The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-05-05
Michigan in
Washington
BY Esther Van Wagner Tufty

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The President will soon appoint
a new minister TO Canada. The post
has been four months vacant caused
by the death of Jay Pierrepont MOT
fat and there is need for an
immediate appointment.
Some so names have been for
warded. On the list is ]. Lee Bar
rett. OF Detroit, who has long been
concerned with the betterment OF
Canadian.Americap relations. He is
well-known in Canada and in many
states outside his native Michigan
for his activities in tourist, avia.
ton, and boating endeavors. Some
OF his posts have taken him all
over the world.
He has many influential Cana
dian friends who would be delighted
with his selection, although. OF
course, that is secondary to pleas
ing Washington.
To please the Washington pow
ers'that-be will not be easy for the
Detroit man. because his politics
are not identified with those OF the
Administration. Actually he is
more non.political than partisan.
But the diplomatic post involves
many matters with political ramlii.
cations. The fiasco OF the utter
ances OF one former Canadian min.
lister, James II. Cromwell, have not
been forgotten on either side OF the
international boundary.
Any minister these days must re
fleet the White House foreign poll
cy that's paramount.
Mr.. Barrett, realizing the hurdles
he must take, is making the willy
suggestion OF naming him acting"
minister to offset any risk the Ad-
ministrstion night fear.
He has two advantages the
State Department has no career
man in line for this Particular post.
Also. he has made favorable i'm
pressions on certain State Depart
ment officials, who haven't forgot.
ten II was he who arranged the un-
yelling OF peace monument to the
friendship OF Canada and the Unit
ed States in Detroit on Armistice
Day in 1871.
Others, more or less facetiously
remark that at least, he's one man
from the Middle West who looks
comfortable in morning coat and
topper" Well that helps.
Three Michigan women are In
Washington this week to participate
in inner circle" discussions OF the
League OF Women Voters. only the
members OF the Board OF Direc.
tors, the President, Miss Margue-
rite Wells. and representative
from all the states will meet.
Michigan delegates 10 the Bien-
NAL General Council are Mrs.
James A. Starr Grand Rapids, pres
ident OF the Michigan League of
Women Voters and a member OF
the national board OF directors. Mrs.
c. w. Muehlberger, East Lansing,
and Mrs. Winford Greiling, De.
troit.
Senior Senator Arthur n. Van
denberg, and his Junior colleague,
Homer d. Ferguson, were among
the special guests" at Pennsylva-
MIA Central Airlines' 10th anniyer-
sary banquet. Another Michigan 10
Washington guest was Robert j.
Wilson, OF Grand Rapids, a Pea
vice president.
They heard President c. Bedell
Monro stick pin in ayiation's bal
loon when he told fellow air execu.
tiyes that aviation must come out
OF the clouds and do some postwar
thinking il It intends to survive.
The youthful executive called
upon the aviation industry TO stop
its "day-dreaming" and formulate
a definite postwar program which
would encourage private flying,
lowering OF passenger and cargo
rates, and the return OF Army trans
port operations to commercial pro-
jects.