Evening star., 1934-05-27
BY EMIL LENGYEL,

Author Of The New Deal in Europe"
The Cauldron Boils," Hitler" Etc.
r. UROPES grand young man."
II DR.. Edouard Benes, has his
/ 50th birthday tomorrow. His
- birthday celebration finds him
still minister of foreign affairs
Of Czechoslovakia. as he has been un-
interruptedly since the end of the
World War. Although international
gatherings usually have their fair COL
lection of "ancients," as they are
known among the young, DR.. Benes is
respected as the most productive and
aggressive diplomat of the postwar
era. For the last 10 years he has
been looked upon in diplomatic cir
cles as Junior elder statesman en-
dowed with a penetrating glance and
with the quality, highly treasured in
diplomats. of being progressive in
conservative way. Only the historian
OF the future will be able to appraise
the full extent of DR.. Bene's impor-
tance, but even so his record is the
history OF one of the most dynamic
persons of European diplomacy.
Vu6 AlSk VI hCulevcmentS,
Look at partial list of his achieve
ments last year. At the beginning of
1888 his help was sought in settling
the Anglo-Persian oil dispute, and he
drew up plan which was accepted
by the contestants. Foreign Minister
Benes was the guiding genius Behind
the transformation of the little en-
tente from a diplomatic group of his
own Czechoslovakia, of Ruman!a and
JugoSlavia into a closely knit organi-
zation In economic and military mat
tiers. In the Autumn of last year the
League OF Nations appointed him a
member OF the commission intrusted
with the settlement of the Chaco dis
pute. He took a leading role at the
Disarmament Conference. He cham
ploned the cause of the League of
Nations against the criticisms of Mus
solini. Toward the end of last year
he was invited by the Quai d'Orsay to
act as a consulting physician IN the
NaN case. Few diplimats have been
so honored by the French press as he
was honored then, and it was brought
out clearly the French attitude to-
ward the German third Reich would
depend to a large extent on Bene,s
diagnosis and advice.
Wilson Always Forgot Name.
At the end Of the war this soft.
spoken young Czech diplomat was In
his early thirties. President Wilson
always used TO forget his name
(Which, by the way, is pronounced
"Benesh," not "Beans"), and Premier
Clemenceau liked to overlook his
greetings. Who then could have
foreseen that, in few years, he would
become the diplomatic miracle child
of Europe? He had large, dreamy eyes
which seemed to be more concerned
with metaphysical truths than with
harsh realities. His voice was soft,
and he was often embarrassed, trying
to say many words in a short speech
so as not to waste the time of the
rulers Of the world But then a red
streak would steal from his neck up
ward toward mis- cheek bones; his
hazel eyes would glow. Then he would
stop feeling embarrassed and his
words would take on the weight of
fanatic conviction. In such minutes
DR.. Benes surpassed himself.
II it had not been for the World
War, Edouard Benes would be writing
history instead of making it. History
writing would have landed him In
either q university or q jail. II he had
written In accordance with official
standards he would have become q
professor, but II h had followed his