The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-01-01

don administration did pick.
I mention the Canadians be-
cause, though not English, they're
Britons: so Lord Halifax is their
ambassador as well as their par
ent islands. Consequently they're
entitled TO an opinion concerning
his qualifications for duty in this
country.
Except for those in diplomatic
capacities. about the only literal
Englishman in Washington is Sir
Willmott Lewis. correspondent OF
the London Times, and Sir Will
mott verges so closely on being a
diplomat himself that he's mighty
careful how he expresses himself
for publication in the United
States. AS for the sure-enough
British diplomats of sub-ambassa-
dorial rank, they're going to have
to serve under the incoming Wis
count; naturally they can't afford
to criticize him adversely. even If
they feel like II. However, there
a stable swarm of Canuck scribes
in our midst, reporting TO their
home papers as to our Yankee pol
icies relative to the war situation.
These chaps are very laxative;
therefore quotable.
They didn't overly like Lord Lo-
THAN. They referred to him as a
Tory aristocrat and an appeaser
until after Herr Hitler actually had
taken the warpath. Still, they adj
mitted that he was an able fixer
in John Bulls interest, that he had
a most attractive personality, and
that he. thoroughly understood
America and how to get along with
us admirably.
Preferred a Commoner
When he died they said he was
a capital loss. Nevertheless, they
were prompt to voice the hope that
an appointee Of an altogether diff
ferent type would be named to fol-
low him. They wanted, not an am
bassador with a lofty title, but
commoner preferably, nothing
more than a baronet. anyway.
They suggested labor party MEM
Der as an ideal selection. They add.
ed that he ought to be someone
with no past appeasement aroma
still clinging around him. They
likewise insisted that he should be
an excellent mixer. like Lord Lo-
THAN
Well, they got Lord Halifax.
He's another aristocrat,. and a
conservative if not an outright
Tory. He was an appeaser until
after the Munich incident. He new
er was in the United States in his
life. The Canucks doubt that he'll
prove to be a first-rate fixer. They
concede that this may not greatly
matter. Americans having now be-
come so strongly pro-Brtish that
further fixing may be unnecessary.
Nevertheless. gloonily comment
the Canadians. if any unfortunate
unhxing can be done, they suspect
that his new lordship will manage
to do it, for he has the reputation
Of being a grumpily superior indi-
vidual, utterly lacking in Lord Lo-
thian's fare for affable sociability.
In one sense his appointment
was something of a compliment to
Uncle Sam. He was Lordon's min
lister of foreign affairs when as
signed to Washington. Ordinarily a
cabinet post rates as above mere
ambassadorship. This time, though,
Prime Minister Churchill seems TO
have considered Washington so I'M
portant as to rate better than a
cabinet portfolio, which possibly is
supposed TO be fattering to US.
Yet, even at that. maybe Win
ston merely wished to get his lord
ship off his hands in London. Or.
If the change is to be regarded as
a promotion, the Canadians sur
mise that Winston was bulldozed
into making it by his ultra-con-
sentative parliamentary element.
There's one modifying consider
alton