Evening star., 1939-09-03

ing for the Roundtable He became
editor of that periodical in 1910 His
liberalism was colored by polite inter-
est in socialism. His associates in the
Liberal party were young men of good
family and means.
When, in 1916, Lloyd George became
Prime Minister of the wartime coalition
government, Kerr was one of his Sec
retaries. He continued through the
duration of the war to advise Lloyd
George on foreign affairs. He was, in
a sense, the Col House of the British
cabinet, performing very much the same
function as Woodrow Wilson's inti-
mate adviser.
Part in Versailles.
His influence on the course of the war
in the last year was great. But the part
that he played in framing the peace of
Versailles was far more important He
is generally credited with having drafted
more sections of the Versailles treaty
than any other single individual
His activities in connection with the
Rhodes scholarships began in the 20s
In 1929 he toured the United States
with Gen. Smuts. From 1881 to 1882
he was parliamentary undersecretary for
India and ever since has maintained an
interest in Indian affairs. More recently
he has been governor of the Bank of
Scotland
But for all this experience and back
ground qualifying him to represent his
country in America-his first diplomatic
assignment-there were nevertheless pro-
tests when his appointment was made
known. These protests grew out of his
close association with the group of
titled and influential men and women
known as the Cliveden set.
Thomas Kennedy, Scottish Laborite
member of Parliament, protested because
of what he said were Lothian's pro
German sympathies and tendencies. -
Prime Minister Chamberlain declined to
answer this protest on the floor and
merely sent Kennedy letter in which
he gave his opinion that the charges were
without foundation.
1t was in 1885 that he had a private
interview with Hitler (similar to an
interview with Stain in 193D. Return
ing to London he showed that he had
been very much impressed by the Ger
man Fuehrer. He called him publicly
"a prophetic type of man" who earn
estly desires peace" 1t is a safe as
sumption that Lord Lothian has lived
to regret those words. Asked about this
earlier view of Hitler when he arrived
in New York on Tuesday, he merely
grinned.
Visited Cliveden Often.
During the early period of the Hitler
dictatorship Lothian was frequently at
Cliveden, the country estate of Lord
Astor and his American-born wife. Pos
sessing far more brains than most OF the
members of this aristocratic set, Lothian
is generally thought to have taken a
leading part in the discussions at
Cliveden. The "Cliveden Set" as a pro-
Hitler faction came in for denunciation
by Lothian, however, as Communist
inspired
Since that time Lothian has taken
oCSCI al OppOl tuIAGlcS W uldkc ClcdT Ills
changed point of view. In April of this
year, shortly before his appointment was
announced, he spoke at Citizens Service
League luncheon in favor of compulsory
military CONSUMPTION for Britain as a
means of meeting the threat of the die
tator nations.
One thing is certain and that is that
Lord Lothian will bring about many
changes in the atmosphere of the big
Embassy on Massachusetts, avenue. His
predecessor, Sir Ronald Lindsay, who
sailed for home last week, is a foreign
Office career man who believed in ortho-
dox diplomacy. Shy and retiring, Lind
say rarely moved outside the conven-
tional orbit. While he was respected at
the State Department and among diplo-
mats. he made little impression on the
country itself. Lindsay and his Ameri-
can-born wife had very restricted circle
Of friends and when they proposed in
viting only those friends to meet the
King and Queen last June they aroused
American indignation.