The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-12-12
Observations
Capital Stirred
by Resignation
of Pat Hurley

Fortify a bold Irishman with data
gathered by first.hsnd experience
and you have a war likely TO blast
the foundations from a citadel. Let
a dauntless fellow such as Patrick
J Hurley, Just exploded out Of the
United states ambassadOrship 10
China, spring into Washington
international arena. with a port
folio Of challenges under his arm.
and you think volcano has erupt
ed.
The violent resignation OF Gen
eral Hurley, once Secretary OF War,
rowing United States ambassador
10 many difficult foreign spots be
fore he went 10 china, and referred
10 as the atom bomb OF diploma
cy", is reported 70 have so shaken
Official Washington that the seismo-
graph at Georgetown University IS
lettering on the earthquake reg
lister.
Naturally you can't help but say.
knowing the man as you do from
his past records, There goes Pat
at other times has laughing him on
been the answer 10 a Hurley eX-
plosion.
Indeed. most OF the former and
present ambassadors you meet
around town. today say, when you
poster them into honesty: There's
a lot OF truth in what Pat says. !,
myself had a couple OF expert
ences that.
General Hurley will come
through this battle either a great
crusader and hero or a target for
criticism. There's always a thin
line between diplomatic success
and failure.
At the moment, Pat is like a
priIehghter who has thrown up the
sponge. It's time TO call in the
referee. I've a bunch the referee
will give a decision in General Hur-
ley's favor For even this battling
Irishman would't take a risk with
out evidence to support his de-
nunciations.
And so President Truman called
in the Army, in the person OF
George c. Marshall, TO take over
the United States-China stew.
CNDERSECRETARY SPRCILLE
BRADEN. who might have been
called The Atom Bomb OF Latin
American Diplomacy" at the time
he resigned from the ambassador
ship to Argentina with the flourish
OF rifle shots and drums, lunched
with General Hurley at the Army
and Navy Club shortly before Gen.
eral Hurley charged the diplomacy
brigade. After lunch, the two
gentlemen walked across Lafayette
Square past the old people feeding
pigeons and the lovers on the
benches. Mr.. Braden said Mr.. Hur-
ley didn't mention q syllable OF
what he was about to do. But he
did seem q little preoccupied, al
most glum."
Still on the diplomatic theme,
there's that story which hope has
not been printed too many times,
about the toast Winston Churchill
gave at one OF the famous Potsdam
dinners. With twinkling elo-
Quence the then prime minister OF
England raised his glass to: His
majesty's most loyal opposition"
Everyone present through Mr..
Churchill was referring to Clement
Attiee. Everyone present arose
and bowed TO the then leader or
the Labor party.
A few days later, Mr.. Churchill
was defeated at the elections by
Mr. .Attlee. Looking back. certain
guests at the Potsda-l dinner TO
membersd a particular chuckling
laugh OF Mr.. Churchill as he was
about TO toss of the glass OF cham.
payne. One guest swears he whis-
pered, II might be drinking TO my
self"
HEAR MUCH TALK IN ship
building circles in Washington
about Andrew J. Higgins and the
reason he closed his New Orleans
plants. II was more than dissatis-
faction with labor that influenced |
Higgins to shut up shop.
Higgins, so people who have
dealt with him say, Is a sort OF
idealist. An idealist with a tight
hold on the pocketbook, perhaps,
but still an idealist. He believed !
in the men who worked for him. |
His great pride was his men liked
him. He liked them. There was Z
a warm personal relation between
workers and boss.
Higgins believed devoutly that he |
was as much beloved by his men as
they were beloved by him. And
when they went back on him, BY
striking and other shenanlgans, Il
practically broke his heart. He
felt he had been injured personally. |
He couldn't stand the disappolnt.
ment. What's the use OF anything.
Why struggle?" he said IN effect.
And gave up.
Kalamazoo Mich ApA ntr