1937-11-13 — Page 8

HE CHINA MALL,

ZEMBER 13, 1937

Eton And British Foreign Policy:

ENIGMA OF DIPLOMACY

EVEN though Eton is by com Naturally,

bes

of the in Parliament after

resigna manent Und Secretary in 1980.

Sir Robert is the oldest of the mon consent England's pre permanent staff of the Foreign Of tion, he was careful to assume full mier school, it is a tribute to its fice, particularly Sir Robert as responsibility. He did not even band of old Etonians who run the formative abilities that the six their chief, have a profound in- refer to the fact that he had had Foreign Office, and his present "key" men of British foreign policy fluence on policy. They know all the benefit, or otherwise, of Sir chief, Mr. Anthony Eden, is the youngest. In some respects both of were all educated there. Britain's the moves in the game. They have Robert's advice.

An Opposition Labour member, them, however, have rather simi- diplomatic battles in fact, like weighed the pros and the cons.

gifts. Both in particular are Waterloo, are being won or lost And they assuredly have their own Mr. Ernest Thurtle, who was less lar

views as to the right course to cautious and referred scathingly excellent linguists. Mr. Eden grad- on the playing fields of Eton.

in Oriental languages, Mr. Anthony Eden, the Foreign adopt. But in the final resort it is to "Foreign Office experts," drew uated Secretary; Lord Halifax, who, as the Cabinet which directs, the ma down on himself a strong rebuke Arabic and Persian. Sir Robert, Lord Privy Seal, generally looks for strategy of the country's for from a fellow M.P., Cot. John Gret who, in the early days of his diplo after the Foreign Office when Mr eign policy, leaving to the Foreign ton. "We have been shocked," Co- matic career, spent two years at Eden is away, Lords Cranborne Secretary and the permanent heads lonel Gretton declared, by Mr. Teheran and six at Cairo, also has and Plymouth, Parliamentary Un of the Foreign Office the task of Thurtle's remarks, "because it has a first-hand acquaintance with der-Secretaries for Foreign Af deciding on the tactical moves by always been held in this country these languages. But he is much fairs; Sir Robert Vansittart, Per which the political objectives are as a constitutional maxim that the more at home in French and Ger-

përmanent officials are not res-man, particularly French. manent Under Secretary at the to be attained. Foreign Office since 1930, and the Nevertheless, during the wave ponsible for the policy of the Goy- Hon. Sir Alexander Cadogan, De of resentment that swept across erament. They give their advice puty Under-Secretary, who stands next to Sir Robert, are all old Eton- ians. If we like, we can add a seventh in the person of Mr. Hugh Dalton, who was Parliamentary

Cabinet of 1928-31.

By Godfrey Lias

in the "Christian Science Monitor”

#

It was not till the Versailles Peace Conference that Sir Robert dennitery came to the front as a candidate for the highest British honours in the diplomatic profes- sion.

After Versailles he was for Under-Secretary in the Labour England when the terms of the when they are asked for it, and

Hoare-Laval plan became known, they give the benefit of their long four years private secretary to The first four of this batch of the newspapers contained veiled experience to the Minister who Lord Curzon When the Labour prominent old Etonians received criticisms of Sir Robert for the comes into power, but they are not Party took office in 1923, Sir Ro- their appointments from Mr. Star- part he was supposed to have play responsible for the success or fail- best became an Assistant Under- ley (now Earl) Ealdwin, who hails ed in drafting the proposed settle ure of the policy of that Minister. Secretary at the Foreign Office and from the rival school, Harrow ment. "We must know,” asked one. We may conceive of Sir Robert, principar private secretary to Mr. They were confirmed in their posts of them, "how these proposals were therefore, as one whose primary Ramsay MacDonald. Two years later he moved to the top of the by Mr. Neville Chamberlain, who

conceived. What relations had task is to assemble all the argu- was at Rugby. The other Parlia- these final terms to the schemes ments for and against Great Bri- permanent officials, succeeding Sir mentarian of the septet, Mr. Dal prepared recently by the Foreign tain's adopting any given line of Ronald Lindsay, th present British ton, received preferment from Mr. Office experts of France and Bri- conduct in respect of any major Ambassador in Washington. Since Ramsay MacDonald, who was not tan?" Another newspaper spoke issue. He is there to give advice then, except for the brief interlude after the Hoare-Laval debacle at any of the so-called public of an elaborate long-continued both to his immediate chief, the schools. Sir Robert Vansittart conspiracy against the League" Foreign Secretary, and to the Ca- when he was on leave for several went to the head of his branch which it declared had been hatch- binet as a whole. It is its job to de months, Sir Robert has been in the Civil Service during the Fored in the Foreign Office.

cide whether or not his advice charge. eign Secretaryship of "Uncle" Ar-

shall be followed. Cabinet delibera- thus Henderson, a trade unionist.

It is true that Sir Robert actual tions are conducted in impenetr-

Wealthy as well as accomplish- ly accompanied Sir Samuel Hoare able secrecy, but it is a safe guessed, Sir Robert has been twice mar As to Sir Robert Vansittart and to Paris and was present during that Sir Robert's advice has been ried. His first wife was an Ameri- Sir Alexander Cadogan, these tw the discussions, But when Sir rejected on many more occasions men come as near to being rivals Samuel stood up to defend himself than one since he became. Per Heppenheimer: - his second, Eng-

32.

as is compatible with their exist- ing and cordial co-operation Nos. 1 and 2 of the British diplo matic service. Indeed, Sir Alexand- er was at one time earmarked as Sir Robert's successor. But at the moment the two men form a team: The combination of Sir Robert's brilliance and Sir Alexander's cau- tious. thoroughness is one about which lesser lights at the Foreign Office sometimes wax almost lyri- cal

THE

WORLD GOES BY By "ULYSSES"

ERE are some stränge stories of the bus passengers were hurled received from many parts of through the window of an under-

taker's establishment.

the world:-

into the fowl-yard

Here are two freakish lightning The present arrangement came stories, one from Poland and other about as a result of the temporary from America. eclipse of Sir Robert Vansittart

A bolt lightning struck the house after the failure of the Hoare-of a farmer named Kasprazak near Laval plan to dismember Ethiopia the village of Turostow in Poland. ine December, 1935. At that time. It burnt a hole in the window and Sir Alexander was in China as Bri-floor of the house and then flashed tish Minister. He was recalled to take over Sir Robert Vansittart's duties. But the final collapse of the sanctions policy before Sir Alex- ander had returned was accepted as the vindication of Sir Robert,;

At Thomson in Nebraska who came back from leave and re-(USA) lightning struck a fowl yard belonging to Mr. Charles permanent officials of the Foreign Sadil. It killed every chicken in it, Office, where he has remained ever. since, with Sir Alexander as his an even hundred of them. close collaborator

sumed his duties as head of the

Two chickens took refuge under their mother's wing. The chickens were killed outright. The hen was not injured.

A railway official was stung to death and four others seriously in jured by a swarm of wild been at Manbhum in Bihar.

The events of those strenuous months in 1935-36 when Italy and the League of Nations were at grips and the Hoare-Laval plan

The bees attacked the men while was suddenly sprung on a disturb ed world have given rise to a wide- they were riding in a trolley on an spread belief that Sir Robert Van, inspection trip between the rail sittart is the tail that wags the dog way stations of Bay and Hendigir. in the framing of British foreign The official died almost at once policy. But it cannot be too strong and the others were taken to hos ly stressed that responsibility for pitat in a serious condition. foreign policy does not belong A Grand Grignol story comes either to Sir Robert personally nor from Dorpat, Estonia.

the permant officials as a up, but to the Cabinet.

were

Two of the passengers found amongst the coffins-dead.

A two-year-old her belonging to Mr. Bryson Foster of Twin rim Untano, has gone Irish.

It has laid a dozen eggs with

bright green yolks and nas hen ranciers puzzled.

can, daughter of Gen. William C.

lish, the daughter of the late Mr. Herbert Ward, who lived in Paris. Through his second wife, Sir Bo- bert is thus connected by marriage with Sir Eric Phipps, who married · Lady Vansittart's sister and who, close co-operation with France is one which both of them cordially been transferred to Paris.

Both Sir Robert Vansittart and Sir Eric Phipps have a strong af- fection for France and the French, and it can be taken for granted that the present British policy tof close co-operation with France is one which both of them cordially approve.

Opinions will naturally differ as to

whether the adoption of this policy is the result of the per suasiveness of Sir Robert's tongue, or is the inescapable outcome of A petrined family," supposed the political and geographical to be under the black magic spew position in which Grat Britain is of gipsies is keeping the village or placed. What is undeniable is that Kooser (Hungary) in a state of ex-while Sir Robert has been Per- citement.

manent Under-Secretary, British A farmer named Bagor Demeter, foreign policy has always kept very his wite. his 25-year-old daughter close to that of France. and his 21-year-old son, have been in a cataleptic state for months ac- cording to the villagers.

Tall and with a face which inclined to look rather gloomy un- They stay in their house behind til he smiles, Sir Robert is one of locked doors, keeping perfectly the enigmas of diplomacy. Even still and speechless. The local John Gunther, author of "Inside evangelical priest managed to gain Europe, has no anecdotes to tell

mittance to the house and re-about him, ported that the family of four were inside like statues. He tried fruitlessly for an hour to mak them speak.

Perhaps the best clue to his charac- ter and the kind of regime Sir Ro- bert has established at the Foreign Office is to be found in the fact The villagers are convinced that that his juniors-universally know gipsies have "enchanted" the fami- him as "Van. Beyond that, it is ly and say that gipsy hags have in the best tradition of the English A motor bus filled with tourists been seen slinking into the house diplomatic

Twelve late at night..

be-silence

mot

all should