In the Public Eye

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 25, 29 July 1939, Page 24

In the Public Eye

Between now and August 15, when the Salvation Army's High Council meets in or near London to elect a general in place of General Evangeline Booth, who retires on October 31, there is bound to be a great deal of speculation as to her successor and discussion as to whether the new leader should be in complete control, says a "Manchester Guardian" correspondent.

There is a certain amount of dissatisfaction with the present system, which has obvious disadvantages. One widely debated suggestion is that some of the general's powers should be delegated to a council formed somewhat on the model of our Army Council. The answer to this is that the Salvation Army is founded on a one-man control basis, that the principle is embodied in an Act of Parliament, and that the Salvation Army is not in the least likely to refer its affairs to Parliament again. General Evangeline Booth may consult with her senior commissioners. but except in regard to the assets of the army she has the final word in all decisions. I am told that this talk about a possible council with powers is probably confined to British countries, and that little is known about it abroad. There are fifty-five commissioners, twenty-three of whom are full commissioners. Nine of these are either past the age of seventy-three, the retiring age for generals, or within a few months of it. The average Salvationist would not favour the election of a general who would remain fixed in office for twenty-five years, nor one whose term would be too short to permit his carrying out a constructive programme. A term of nine years would be generally "approved. Commissioner John Macmillan, Chief lof Staff, who had been regarded as a I probable successor to General Evange|line Booth, is ill, and so is the vener[ated Japanese Commissioner, Mr. JYamamuro, who attended the last j meeting of the High Council. There are two women commissioners, one of whom, Catherine Booth, was a candidate at the last election. Their chances seem remote. If the High Council ever appoints another woman general it will not be in immediate succession to Evangeline Booth. The number of commissioners from among whom the new general is likely to be selected narrows down to fourteen. One is Commissioner Hurren, a man of saintly character, principal of the international training college, who has held many important positions at international headquarters. As head of the college he is in touch with officers all over the world, but he has never been on foreign service or gained the international experience which may at the moment be considered requisite. The names are also mentioned of Commissioner Carpenter, of Canada, Commissioner Damon, of the United States, and Commissioner Maxwell, who has served in Canada and Australia and is now in charge of the publishing and trade departments at international headquarters. The task of selecting a successor to General Higgins occupied the High Council for' an exhausting week in 1934. This time the election may be settled in a day. Mr. Robert C. Stanley. So unexpected was the decision of the King and Queen to descend the Frood mine of the International Nickel Company of Canada during their visit that Mr. Robert Stanley, the chairman and president of the company, could not be present. He was attending a directors' meeting in New York at the time. It had been announced that the King and Queen would not deviate from the rule that no industrial - concerns would be visited during their tour. An exception was, however, made in the case of the nickel mine, which is one of the Dominion's most remarkable sights. Mr. Stanley must have been keenly disappointed. Small and in his sixties, he impresses everyone he meets with his tremendous energy. He is the rather rare combination of an autocrat who is also a "good mixer." Mr. Stanley goes to Europe every year for three weeks or a month. He joined the company in 1901. The following year he became assistant superintendent. He has been president since 1922. He has an enviable distinction — that of being one of the highestsalaried business men in the U.S.A. According to the Securities Exchange Commission, Mr. Stanley received £43.000 as his salary last year. He was just beaten by Mr. Walter Gifford. president of the American "Tel and Tel" Company, with £44,000. Mr. Douglas Jenkins. Mr. Douglas Jenkins, who recently heard that he is leaving the United States Consular-Generalship in Lon don to become the American Minister in Bolivia, confessed some trepidation over the height of his new home. La Pa 2 is easily the highest of the world's capitals, at 11,800 ft above sea level. "I've never lived that high before," said Mr. Jenkins. The American diplomatic and consular services are combined, and it is. therefore, not unusual for a consul to become a Minister. It sometimes happens that an American official holds both diplomatic and consular commissions simultaneously. Mr. Robert Fraser. Mr. Jenkins's predecessor in London, similarly left the consulate there to become a Minister. In his case the Central American Republic of San Salvador was his new home. Mr. Jenkins is recognised as a man of outstanding ability. In view of recent disquieting political trends in South America, the United States Government is anxious to be represented there by her best available men. The new Minister was to leave London on July 15. He was appointed Consul-General there in November, 1937.

A heavy police guard was placed about the home of the British Ambassador to Chins, last month after discovery of a plot against ~'s life, according to an Associated Press dispatch to American newspapers.

Precautions to protect the Ambassador, Sir Archibald Clark Kerr. were taken amid increasing British-Japanese friction at Tientsin and Japanese preoccupation with a poisoned wine conspiracy in which two Japanese officials died at Nanking on June 12.

The nationality of tha persons concerned in the threats against Sir Archibald was not disclosed by the British authorities, and conflicting unofficial reports attributed them respectively to Chinese and Japanese.

A British authority said that information of the plot was considered "authentic and accurate" and was "of a grave nature." Machine-guns were said to have been olaced at corners of thp wall surrounding Sir Archibald's residence, in the western section of the International Settlement.

The offices of the British Embassy in downtown Shanghai also were under guard and the Ambassador was provided with a bulletproof automobile and bulletproof vest. Sir Archibald was appointed Ambassador on December 20, 1937. "to -eplace Sir Hugh Montgomery Xnatchbuil-Hugessen, who was wounded when Japanese machinegunned his automobile on August 26, 1937. Although one unofficial view alleged that Japanese had inspired the ploti against Sir Archibald, another placed the frame on Chinese who feared he i would yield to Japanese demands andi order the British concession authorities at Tientsin to surrender four I Chinese accused of terrorism. Mr. J. N. Garner. Vice-President John N. Garner learned during the visit of the King and Queen to Washington that he would be compelled to take a back seat at the White House dinner to j their Majesties. But he took it like the Shapparal Spartan he is, just as i he took the news that he must don a swallow-tailed coat and striped trousers to go to the British Embassy garden party earlier in the day. reported the "Chicago Tribune." The matter of precedence at *he dinner was settled by the Division of Protocol of the State Department, which ruled that inasmuch as King George VI would be the guest of honour he would rank next to the President and ahead of the Vice-President. The Vice-President ranks next to the President, says the Division of Protocol, on all occasions except those at which the President is entertaining in honour of a person other than the VicePresident. According to the Division of Protocol, this has been the wellsettled procedure for more than forty years, to be precise, ever since the administration of President McKinley, when a famous episode established the official rank of the Vice-President as second only to the President himself. During the preceding Cleveland Administration Sir Julian Pauncefote, the British Ambassador, had obtained recognition of his contention that as an Ambassador he took precedence over the Vice-President. Therefore, Great Britain and the United States had been represented at each other's capitals by Ministers. During the Cleveland Administration the respective missions were raised to Embassies and Sir Julian Pauncefote became the first British Ambassador to ' the United States An Ambassador, unlike a Minister, is accredited to the ruler personally. The foreign sovereign would outrank the Vice-President So Sir Julian reasoned that standing in the place of his King he should outrank the Vice-President. Richard Olney Cleve'and's Secretary of State, conceded the British Ambassador that precedence. Wren the McKinley Administration came in. Sir Julian waited for i Vice-President Garrett A. Hobart to call on him first. But Mr Hobart did not call. He regarded his offiep as subordinate to none excem the Presidency and he waited for Sir Julian to call first The Ambassador did not call. The_ Embassy gave a reception and was'cornpelled to invite the Vice-Presi-dent. *3ut Mr Hobart's secretary sug- | gested that a mistake had beln made, I as the Vice-President had not been recognised by a call. A situation ensued much like that produced by the war of precedence between Mrs. Alice Roosevelt Lon^worth. wife of the Speaker, and Mrs Dolly Gann. sister of Vice-President Charles Curtis in the Hoover Administration Sir Julian wouH send his reerets to social affairs at which he ascertained in advance he was not to be afforded orer.edence over Mr Hobart. The oricis came at the dedication of Grant's Tnmb Sir Julian conditioned his acceptance on bping Tcorded prpcedence over the VicePrpsident. But President MoKinley had directed that the Virp-Prpcirlent should rirJp in hi? carriage with him. The committee sidp-steoned the iilemma by invitine all thp Ambassadors as "distinguished guests." This 'nrident was acopntpd as a manifestation of the President's decision of the ■'spue in Mr H^b«>rt's favour. Mr. MfKinWs decision wss communicated informally to London. and the British Government gave Sir Julian a hint to abandon his contention. Sir •Tulian promnfiv called on Mr Hob*>rt. Later in the Hobart family circle. Mr. MrKinley said to Mrs. Hobart: "I settled it quickly, or, rather, you settled it when you said. 'I thought the ticket eleotprf was McKyiley and Hobart, not McKinley and Paunce^ foie. ew