Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-02-12
Genera Diplomats Mourn Loss
Of Mexican ENJOY Mored Here
DR.. Castillo Najera Noted
for His Work With
League.
FoIlO,cs Mem bers of
Other Delegations to
Washington.
BY ALBIN E. JOHNSON.
pecial Dispatch to The Star.

VergeS at Geneva, lost one OF
~ its most popular members
when Senior DR.. Castillo Ma
jera, Mexican Minister to Paris and
delegate to the League of Nations, was
promoted to represent Mexico City as
Ambassador at Washington.
One OF the leaders of the Latin
American group, an accomplished
diplomat and statesman, sincere
protagonist of the League idea, NaJera
almost since the very day OF his ar
lival upon the Geneva scene, late in
1898, has been big figure in League
circles particularly in questions deal
ing with the troubled South Ameri-
can affairs In going to the United
States he is joining an already large
group of foreign notables who have
passed on and off the Geneva stage
Ferdinand Veverka, CZechoslOvakian
Minister at Washington; John Pelenyi,
Hungarian Minister; Michael Mac
White, Irish Free State Envoy En-
traordinary; Zero Jarnefeldt. who has
Just succeeded Mr.. L. Astrom as Min
lister for Finland: Salvador de NADIA
riaga, Ambassador of the Spanish
Republic; Signor Augusta Rosso. Am
bassador. and Signor Andrea Ferrero,
secretary, of the italian Embassy;
E. darcy McGreer, secretary of the
Canadian Legation. and many others
Even the Japanese Ambassador and
Chinese Minister, HiroSi Saito and
Alfred Sao-ke SEE, are graduates" of
Geneva. having served on various
delegations at one time or another.
But, without exaggeration, it can
honestly be said that none of his
predecessors who have taken the route
that leads to Washington have eX-
Ceeded Castillo Najera in popularity,
and it will be a long time before an
other statesman enters the League
spotlight to outshine him. Lavish
praiSe-but ask any of Najera'S col
leagues of the past two years what
they think of him!
In handling the Leticia Commits
sion. which adjusted the quarrel be-
tween Peru and Colombia, and as
president of the Chaco Commission
which is still seeking to end the inter
necine strife between Paraguay and
Bolivia, Senior Najera has been able
to preserve a united front of South
American and Latin American states
almost continuously He also served
as president of the extraordinary as
sembly recently convened to deal with
the Chaco affair, presiding with such
skill that the League was able to OBJ
tain a practically unanimous agree
ment upon applying the arms embargo
and in determining the "aggressor."
Senior Najera has stood out among
presiding officials who at various
times have directed the destinies of
league commissions conferences and
assemblies chiefly because he has a
complete disregard for the so-called
niceties of parliamentary procedure.
Not that he rides rough-Shod over
verbose delegates. but because he be-
heves in getting things done. There
perhaps never has been seen on the
Geneva stage as forceful chairman
as Najera. No delegate-not even the
clever French diplomats or suave
British spokesmen-has cluttered up
conferences over which the Mexican
Minister to Paris presided. with tech
nicalities or inconSequential side is
sues.
Popular With News Men.
Najera also has been exceedingly
popular with the newspaper men who
frequent Geneva, so popular, in fact,
that he was made one of the few
honor guests of the Cercle de la
PreSse shortly after his first visit to
fHa hi
Washington assignment he was again
feted. diplomats, League officials and
members of the Geneva Latin-Amer-
lean colony joining the international
Association of Journalists in fare
well banquet
PrentiSS Gilbert, the State Depart
ment's liaison officer with the League,
in paying tribute to Najera, said:
MY personal feelings for Senior |
Najera go far beyond mere official |
sentiment. He has. I feel, permitted |
me to share his friendship. I have, |
moreover. discovered through this |
friendship that Senior Najera. coming |
from great country neighboring my |
own, possesses a peculiarly clear I'M
Outstanding of our institutions and our
ways. 1t is such an understanding |
which he carries with him to Wash
ington, and which, added to his great |
personal qualities and distinguished
diplomatic attainments, presages for
him eminent success. I am certain
that this will be of outstanding value !
not only to his country but also to |
my own and l therefore, somewhat |
selfishly perhaps am unable to share
entirely in the regrets at his leaving |
us here in Geneva"
Aside from his official qualifications,
Najera's popularity in Geneva arose
from the fact that he was what is |
known as a regular fellow" bon |
vivant he was familiar figure at the |
many out-of-the-Wa auberges and |
village restaurants which surround |
Geneva-mostly across the frontier
in France-Where statesmen and !
newspapermen gathered to wine and
dine. With a command of at least |
three languages, he is a fluent lin
gust.
Poet of Ability.
Belying his looks Senior Naiera is a
poet OF no mean ability. Besides pub |
fishing volume of folklore poetry of
his own people he has translated from
the French into Spanish a 100 years
anthology of Belgian poetry" He was
at one time Mexican Minister to Bel