years of Government service, 52-year-old Ben Cohen finally persuaded President Harry Truman to accept his resignation.

To replace Cohen, the President nominated Charles E. ("Chip") Bohlen, 42, the State Department's diplomatic handy man. One of State's few Russian-speaking experts, Chip Bohlen was official translator for Franklin Roosevelt at Teheran and Yalta, for Harry Truman at Potsdam, for George Marshall at Moscow. His new job: to improve State's communications with Congress.