Evening star., 1946-05-12
Washington Diplomats
He Did What Nobody Thoug ght He Could Do

This Is the second In series of
pen portraits OF Wnshtngton's diplo-
matte personnel, Ur1tten by NetDbold
Noyes, jr., and drdWn by Ne,pnlnn
Sudduth. Others in the series will
appear in the feature pages of The
Sunday Star from time to time.
BY Newbold Noyes, Jr.
~N A pouring rain, more than five
years ago, tall. thin, awkward
man disembarked at Annapolis
Roads. Md, from the great new
battleship King George v, to take up
the function of British Ambassador to
the United States. Wearing a black
bowler hat, he carried an umbrella, a
gas mask and one Of those absurd
London tin helmets.
His official sendoff from Britain had
been unprecedented, as was the official
reception here. Winston Churchill had
said the mission was. las momentous as
any that the monarchy has intrusted
to an Englishman in the lifetime of
the oldest of U.S." The late President
Roosevelt himself drove down to greet
and bring back to Washington this
envoy whom the Prime Minister called
"a man of light and learning whose
company is treat and whose friend
ship it Is an honor to enjoy"
Most Americans, not least the pro-
British, were unconvinced. The figure
he cut on his arrival in this country
seemed highly symbolic. The umbrella
branded the newcomer as a relic Of
the Chamberlain era Of appeasemcnt,
muddling through and the Cliveden set.
The bowler, the gas mask and the tin
hat confirmed that he was a stuffy
man with no sense of humor, in the
worst British tradition.
They Did Not Think He Would
Appeal to the People
His strongest boosters were resigned
to the idea that Edward Frederick Lind
ley Wood, first Earl of Halifax, never
would be really popular Ambassador
of the type of Lord Lothian, his prede-
cessor in Washington. He was they felt
sure. not the type to appeal to the
people. The best they hoped for. they
admit today was that he would get
along with key people here-men in
high places. They kept telling them
selves that whatever his shortcomings
Lord Halifax had proved himself a dis
tinguished practitioner of international
affairs.
The shy, courtly peer with the with
cred left arm faced American reporters,
concerning whom che later said he had
received such hair-raising warnings that
he viewed them with something very
close to terror, and he gave them his
soft-spoken conception of the job Brit
ain had handed him: ITO make known
to the Government and the people of
the United States from time to time in
what ways, If they are willing, they can
best give us the help we need +.
quickly"
Then he plunged into a series of con-
ferences with President Roosevelt. Six
weeks later, on March II, the first in
stallments Of the help we need d.
quickly were ready to start on their
way to besieged England. Lease-lend
had become a reality.
"A Fund of Tact and Patience
And Wise Willingness
1t is impossible to estimate how much
credit is owing to Lord Halifax PERSONAL
ly for the consummation of lease-lend.
Undoubtedly he contributed much; SO
did others. 1t is that way throughout
his career as Ambassador here. After
lease-lend, the negotiations in which he
took the greatest part were those at
Dumbarton Oaks on international Or
ganiZation and, in Washington, on the
proposed American loan to Britain. He
always contributed to such discussions
a fund of tact and patience, and wise
willingness to consider the point of view
of the man across the table. On the
level of tactical diplomacy and states
manship, American officials who dealt
with him consider him "a good Ambas-
sador as Ambassadors 60" But there is
no single great, tangible accomplish
ment, on that level, with which he alone
is credited. 1t is the nature OF things,
in modern diplomacy, that there could
not have been one.
Those who watched him most closely
u D.1