Evening star., 1942-03-29
Grips, APOSTLE of independence
Faith Shrewdness Political Skill Qualify Him for India Job

rated him Impractical, a fool. In 1899
he was formally expelled from his party.
After his stay in India, Sir Stafford
went to Burma There he met W. H.
Donald, adviser to Chang Kai-shek, who
came to invite Cripps to Chungking.
Cripps had series of conferences with
the Chinese leader in the beleaguered
capital. 1t was then that he met the
Soviet Ambassador to China, who re-
ported to Moscow Grips expressed belief
that soon or late Russia and Britain
would be fighting together against Nazi
Germany.
Rank Remanded by Soviet.
This made him acceptable as British
Ambassador to the Kremlin at a time
when Stain was still suspicious of all
things out of England. He arrived back
In London in April of 1910 at the be-
ginning Of the staggering German sue
cesses which seemed to spell the end of
Britains power. On May 25 it was
known he had been chosen to head a
trade mission to Moscow. Three days
later he set off by plane to his new as
signment, going by way OF Rome and
Athens. Reaching Athens, he was baked
by the Soviets who said they would deal
only through an accredited ambassador
A few days later Grips appointment as
ambassador, to succeed Sir William
Seeds, who had left Moscow in January,
was announced.
"Of all the various occupations I
thought might follow, that of ambas-
sador was never among them," Cripps
is said to have remarked to a fellow
diplomat shortly after his arrival in
Moscow. when any one addresses me
as Your Excellency,' 1 involuntarily
glance over my shoulder to see whether
some excellency Is standing behind me-"
The story of his struggle to convince
Stain of the eventual need for collabora-
tion with Britain will be told, if it is told
at all, only in Sir Stafford's memoirs In
confidential letters that went out to
friends in the diplomatic pouch he in
dicated from time to time that he felt
he was up against stone wall. Now
and then he gave vent to his sense of
depression in cold and lonely Moscow.
BuC he never gave up.
Gain Political Maturity.
Just before the German attack on
Russia, last June 81. Cripps flew to
London for consultation" He was in
London at the time of the attack but
returned hastily to Moscow. At the head
of a greatly expanded military mission,
Cripps signed pact of collaboration
with Stain, pledging the two countries
to work together to defeat the Nazis
When he retired from his post and
returned to England, his friends and
associates saw a change in him. Many
of them had judged him tactless,
opinionated or even fanatic, impatient
Now, as J. B. Priestly, British author, put
it in recent broadcast, he seemed to
have won through to political maturity,
showing TO the world a new patience
and wisdom. Back in London, he might
opposition in Commons. thereby ad-
vancing his own political career. In
stead he accepted the tough job of
leader in the House of Commons, which
means he must stand up to the criticism
that is heaped on the government.
What is more, he agreed to take on
the vast problem of India On his new
mission he will need all the patience,
all the tact, all the maturity he can
possibly muster. And if he is successful,
he will have to his credit an achievement
that will put him in the very top flight
of British leadership. He may even be
in line. as some have predicted from
London, for the highest Office in the
gift of the British people.