Evening star., 1937-12-09
AMBASSADOR POST
OFFERED KENNEDY
Maritime Commission Head
May Go to London Early
Next Year.
By ], RUSSELL YOUNG.

ny 4ooANos
President Roosevelt is understood
to have offered the ambassadorship
to Great Britain to Joseph P. Ken
nedy chairman of the Maritime Com
mission
This has been learned from an au-
thorltatlve source. and friends close
to the President have reason to feel
Mr.. Kennedy has accepted and will
take over duties at the Court of st.
James soon after the first of the
year. Ofdcials at the White House
declined to either confirm or deny
the appointment, however.
Mr. Kennedy called on the President
this afternoon, but declined to COM
nnent on departing.
Robert w. Bingham, Louisville. KY,
newspaper publisher, who has been
Ambassador at London since 1888, is
understood to have rendered his res
ignation because of i'll health. Mr.
Bingham is at present patient at
Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore
undergoing treatment for malaria. 1t
Is understood that he will return to
his post in London after the holidays
to clear up his desk and 60 through
the necessary official calls before
turning the Embassy over to his sue
cessor.
Kennedy's Career Picturesque.
Mr. Kennedy, native of Boston,
looked upon as one of the most bril-
liant of New Deal officials. is close
friend of the President and holds the
tatters utmost confidence.
The ambassadorship to Great Brit
ain is at this time, one of even greater
responsibility than usual, because of
the troubled conditions in Europe and
because of the pending negotiations
between England and the United
States to bring about a trade agree
uent pact.
Mr.. Kennedy, who is in his early
4o's and who is rated to be several
lines a millionaire, has had a pic
turesque career in business since he
graduated at Harvard University in
1912. After several years of experience
n the investment business he became
president of a small Boston bank, of
which his father was one of the prin-
eipal stockholders. Afterward he be-
came interested in the motion picture
industry. devotins his talents prin-
cipally to organization and financing.
Won Fortune in Market.
NJ Ho,rod,- than l>aoop,o ,,+;,a l..
the stock market and after a short
time amassed a comfortable fortune
During the pre-convention campaign
in 1882 he became one of Mr. Roose-
velt's principal lieutenants
Then, in 1884, President Roosevelt
selected Mr.. Kennedy to take over the
task of organizing the newly-created
Securities and Exchange Commission.
Mr.. Kennedy is credited with remark
ably successful results His outstand-
ing accomplishment was establishing
cooperation between the so-called
stock exchange operators and the
commission. When he felt that he
had put the commission substantially
on its feet and functioning satisfac-
torily. he asked the President to let
him retire and return to private busi-
ness. He was engaged in financial
organization work when he was
drafted again by the President to take
over organization of the newly ly-created
Maritime Commission
1t has been known in Washington
for some time that Mr.. Kennedy was
anxious to lay down this work and
his name has recently been men,
toned for a cabinet post, principally
chat as head of the Treasury Depart
e1ent. Mr.. Kennedy has admitted to
friends that he wanted to resign as
soon as the President would permit
him, but the general belief of those
close to him is that the offer of the
post at the Court of st. James came
as rather surprise.
Married Mayors Daughter.
Mr.. Kennedy married Rose Fitz-
gerald, daughter of the famous
Honey Fitz," popular Mayor of
Boston. They have nine children and
Mr.. Kennedy lives at Marwood, pre-
tentious country estate overlooking the
Potomac about IA miles west of Wash
mgton. He also has country estates
at Hyannisport, Mass: Bronxville.
N. Y. and Palm Beach, Fla.
Mr.. Kennedy has always been an
enthusiastic supporter of Mr.. Roose-
welt and a confirmed New Dealer"
During the 1886 campaign, when Mr..
Roosevelt was running for reelection,
Mr.. Kennedy published book, Il am
Tor Roosevelt" which was given wide
circulation.