Evening star., 1941-08-14
Beuverbrook
Continued From First Page.)

exploration include both technical
and high political matters.
In the latter field, the problem
! has risen whether Russia will share
in leaSe-lend assistance. Both Rus
sia and the United States up to now
have emphasized that Russia is buy
ing for cash and has plenty of cash,
but the point will come soon. if the
flow of aid to Russia is large and
steady, when Russia won't have
cash.
Russian participation in the lease
| lend privilege is matter close to
British policy. What Russia gets,
Britain doesn't get. The President is
expected soon to ask Congress for
new lease-lend appropriation, and
it would not surprise Washington If
Mr.. Roosevelt in his lease-lend mes
sage made references to Russia.
A decision on the part of Great
Britain and the United States to
increase the flow of supplies to
Russia would amount in a left
handed way to new diplomatic
blow at Japan, which has expressed
apprehension about the American
policy of assisting Russia.
Improve Output of Tanks.
In speculation during the week on
what Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr..
Churchill might be talking about,
the thought that they could be de-
developing firm policy toward
Japan was often expressed.
In the technical field, the British
would like an improvement in the
American output of tanks, and Lord
Beagerhrook, Who xShoMna hiraz
self a. genius in England sfifssp at
stepping up plane and then at
stepping up tank production, is ex-
pected to offer suggestions in that
matter.
Prospects of an English invasion
offs the European continent are.
looked upon as poor until the Eng
lish Army has heavy motorized
ornaments including a good supply
of tanks
1ilC flSiJ VI otdfCl III OCh Will
bring to Washington one of the
most colorful characters in the
whole array of British offlcialdom
He is go-getter-known in London
as the Busy B."
HOratio Alger Career.
He is an Horatio Alger boy from
the Western Hemisphere. He was
born in Canada in the poor min
ister's family of Aitken. His name
was William Maxwell Aitken. At
20 he had no prospects and only
a bare education. At 80 he was a
millionaire.
He was born May 25, 1879, in On
tario. He was knighted in 1911. a
year after he left Canada for Eng
land. He built his fortune on the
utilities business, electric light and
power.
The day Germany went to war in
1914, Max Aitken and Winston
Churchill were playing bridge in
London. The two men have always
been close
Aitken, elevated to the peerage In
1916, became a great influence in
England after the World War
through his two big London papers,
the Express and the Standard.
Possible Churchill Successor.
Lord Beaverbrook holds that many
of England's present fiscal problems
are due to the United States. He
wrote an article in the Standard
January s. 1910. stating that the
agreement of 1923 by which England
agreed to pay its war debt in gold
to the United States forced Eng
land off the gold standard.
In May, 1910, few days before
Neville Chamberlain resigned as
Prime Minister, Beaverbrook was
taken into the cabinet as Minister
for Production.
Winston Churchill kept him on
in that job and May 2 of this year
named him Minister of State with
virtual dictator's powers over Brit
aims wartime industry.
He has been mentioned as a DOS
sible successor to Churchill in the
Prime Minister'S post if anything
should happen to the latter.