Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-11-01
BY BLAIR BOLIlES,

Lindsay, P. c., G. c., NJ. G.,
K. c. B., c. v. O., fifth son e
u the 26th Earl of Crawford, a
Yuddy Scotsman who knows the name
Of his Norman ancestor on the field
Of Hastings in 1866, owes to a labor
government the greatest triumph of his
diplomatic career-his appointment as
His Majesty's Ambassador to Wash
hgton.
Sir Ronald, who resembles the
British Empire fitted with trousers has
been charged with an Olympian
snootiness. But other diplomats in
the Capital attribute this accusation
to misunderstanding and explain that
Sir Ronald Lindsay is fundamentally a
shy man whose bashfulness is en-
phasized by slight deafness which
often causes him to close his eyes
during important conferences, the
better to hear.
The British Ambassador is just re-
turning from London, where the
Chamberlain Foreign Office is suffer-
ing diplomatic filters. For as the
Spectator. of London. recently pointed
out:
That no (British) government at
any time since 1918 has been faced
with q situation more delicate, more
dangerous and more battling and per-
picking is plain and elementary
fact"
Left With Joy in Heart.
1of+ II,
weeks ago with joy in his soul because
Of the Chicago speech of President
Roosevelt dedicating the United States
10 4 strong stand in the face of cur
rent belligerency in Europe and in
the Orient. One of his chief diplo-
matte purposes in recent years has
been to inspire the United States Brit
ish active rapprochement 50 dear to
Downing Street.
On account OF this great interest on
the part of London in our State De-
partment activity. Sir Ronald is con-
sidered the very best person connected
with the British Foreign ONCE for his
present post.
He has been married twice and both
wives were Americans. The first was
Martha Cameron, daughter of ex-
Senator Donald j. Cameron, long a
Pennsylvania political potentate. She
died in 1918, nine years after the we'd
ding. He married again in 1924, this
time Elizabeth Sherman, daughter of
the wealthy Colgate Hoyt OF New York,
. schoolgirl friend of Mrs. Roosevelt
Was Counsellor in 1905.
Dir Ronald was Second Secretary Of
the British Embassy here from 1905
to 1907. He was Counsellor OF the
Embassy here from 1919 to 1920. And
In November, 1929, the Labor govern
ment headed by Ramsey Macdonald
plucked him from the foreign Office,
where he was permanent Undersecre-
tary-the highest career diplomatic
post available to Britons-and sent
him to Washington. :
He arrived in May of the following
year and spent his first few months
at the Mayflower Hotel while the last
touches were put on the extraordinary
new red brick Embassy on Massachu-
sets avenue. His appointment was
regarded as compliment by Social
Ism (MacDonald) to the old nobility"
It WAS regarded also as an insurance
OF amicability between the United
States and Great Britain, but for a
while = slight tempest ragged over Sir
Ronald's tnsistence upon taking adj
vantage Of his diplomatic prerogative
OF importing all the liquor he wanted
at . time when prohibition still was
part Of the American code.
{ Protest Is Ignored.
J Samuel B. Woods, retired Mayor Of
Charlottesville, Va, wrote His Maj
estys Ambassador in vigorous protest
to no avail. In this, Sir Ronald failed
TO follow the precedent set by his pre-
decessor, Sir Esme Howard, who had
needed the warning of another vir-
ginian, James T. Carter Of Lynchburg,
against making an oasis Of the British
Embassy. .Issif
TO drink Or not 10 drink, Of course,
WAs . triviality. Sir Ronald's chief
assignment since he arrived In the
Omitted States has been to arrange a
settlement Of the war debt. And the
debt problem early in 1888, when
President Hoover WAS packing his
trunks and President-elect Roosevelt
Vas waiting to move into the White
House, brought Sir Ronald his most
Embarrassing American moment.
At such = time, when the course OF
internal American politics was un-
certain, the Ambassador received debt
Qneries from his government which
h found himself unable to answer.
80 he took his problem to the Capitol
and the late Senator Joseph T. Rob-
anson, after first getting permission
for such an unusual step from the
State Department. Senator Robinson
escorted him to the floor Of the Sen
ate. Senator Arthur Robinson, Re-
publican, Of Indiana, irked by the
lpresencs Of Great Britain's representa-
tive In q United States congressional
chamber. condemned the action loudly
and threatened to make IN incident
ct the matter.
Sir Ronald is tall, stately, heavy set
sasd mustached. He entertains and
- entertained on magnificent scale in
season (November to ApriD. He gives
Tour dinners q week and dimes out
three times 4 week. Such social &C.