Evening star., 1932-12-26

As Gov. Roosevelt has decreed that
future war r-debt negotiations are TO DE
carried on through our regular dlpio-
matte channels, more than ordinary m
terest attaches to the character and
callber of the men he's going to Send
to the European embassies and Iega-
tions. Present incumbentS at virtually
all important debtor capitals-London,
Paris, Rome, Brussels, warsaw. Prague
and Berlin-are political appolntees,
with the exception OF Ambassador CID
son at Brussels and newly dispatched
Ambassador Belin at Warsaw, who rank
as career" diplomats. Messrs. Gibson
and Belin may not be displaced for de-
serving Democrats, but may lose the
ambassadorial plums they now hold
and be sent elsewhere. perhaps to less
attractive posts. American ENJOYS are
commissioned to serve at the pleasure
of the Presidents who appoint them.
The custom is for them to tender resig-
nations at the beginning of new White
House term, especially if there's a new
President. Mr.. Mellon at London. Mr..
Edge at Paris, Mr.. Garrett at Rome.
Mr.. Sackett at Berlin and Mr.. LaughIln
at Madrid are, of course, Ambassadors
who will walk the plank just as soon as
the incoming administration has Sc
| lected the Democrats worthy of blue
ribbon diplomatic honors. The woods
are full of them, or of those who think
| they're worthy An able and popular
| former career man" said to be slated
for Rome is William Phillips one-time
Undersecretary of State, Ambassador to
Belgium and until three years ago Min
ister to Canada-our first at Ottawa.
Three or four career" diplomats now
at important posts rank as sure fire
| fixtures in the service because of some
| thing approaching indispensability.
| Probably first and foremost among
| these is Hugh Gibson. Ambassador to
| Belgium, but in reality universal en-
voy to Europe, with unmatched knoWl-
| edge of Geneva conference ways and
methods. Even Gibsons intimate
| friendship with Herbert Hoover isn't
likely to cause his detachment from the
| foreign service, which would be dis
tinctly the loser for his going. Nelson
Johnson, Minister to China. is another
indispensable, whom it would be almost
| impossible to replace. Ambassador
Joe" Grew has not been at Toxic very
| long, but already there are glowing ac-
counts of how effectively he has in
| gratiated himself with the power-wield-
ing elements of japanese life and
craftsmanship. It's about time for
Uncle Sam to leave some one at Toxic
| must have had 8 or 10 Ambassa-
dorS in Toxic within 10 years. Minister
Norman Armour in Haiti is still an
other career" chap who's just in
trenched himself, and successfully, in
| that difficult cline, with vital nego-
tiations pending with the Port au
Prince government. Robert Peet Skin
ner, Minister to Latvia, the veteran of
| the foreign service, can hardly be
| spared from Riga, our Russian lookout
post.
Senator Borah didn't step out of
| character when he starred in the Ma
tional Press Clubs Christmas eve cere-
monies. The gentleman from Idaho is
deeply religious man. He reads the
Bible daily and is fond Of reading from
it aloud. which he does regularly on
Sunday in his sonorous speaking voice.
His Press Club address was a sermon
which would have graced any pulpit
in the WOrld-a moving mixture of the
spiritual, political and economic. Whom
was the Senate Foreign Relations chair
man shooting at-Washington or AL
bany-When he said: Economic laws
do not accommodate themselves to the
intrigues of frightened or embarrassed
leaders," This was the lightest touch
in Borah's otherwise serious homily:
"A few days ago, in the basement OF
the Capitol I was startled by the sight
of a hundred armed policemen sent
there to protect the Government of the
people, for the people and by the peo-
pie from the people" Senator Borah
has distinguished neighbor in his
Connecticut avenue apartment house.
He lives directly below Justice Cardozo.
| x X X
Rear Admiral H. " Butler statuesque,
handsome sailor man, who Is COM
mandant and superintendent of the
Navy Yard and station at washington,
would never be accused Of being any
thing but live one. But this Is what