Evening star., 1952-07-29
The Stevenson Story
Governor Was Early Worker
For Wider u. S. Role Abroad
The Stevenson Story
BY Roger T. Lone
Associated Press Stoff Writer


By Roger F. Lone
Associated Press stotf Writer
SPRINGFIELD. ILL.,, July a.
When he returned to Washington
in 1941, Adlai Stevenson already
has acquired a vision Of America 8
place in the shrinking. strife
ridden world.
His knowledge Of international
relations grew in succeeding years,
until eventually he assisted in the
birth of the United Nations and
participated in its first and sec
Ond general assemblys.
BY the middle 1940s, Gov. Stew
enson was working on foreign poll
cy problems with the late Senator
Arthur Vandenberg, John Foster
Dulles and Senator Tom Connally.
all far better known then to the
public.
His original interest in the sub
ject probably Sprang from boy
hood travels with his family in
Europe and his experiences in 1925
on q tour of the Near East and
Russia.
Swims Against Tide.
It ripened in the 1930s as a
member, and finally president. of
the Chicago Council on Foreign
Relations. The council welcomed
foreign diplomats, debated their
pronouncements and weighed pos
sible effects on the United States
Of far away events.
It's discussions-and Gov. Ste
venSon's voice-were out Of har-|
mony with the predominant senti-
ments of a city whose mayor once
threatened to bust King George
of England in the "Snoot" and
which became a stronghold Of the
America First movement.
Gov. Stevenson'S willingness toI
swim against the tide gave al
glimpse of a characteristic that
reappeared in the Alger Hiss case
and in some unpopular acts as
Governor of Illinois.
He held reSolutely to his foreign
policy views. In 1910 after Adolpf
Hitler's Panzers sliced through
Northern France to Paris, he be-
came Chicago chairman Of the
William Allen White Committee to
Defend America by Aiding the
Allies.
Assistant to Frank Knox.
Gov. Stevenson returned to
Washington as special assistant
to Navy Secretary Frank Knox,
one Of two Republicans then in
President Roosevelt's cabinet.
Secretary Knox put him to work
laying legal groundwork for seiZ-
ure of struck shipyards atl
Kearney, N. j. The machinery he
devised served as a pattern for 60
subsequent seizures.
After Japan's December Z,
1941, strige against Pearl Harbor
plunged the United States into
World War II, Gov. Stevenson was
dispatched to the Caribbean area
and the Panama Canal Zone to-
gather information on defenseI
preparations.
Next, he accompanied Secretary
Knox and high Navy officers onI
a tollr of the Nations baStiOnS in
the Pacific.
Further wartime travels lay|
ahead. Before he was through. heI
visited Algeria, Tunis and Aiberiai
in Africa, and Italy. France. Eng
land, Belgium, Holland, Luxem-
bourg and Germany in Europe.
Heads Mission to Italy.
Perhaps his most important as
eignment was as chief Of foreign
economic administration mission
to Italy. Its purpose was to plan
for relief and rehabilitation Of the
liberated areas.
His report. covering agriculture,
industry, communications. cur
rency, transportation and import
problems, won commendation
from superiors in Washington as
o model document of its kind.
In Italy, Gov. Stevenson met
the man who eight years after
wards was to be his rival for the
preSidency-Gen. Dwight D. Els |
enhower.
The brief encounter occurred
in the corridor of a Naples Office |
building. Gen. Eisenhower asked
how things were going and Gov.
Stevenson said as well as could
be expected. That's all there was
to the exchange.
Secretary Knox died in April,
1914, and Gov. Stevenson resigned.
However, he undertook another
wartime assignment that fall,
serving on an Army air mission
to evaluate strategic bombing
damage in Germany.
In 1945 Gov. Stevenson moved
over few notches into the do
main Of diplomacy proper.
Called to u. N. Work.
The State Department, mindful
Of his growing experience, called
on him to help promote public
understanding of the forthcoming
United Nations conference at Sam
Francisco.
When the conference started,
press relations of the United
States delegation sagged and Gov.
Stevenson was given the job of
sprucing them up. He performed
creditably.
He served as deputy to former
Secretary Of State StettiniuS, whol
headed the United States dele
cation, at the United Nations pre-
paratory commission meeting in
London in the fall Of 1945. He
filled Secretary Stettinius' shoes
when the latter took sick.
He was Senior adviser" to the
United States delegation at the
first Gonnrol ASSnYohlxy of %Ioo