Evening star., 1941-02-16
Nelson T. Johnson's Career
Is Success Story in Real Life
Envoy to Australia
Was Assigned to His
First Post at 1o
By JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

NClSOll uSlCl W1lOSC
appointment as Minister to Aus
tralia has just been confirmed by
the Senate, is an example of an
American boys success story in real
life that is the rival of any In
| fiction.
This distinguished foreign service
officer of our United States State
Department, for whom the express
sion career diplomat" might have
been coined, can be proudly claimed,
| too, as one of Washington's very
own, who has made good at home
| and abroad.
Not only was he born here. but
he is the product of the Friends
School and George Washington
University.
August IS years ago found Nelson
Johnson at 10 the youngest in a
competitive group of several hundred
college youths from all over the
United States, who we're being eval-
uated for the foreign service by
Government experts under the di-
rection of Elihu Root, then Secretary
of State.
He was one of the IS chosen from
the entire number to receive ap-
pointments from the State Depart
ment as foreign service officers.
Shortly thereafter he found him.
self with a S1000-a-year salary en-
route to the Orient as language stu
dent assigned to China. Nelson
johnson was on the first rung OF
the ladder upon which he has
climbed to the first United States
Ambassador to the Republic OF
China, with no other influence than
his own attainments and his out
standing service to his country.
Authority on the Orient.
From the very first day of his
appointment to our foreign service
he has made a point of living upon
his salary, no inconsiderable feat
in itself.
Fifty-four years old next April 3,
he is recognized as a world au-
thority on Far Eastern affairs Each
step upward upon his way of sue
cess has been a reward for service
rendered.
While Consul General at large in
a tour of inspection of Eastern
Asia, he became the man of the
hour during the earthquake in
Japan in 1923, when the American
Consul at Yokohama was killed in
the general devastation. When sum-
moned to the rescue by our State
Department, with that quiet, sure
effectiveness for which he is noted,
he set up almost Immediately tent
colony for the American residents
and others in need of assistance,
with the aid of Admiral Badger, his
boyhood friend who was then in
command of the United States Fleet
in Asiatic waters. He also assumed
charge of the distribution of Red
Cross supplies and Of the burylng
of American dead until the proper
civil authorities could take over.
His appointment as an Assistant
Secretary of State in 1927 was espe-
cially significant in itself, because
he was one of the first of the con-
sular officers to be appointed to
this position.
Genial and jovial, he is fond of
people but famous for his ability
to parry a question which he does
not feel should be answered, with
a humorous story, often at his own
expense. Many times he quotes an
old Chinese parable to similar ef-
feet. He knows and speaks both
modern and classical Chinese with
ease and has sat at conference ta-
bles with the great Chinese lead
ers of his time. Despite his long
soiourn in the Orient he is intense
" American in his viewpoint.
Received Honorary Degree.
During the past quarter Of a CEN
turv he has sat upon some OF the
hottest spots in our international
rela tionships in the Far East and
met the gruelling strain of duty that
has many times averaged l8 hours
dav for weeks in succession. Yet 1t
is said of him, He smiles through
his worst dilemmas and never loses
his sense of perspective nor his
basic understanding of human ma
ture.'
During the bi-centennial observ-
ance of the birth of George WASH
ington, on February %, 1882, the
university which bears his name
here bestowed upon its one-tlme
student, in absentio, its honorary
degree of doctor of laws in lieu OF
the diploma he did not receive in
course because he left its class
rooms to study the Orient under
State Department auspices.
On February %, 1889, George
washington University again hon
ored Nelson johnson when Presl-
dent Cloyd H. Marvin upon its be-
half made him the recipient OF ITS
alumni award "for helpful counsel
in governmental affairs during these
war-torn days in China"
The marriage Of Nelson Johnson
to Jane Beck, granddaughter OF
United States Senator James Burnle
Beck of Kentucky and daughter OF
George Washington Thornton Beck
of Cody, Wyo., whose mother was
a niece of George Washington, was
the elimination of a real romance.
Their families had long been lntl-
mate friends, but the two did not
meet until 1925. In the meantime,
his future wife attended Miss Ma
lz1