The weekly Alaska citizen., 1919-10-06
BRITAIN'S AMBASSADOR

Grey as British ambassador to the United State is in every way happy one. He IS not only of the most conspicuous figures in British public life but he is closely allied to ideals which we. on this side of the Atlantic, term American ideals.
 He is perhaps best known by the diplo- matic efforts he made to avert the world war and by the fact that, when he failed, and the conflict became inevitable he insisted that Great Britain could not with honor re- main out of it.
 The career of the man, who, all other Britons, it has been said, was most cordially hated by the Germans because he unceasingly advocated England's entrance into the war for the preservation of Belgiums neutrality, was quite unlike that of almost every other man in Briton public life. He is not lawyer. In fact, when he became under secretary of state for foreign affairs, in 1892, position he held for three years, he was chairman ot the board of directors of the Northeastern railway.
 Educated at Winchester and Balliol col lege, Oxford, the prospective viscount was elected liberal member from Berwick-on- Tweed to the house of commons at the age of |23 and has been repeatedly reelected from 1885 to 1916 when he was made peer. An athlete at college he won the Queens club and other champion tennis prizes. In 1912, as mark of destination for his jublic services, King George made him member of the Order of the Garter, the only commoner, it is said, so honored.
 Viscount Grey is noted as forceful speaker. He is an Englishman of English men, it is said, "cold, reserved and correct in speach and department" His speeches in parliament were mainly plain, simple state ments of fact, vigorously put without any attempt on his part to be historionic or elo- quent. The new ambassador in other words, is said to possess logical mind.
 When Viscount Grey became British foreign minister IA years ago he sought to strengthen the ties of friendship between his country and other governments. The Anglo French entente cordiale and the Anglo-Rus- sian entente which was brought about in l9OI were regarded as the cornerstone ofhis foreign policy and together they paved the way for entente alliance in the great war; In 1911 he supported President Taft's arbitration pro- posals and five years before, at the Algecians conference over Morocco, he turned the scales toward French predominance in northwest Africa. All of these efforts, it has been said, were taken in view of the growing aggressive ness of Germany and have added to Sir Ed wards fame as far-sighted diplomatist.
 Less than four months before the out break of the World War, on July 28 1914, in a prophetic character study of the British foreign minister, well-known writer said: "Sir Edward has guided England thru some anxious days. At the end of 1911, the British fleet was out in the North sea for three days and three nights without lights and decks cleared for action. How war with Germany was avoided is as great mystery as how war with Germany threatened. It was the second incident of its sort since Sir Edward became foreign secretary and men do not pass days of that kind and not age. But he has kept the peace in the days that are past and striven to secure peace for the days that are to come and British relations with Germany seem hap pier today than ever. But if Sir Edward Grey ever has to announce war he will do 1t in the same calm, even, tone with which he open flower show"
 Later in 1914 the war clouds were posi- lively ominous Viscount Grey proposed an ambassadorial conference of all the represent atives of the European nations and failing to bring this about when the time came for other action he issued his almost laconic state ment that in order to "preserve the neutrality of Belgium" Great Britain had entered "upon a state of war with Germany beginning at II p. m. on August 4th." Later in an interview in London he said Great Britain and the allies were fighting to end all wars" The viscount