The Campbell Is Coming

Winston Churchill last week made it evident that he intended to put British relations with the U. S. on a new and highly significant basis.

Probably no other British consul ever became as popular in Philadelphia, San Francisco and Manhattan as did ruddy Sir Gerald Campbell, whose after-dinner stories have made hundreds of prominent U. S. businessmen slap their thighs. Canny Winston Churchill, having already picked Viscount Halifax as Ambassador to the U. S., last week plucked ebullient Sir Gerald from Ottawa, where he has lately been serving as High Commissioner* for the Mother Country, and assigned him to Washington--obviously as the perfect foil to austere, pallid, pious Lord Halifax.

Sir Gerald's job will be to exchange humorous remarks with Franklin Roosevelt and do much of the important work that ordinarily falls to the British Ambassador. The industrious Viscount, who will go to the U. S. taking as his confidential adviser Sir Charles Peake, head of the British Foreign Office News Department, will apply himself to learning the ropes of Washington and act as a sort of super-Ambassador. Sir Gerald was given the rank of senior British Minister to Washington. A junior British Minister was also appointed in the knowing person of Mr. Nevile Butler, able Counselor in Washington of the British Embassy.

Britain will now have two Ministers, the senior practically holding down the ordinary job of Ambassador, plus an Ambassador (Halifax) who retains his Cabinet rank. In effect, Britain is thus stationing a member of her Cabinet in Washington with the sole job of looking after relations with the U. S.

Some of Minister Sir Gerald Campbell's famed quips:

> Of dollar devaluation: "The motto 'In God We Trust' on the dollar should be changed to 'I Hope That My Redeemer Liveth.' "

> Fed up after listening for years to the after-dinner prattle of inept speakers about how wonderful it is that the U. S.Canadian frontier is unfortified, Sir Gerald said he would like to "sneak up there some time and plant just a tiny cannon on the border."

> "We elders boast that we are making the world safe for our children. What a pity it is that birth control could not be made retroactive!"

* The High Commissioner is a diplomatic officer, represents Britain when she deals with her dominion as a colleague. The Governor General is an alter ego of the King, represents Britain when she deals with her dominion as a sovereign.

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