Evening star., 1941-01-21
.inant Is Expected
To Succeed Kennedy
As Envoy 10 Britain
Former New Hompshire
Governor Reported
Acceptable to Churchill

B> the Associated Press.
John G. Winant, one-time Repub-
lican Governor Of New Hampshire
and former chairman of the Social
Security Board, was reported au-
thoritatively today to be President
Roosevelt's choice to succeed Joseph
p. Kennedy as Ambassador to Great
Britain.
Informants close to the White
House said Mr.. Winant was accept
able to Prime Minister Churchill and
other British officials.
Mr.. Roosevelt, it was said, decided
Mr.. Winant had the respect of all
classes of people and would make an
ideal diplomat under the trying con-
ditions of war and postwar rehabili-
tation.
However, Stephen T. Early, secre-
tary to the President, today said he
had no knowledge Of the predicted
appointment of John G.. Winant as
Ambassador to Great Britain, add
ing that he does not even know
that he is being considered.
MIR. Kennedy, who rendered his
resignation some time ago, was re-
ported to have been informed Of Mr.
Winant's selection and to have ex-
pressed no objection.
Authoritative reports said the
President probably would send the
nomination to the Senate in the next
few days, and well-informed leaders
on Capitol Hill said there was little
doubt that he would be confirmed
promptly.
Tall and tousle- haired, Mr.. Wi
nant, who is now 81, was named as
first chairman of the Social Security
Board in 1885. He resigned during
the 1896 campaign to defend the
Social Security Act against the criti-
cism of Alf M. Landon then the Re-
publican presidential nominee.
Since that time Mr.. Winant has
been mentioned for various cabinet
posts He was elected director of
the League of Nations Interna-
tional Labor Office In 1893, receiving
% of a possible 80 votes and be-
coming the first American to hold
that position The labor ofice now
has its headquarters at Ottawa,
Canada.
Served in World War.
Although elected to the New
Hampshire Legislature in 1917, Mr..
Winant hardly took his seat before
leaving for Paris to enlist in the
first air squadron of the A. E. F.
He was honorably discharged as a
captain in 1919.
At 36 he was elected Governor of
New Hampshire, and then was the
youngest Governor in the country
He was reelected for a second and
third terms, but declined a fourth
on the ground that others should
have an opportunity to hold the Of
fee.
Long regarded as friend by
labor. Mr. Winant was mentioned
prominently among the lost OF pos
sible Republican presidential NOM
inees in 1886.
Despite disapproval by some of his
party colleagues. he was prompt to
lndorse President RooseveIt's N. r.
A. and to urge that its labor pro-
visions be made permanent.
No Word, Says Mrs. Winant.
AT her home in Concord. N. H..
Mrs. Winant said she had received
no word from her husband on his
possible appointment.
The former Governors wife said
that rumors have been current for
some time that he might be named
to the London post, but that there
had been no official confirmation.
Mr.. Winant, born in New York
City OF a wealthy family, was edu-
Gated at exclusive st. Pauls School
in Concord, N H., and at Princeton
University.
Early in his career, he expressed
his position on labor with the words:
Jungle warfare has no place in
modern industry, and the exploita-
ton Of workers has been a deep and
underlying cause Of our lack Of social
advance"
Mr.. Winant's New Hampshire
legislative accomplishments included
creation Of a State controllers Of
fice, modernization of State financial
records, and development Of q State
planning program.
He was instrumental in giving the
State a direct primary, and he set
up a State administered relief sys-
tenn which won praise from the Fed
eral Government.