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Show GREY FAVORED FOR POST OF AMBASSADOR TO UNITED STATES Monocle and Aristocratic Mannerisms Said to be Against Selection of J. Austen Chamberlain. LONDON, Jan. 4 (By the Associated Press). A topic that is greatly interesting British officialdom and the public at the moment is the selection of an ambassador to the United States to succeed Sir Cecil Arthur Spring-Rice. Three names thus far are being discussed those of Viscount Grey, former foreign secretary; Earl Reading, lord chief justice of England, and J. Austen Chamberlain, eldest sou of the late Joseph Chamberlain, and former secretary for India. Viscount Grey is generally considered the strongest man of the three. He is one of the foremost of British statesmen and his political convictions convic-tions are sincerely and deeply democratic aud liberal. The only handicap to Viscount Grey suggested is that he is distinctly shy and retiring. There is a belief here, whether it I - VISCOUNT GREY be riSht or wrn& that the British ambassador to the United 1.7' V, 1 1 i . I f i ' j-i t - I ' v. v r i , 3 - , , r -r- f o- r H : t i States should be what is called "a mixer.'1 Lord Reading now holds the office of-fice of chief justice of England, and it is questionable whether ho would be willing to resign that post for any diplomatic position, although he Iras temporarily waived it for special missions. Mr. Chamberlain has suffered the lifelong handicap of being the son of an important and able father. He has his father's manners man-ners aud mannerisms. He wears a monocle aud the members of the Labor party, who today play an important and almost dominating part in British politics, would say that he is too much of an aristocrat to be Great Britain 's representative representa-tive in the United States. The fact that Sir Cecil Spring-Rice Spring-Rice is bping recalled from Washington Wash-ington and Sir George W. Buchanan Bucha-nan from the embassy to Russia does not mean any lack of confidence confi-dence in them on the part of the government, much less any feeling feel-ing that they have not fulfilled their duties well. Buchanan had the most, difficult work ill Russia ,any foreign diplomat has had to ; handle, iu a, long time. He knew of the threat of a revolution in Russia a long time before the revolution actually broke out, and- counseled the emperor, so far as a foreign diplomat could do without making himself distinctly offensive, of the danger which hovered over his head, and advised him to give Russia a real parliamentary government. REMOVING WAR-WORN MEN. But the empress, who was the real power, reiuforced by Rasputin, the mystic monk, and other fanatics and by the bureaucracy, nullified . (Continued on Page Four.) GREY FAVORED FOR ; POST OF AMBASSADOR (Continued from Page One.) Buchanan's advice until it was too late. After the crash came Buchanan supported the attempts to help the democratic regime, bnt where the most i solid and able Eussian patriots had failed, the little group of friendly for- jT eign diplomats in Petrograd who attempted to aid Eussia in piloting her 1 way through tlie chaos could not be expected to succeed. ! The government today is engaged in retiring several of its servants ; of high standing and reputation in several departments, notably in diplo- . macy and the army and navy. This does not mean that they have failed, ; but it does mean that war weariness and the strain of nearly four years' .' service under conditions of almost overwhelming responsibility and toil make fresh blood and less wearied men imperative. j HAIG MAY LOSE HIS POSITION. Admiral Sir John E. Jellieoe was a shining example of the necessity of retiring a popular and able officer under such conditions, and the newspapers news-papers are speaking freely of the need of changes in the higher commands of the British army. Probably an important announcement of that charac-' ter will be made soon. France has done this ruthlessly and consistently. Although Marshal Joffre was in the heart of the people and the foremost man of Prance, the government placed him on the sidetrack when the time came that they thought the nation's interests required it. Premier Lloyd George's government is facing the same conditions, and I apparently is dealing with them the same way. |