How to Puzzle Friends

With a month of solid achievement behind him, Big Ed Stettinius said so-long to his friends in London, climbed aboard a plane, headed south for Morocco. In minareted Marrakech, the Under Secretary of State met W. Averell Harriman, U.S. Ambassador to Moscow, and Robert Murphy, U.S. member of the Allied Advisory Council for Italy. To ex-Businessman Harriman, ex-Businessman Stettinius could give a businesslike report: in London he had pressured neutral traders with Germany (see p. 32), discussed armistice and postwar plans, sounded out the troublesome Poles and the dissatisfied French, unruffled British feathers, talked often and long with Soviet Ambassador to London Fedor Guseff. Presumably Ambassador Harriman would convey some of Under Secretary Stettinius' remarks to Joseph Stalin.

Big Ed made ready to fly home from French Africa. Back in London the Sunday Observer thought that he could be "reasonably well-pleased" with the success of his friendly mission. But the Observer had a reservation about the Under Secretary's countrymen:

"Every report of the climate of United States opinion is of skepticism towards us and our intentions; and Mr. Churchill has gone back in favor because he has said that we no more intend to give up British bases or Imperial preference than they intend to give up American territory or high tariffs. Which end do we believe when the dog both growls and wags its tail? Does the tail wag the dog or not?"

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