Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-06-12
LORD N0RTACI.IFfE
HATED Il. Il D And \ Loved j|'VI|I ]
New Head Of British Mission
Here Is a Hustler.
no SpEECHMAKlNG FOR HIM
Will Attend Strictly to Business and
Open an Office In Financial Section
Of New York-Has Condemned Many
Of EnsIand's War Policies, and Time
Has Proved That He Was Correct.

Has Proved That He Was Correct.
Lord Northclifre, the new head Of the
British foreign mission in the United
States, is coming on business he Is
not coming for speechmaking or ban
quoting tour, but means business, and
| will start his work at once from an Of
fee in downtown New York.
This is his own idea Of his post as
successor to Foreign Minister Balfour
at the head of the British war mis-
sion. He explained his plans in an In.
terview prior to his departure.
II am not on a specchmaking or ban
quoting tour" Lord Northcliffe declar-
ed in an interview. II propose taking
| Offices downtown in New York, where
l can confer on the many business In.
terests involved In the British and al
lied missions.
II am hopeful not only Of tmparting
any war lessons which I may have
learned from many visits to the war
to my American friends, but also to
derive ideas which are certain to be
evolved by American natural genius
for invention.
II feel much diffidence' In succeed
ing so important and charming a per-
sonality as Balfour, but shall do my
best to harmonic the work of the
allied missions and, may say, to
facilitate the enlistment Of as many
British subjects now In the United
States as possible.
ION my arrival shall Of course first
report at the British embassy in Wash.
ington."
The most interest in his selection
centers In the bearing 1t may have on
the status of Sir Cecil Arthur Spring
Rice, the British ambassador. Sir
Cecil Spring Rice has been criticised
by Lord Northcliffe, who virtually call
ed for the appointment Of new Brit.
ish ambassador in Washington. This
criticism came at time when the
United States and Germany were still
on nominally friendly terms
The impression was created that
Count Won Bernstorfr, the German am.
bassador in Washington, was succeed.
ing in getting the American press to
publish information favorable to the
German cause, and Lord Northclifle,
who apparently believed the alleGa.
lions to that effect, let 1t be known
that he thought Count Won Bernstor6
was outmaneuvering Sir Cecil Spring
Rice in creating sentiment in America.
The comment of Lord Northcliffe along
that line was cabled to American
newspapers and created considerable
discussion. The British government
apparently was not Influenced by 1t, as
the status Of the British ambassador
was not disturbed.
Lord Northcliffe Is baron in the
British peerage. His appointment to
such an important diplomatic mission
will give the British government the
opportunity to raise his rank, and sue
cess in dealing with the United States
might cause the king, at the instance
Of Prime Minister Lloyd George, to
elevate him to the dignity Of viscount
or earl.
Admired, Hated and Respected.
The war had not proceeded very far
when an Englishman on being asked
to define Lord Northcliffes influence
on the government and people said:
"They hate him, they admire him,
but try as they may they cannot be
Indifferent to him"
In no country, It is believed, since
the war began has a man in civil life
been so constantly in the public eye
or labored SO continually, early and
late, for schemes which he believed
would benefit the empire and its allies
and bring defeat to the Germans.
These schemes have pertained to al.
most every department of activity di.
rectly or Indirectly identified with the
war. They have concerned attacks, ex.
posures and appeals in regard to the
government and sympathy, informa-
ton, advice to the allies and neutrals.
They form long list from the time
he declared that Lord Kitchener was
working beyond his physical and men,
tai limitations and the exposure Of the
fact that shrapnel instead Of high ex-
plosive shells were being used at Neuve
Chapelle, the condemnation Of the Gal
lipoli excursion, Nixon's flasco on the
Tigris, long before they became his