The Indianapolis times., 1934-01-06
BULLITT, new
TYPE DIPLOMAT,
WELL EQUIPPED
Ambassador to Russia Has
Been Reporter, Economist
and PubliCiSt.


BIZ Unitcd Press
WASHINGTON. Jan. William
Christian Bullitt, United States am
bassador to Soviet Russia, in the
minds Of his countrymen typifies
the new deal in its diplomatic
sphere.
Since wartime, American opinion
has been cropping for some exponent
of new school, of diplomacy, who
would break some Of the fetters that
bind diplomats to medievalism, and
give a modern semblage TO the bu5i-
ness of international representation
and negotiation.
Bullitt, 43, widely travelled. a
skilled reporter. an adventurous in
vestigator, an economist familiar
with graphs and indexes, a publicist
acquainted with trans-oceanic tele-
phones and cable systems, appears
better equipped for the role of new
school" ambassador than any per-
sonality yet nominated by President
Roosevelt to represent the country
abroad.
Well Acquainted
Bullitt's appointment was at
tributed by his friends to his in
innate and thorough acquaintance
with all post-cZarist phases of rela-
tions between the United States and
the Soviet, but the extraordinary
popular interest in the appointment
probably was due to a belief that he
represented something new" in
diplomacy. Barely a year ago his
mrevealed missions in Europe gave
him the character of mystery man
and senatorial criticism of his an
nounced errandS (then commonly
presumed to relate to war debts at
tracted national attention.
Looked Ahead
AS a reporter of international
events, Bullitt already has an ex-
traordinary reputation, having been
the first American student of the
Soviet revolution to predict officially
its permanence and its compatible
1ty with the temperament and ne
cessities of the Russian people. This
occurred at the time of the peace
conference when the plans of Wood
row Wilson and Lloyd George were
largely predicated upon the expec-
tation of the restoration of a non
BolShevik regime
Expert Reporter
Bullitt previously mad been Wash
tngton correspondent of the Phila-
delphia Public Ledger, and later a
state department attache, where he
had developed his extraordinary
skill for reporting. He was an ex-
pert with the American delegation
to the peace conference. Woodrow
Wilson and Robert Lansing sent
him to Russia for a f1rst-hand re-
port.
Bullttt'S recommendations to Will
son and Lansing, based on his mis-
sion to Moscow. did not find ac-
ceptance. He broke relations with
the peace delegation. Later, appear
ing before the senate foreign rela-
lions committee, his revelations of
Wilson-Lansing differences and
other inside" events of the peace
conference were a considerable fac
tor in the rallying fight against the
Versailles peace treaty,
During the next decade. Bullitt
attracted little public attention, al
though his views on United. States
Soviet relations we're familiar to all
students of the recognition question.
He was engaged in private life as
managing editor for a large motion
picture concern.
In Limelight
Temperamentally and politically
attracted by Roosevelt's new deal"
presidential campaign, Bullitt soon
swung into the public limelight after
the national elections. His move
ments in European capitals, con-
temporaneously explained as due to
his writing activities. were frequent
ly reported in the newspapers.
On April 81, six weeks after Presi-
dent Roosevelt'S Inauguration. Bull
hit was named as special assistant
10 the secretary of state, where he
quietly proceeded to the study of
Russian and western European
questions. Rumors soon circulated
among diplomats here that Bullitt
was slated for the embassy at Mos
COW, but this speculation was side
tracked when John Van MacMurray
was chosen Minister to the Baltic
republics.
When the Roosevelt-Litvinof ne
gOtiatiOnS were at their height
Bullitt sat in" at the White
House parleys. Informed
circles said that it was his extraor-
binary knowledge and accurate in
sight that inspired Roosevelt to his
appointment.
President Roosevelt was so cer-
tain that Bullitt would be highly
acceptable to Soviet Russia that he
allowed journalists to know of the
impending appointment without
awaiting receipt of the customary
reply regarding acceptability
Bullitt was born at Philadelphia
on Jan. 25. 1891. He graduated at
Yale in 1912. and later attended
Harvard law school one year. In
different to the study of law. he
left school to take a SIS a week
Job as a cub reporter" on a Phila-
delphia newspaper.
His journalistic career included
an assignment to accompany Henry
Ford's peace ship which went to
Sweden in 1915. Later he became
associate foreign editor and then
Washington correspondent of his
paper. Gathering war clouds
brought him into service of the
state department, where his accu-
rate and systematic reports on
western European events impressed
officials. They made him an at
tache with the peace delegation to
the Versailles conference.