Evening star., 1943-01-12

N2I xtOOoCVCAt Hi3S
has undertaken W -
to pay OF polit- M ~ d
ical obligations S sg
In the midst OF @sgY
the most critical
period Of history, @$Ss'
when interna- David Lawrence.
tional relations are delicate and the
Nation is asked to furnish to the
war effort its best energies. The
President has given away the post
Of Minister to Australia-a country
In the active theater Of war-to a
politician.
If the appointment Of Edward j.
Flynn was approved by the Depart
ment Of State, then the prestige Of
Secretary Hull and everybody con-
nected with the department must
necessarily suffer. If 1t wasn't ap-
proved by the Department of State,
then the President IS disregarding
the many years Of painstaking work
that has been done by men in the
diplomatic service to keep politics
out Of our foreign embassies.
1t has happened in peacetime, of
course, that Republican Presidents
have paid OF big campaign contri-
butors with diplomatic appoint
ments, but the New Dealers have
never been anxious to use precedents
of the wicked Republicans" to chart
their own course here. And in the
middle Of war, 1t is to be presumed
that political obligations are sub
ordinated to the Nations broader
interests such as, for instance, win
ming the war.
Able Diplomat Needed.
The matters at issue at this time
between the Australian Government
and the United States Government
are Of q delicate nature. There are
many people here who feel that
there should be q closer understand
ing between the two countries and
that the task Of bringing Australia
and America into better relation
ship is Of such delicacy that only
the ablest diplomat In America
should be chosen.
There are many diplomatic repre-
sentstives who are on the Govern
ment payroll already and are back
here because the countries to which
they were accredited have been con-
quered by the enemy in this war.
There is Ambassador Grew, for in
stance, who knows the Pacific situa-
ton intimately 1t Is puzzling that
the President shouldn't have selected
q man of Mr.. Crews Intellectual
stature and diplomatic experience to
60 to Australia.
The problems as between America
and Australia have, for reasons Of
forebearance, been touched upon
lightly by the press in the hope that
behind the scenes such things might
be worked out, but when Mr.. Flynn
is asked to 90 to Australia, the ap-
pointment is no compliment to the
great nation In the South Pacific.
Confidence Shaken.
It is not so much the man chosen,
but the attitude of the President
toward an important diplomatic ap-
pointment In the midst of war which
shakes confidence. There are al
together too many people in America
Who belonged to the isolationist
school Of thought before Pearl
Harbor and who think Mr. Roosevelt
Is more interested In third terms
and fourth terms and in personal
ambition than in keeping the war
effort free from all political taint.
These isolationists found their ranks
svelled in the last congressional
election by many who felt that the
President was not administering the
war restrictions on fair basis and
that there was too much special
privilege and too much politics in
his New Deal setup. These charges
now will be given added weight as
the anti administration elements
which do rot believe in Mr.. Roose-
velt's postwar program point to his
misuse of public power during the
war of proof of what might be ex-
pected afterward.
The biggest obstacle to national
unity has been the charge that the
present administration will seek to
use the war powers for political pur-
poses. Appointment of the Demo-
cratic national chairman to be Am
bassador to Australia with underlined
Jurisdiction, probably including other
areas, is good news for the opponents
Of American participation in post
war arrangements and bad news for
those who believe in an international
organization to maintain peace. 1t
Is not the kind of news that the
troops and sailors fighting for Amer
lea will understand. Politics-as-usual
Is not a good slogan for wartime,
and Mr.. Flynn would spare the
President much embarrassment If he
declined the appointment.
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