The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1943-01-15
. Clapper
Flynn Case Makes
Clipper Spuffer
Says President OUGHT
10 Know Better
Australia No Place
To Bury Politician
Tieklish Situation
Needs Big Man
ny RAYMOND CLAPPER

by RAYMOND CLAPPER
WASHINGTON In this L
Flynn case. / find myself sput
tering not 50 much at Flynn a
At Roosevelt. He's the one VIII
ougm to know better. and doe
know better.
1 don't believe the gossip
that the president wanted a
trusted politician In Australia
% keep m eye on General
macarthur and watch for
anything that looked like
1874 presidential politics. Ed
fynn wanted 10 be an am
hassedor and Mr.. Roosevelt
undertook TO make him one.
1t h not surprising that Ed
Flynn wanted a diplomatic post
he was eager to take almost any
one that the president would Of
Ter. Mr.. Flynn has been beaten
around in the paving block affair.
His stretch as chairman of the
Democratic national committee
was marred by the constant reit-
GRAFTON of the charges despite the
fact that two grand juries con-
sidered them and returned no in
dictments.
Quite understandable Mr.. Flynn
wanted the kind OF vindication
and prestige that come from a
diplomatic appointment. II would
mean lot to his family.
Diplomatic life carries a CLAM
our of distinction, or so the NOV
les would lead one to think. The
New York politician wears a
morning coat and high hat on
special occasions, and he looks
with awe on a craft in which.
the movies suggest, such are the
working clothes. II was the
most natural thing in the world
thaf Ed Flynn should ask the
president to fix him up with a
Naf<ohAnhiI Jul.
But 1t Is difficult to under
stand why Mr.. Roosevelt should
send Mr.. Flynn to Australia.
True, our minister there is an old
career man. Nelson johnson, who
has been in the foreign service
30 years and is ready to retire.
But Australia In . ticklish
spot right now. The govern
ment there hangs on by .
majority Of one. II is anti
Churchill. Australian politi-
clans play = game of COM
planning frequently about In
adequate aid from the United
States. There have been
strikes and other instances
where the cooperation was
not all that was wished.
General Macarthur has con-
Quoted himself with discretion in
q most delicate situation, when
II would have been so easy for
such a spectacular figure to
stick his neck out to the disad-
vantage of our mutual interests.
Mr.. Flynn himself broke the pro-
prieties to announce his own
prospective nomination. That is
IN itself sufficient indication
that he is likely to have trouble
finding his way around in such a
delicate and complicated situa-
ton as exists in Australia.
And il is unwise anyhow to be
using the diplomatic field as a
place for burying politicians. es-
pecially now when our relations
with other governments are be-
coming more complex than they
ever have been. We are enter
ing a new period in our foreign
relations and we shall need the
very best technicians at all con-
tact points.
/ don't subscribe to the idea
that no layman should be APP
pointed to diplomatic posts and
that everything should y left in
the hands of career men. The
professionals are needed in all
missions TO handle the technical
work. But sometimes they are
too restricted in their interests.
and lacking in that political sense
or feeling for the forces that may
be surging around them.
Almost invariably they are tied
In with the reactionary groups
wherever they may be, because
they play with rich people. and
they are apt to be toadies. Yet
a man like Joseph z. Davies. a
fllthy-rich capitalist, can go into
Communist Russia as ambassa-
dor and get on better than anyone
else we ever had there. He had
q shrewd judgment on what was
going on. He sensed the things
that career men sometimes muff.
So the argument against Mr..
Flynn isn't that nobody but ca
reer foreign-service men should
be appointed TO be heads of mis-
sions- The point is that when
You shove layman into one of
those spots he ought TO be very.
very good indeed. a man of dis
unct achievement and one COM
manding respect in his own field
"A man like Governor Lehman,
for instance, who is better equip
ped TO do the relief and rehabili-
tation work than any career for
eign-service officer.