Z'Z- , : a. - New Envoy to Britain Is Staunch 'New Dealer' Shares Pres. Roosevelt's Political Views; Announce 'Social Defense Work' To Bolster Home Front. c n ' A-f 1 By BAUKHAGE National Farm and Home Hour Commentator. WNTJ Service, 1395 National Press Bldg., Washington, D. C. WASHINGTON. Few American ambassadors have been chosen because be-cause of their philosophy. John Winant, Wi-nant, just taking over his new duties du-ties as envoy to the Court of St. James, was. Externally he is not the type to wear knee breeches and genuflect to royalty. He is tall, Lincolnesque appearing. appear-ing. He is no orator. He has had no previous diplomatic experience. He is anything but the glass of fashion, fash-ion, although he comes from a wealthy New York family. He was once Republican governor of New Hampshire. President Roosevelt called him in to head the first social security board. Later he was director direc-tor of the international labor office at Geneva. Many persons in Washington will tell you they cannot see why this man was chosen for our most important impor-tant foreign diplomatic post. Within limits it is anybody's guess. This is mine: Mr. Roosevelt believes that America Amer-ica is to play the dominating role in the peace that is to come. He believes that the democracies must have as definite a program to offer the bewildered and bleeding peoples of the earth as the totalitarians. Hitler Hit-ler has named his. It is national socialism. so-cialism. Roosevelt has his the New Deal. 'If' Great Britain Wins. If Great Britain wins the war, her chosen representatives will dictate the terms which will shape the new world. If they are to be persuaded to do the job on the American plan they must understand what that plan is. Therefore, since the man whose function it is to interpret the United States to Great Britain in the pre-peace pre-peace days is our ambassador, he must truly represent his President. Of course all ambassadors are supposed sup-posed to be the personal representatives representa-tives of their head of state but under un-der these circumstances the President's Presi-dent's envoy extraordinary must be a man who Mr. Roosevelt believes, believes as he believes. That is the reason the President sent Harry Hopkins over in the fate- ful interlude between a Kennedy and a Winant. John Winant will talk to the king or the prime minister or whomever is head of the peace-making government, govern-ment, in the language of President Roosevelt. That is not precisely the language which Joseph Kennedy spoke so understanding to the Englishman Eng-lishman he knew best and respected highly, the late Neville Chamberlain, the language of the conservative liberal, lib-eral, the man of property. Winant' s language is the language of what he would probably describe "social values" val-ues" for he is the New Deal incarnate. in-carnate. President Has Plan For 'Social Defense' At a recent White House press conference the President took a lot of time to answer an open letter from an ex-marine, World war veteran. vet-eran. The writer said that when the last war was over he had announced an-nounced that he'd cheer the boys to the next one and then enjoy a big steak and onions. But when he tried it after seeing some draftees march by, the steak didn't taste. He wanted want-ed to know what folks, too old to join the army could do for national defense. The President said he would announce a plan soon. That plan is based on a report submitted by a committee, the chairman of which is Mrs. Florence Kerr, assistant assist-ant WPA commissioner here. Later I asked Mrs. Kerr about it. This was her reply: "There are social defense jobs to be done in every home town in America. From border to border and coast to coast communities need more services in health, welfare, education, ed-ucation, recreation. Everywhere there are things to be done to make America a better place in which to live." Fields of training, says Mrs. Kerr, in which millions of men, women and youth will be engaged for defense de-fense on the home front will include: in-clude: Food training programs, dealing with all subjects related to food, food conservation, food handling, han-dling, gardening, canning, mass feeding, vitamins and their importance, impor-tance, food for children, food for ill, diet, nutrition and many other topics related to food and the home front. Aptitude testing, first aid and safety safe-ty first: community organization, map reading, map making, drafting, community health, sanitation and hygiene: are just a few of the other fields in which more trained workers work-ers are needed. "On a volunteer basis present and ex-teachers of language could develop devel-op nation-wide opportunities for classes in Spanish," Mrs. Kerr said. "Western hemisphere relationships give such training universal appeal, and many individuals will respond to such an opportunity to equip themselves them-selves better for world citizenship. "Co-operating with private organizations, organi-zations, such as Girl Scouts, Camp-fire Camp-fire Girls, and other recreation groups, great numbers of women can be interested and trained in performing per-forming their home defense service through volunteer leadership of girls." War-Gas Driven Cars Increase in Finland Recently we reported the experi mental work being done by the department de-partment of agriculture laboratory in Peoria, 111., in the manufacture of alcohol from corn residue. In Finland, where necessity has become be-come the mother of invention, reports re-ports coming to Washington show that they are already running automobiles auto-mobiles without gasoline. The Finns have wood-gas carburetors in their cars. Finland in normal times imports im-ports all of its petroleum. In these times it can get little or none. According to information reaching the legation here in your capital city the Finnish ministry of supplies and transport has issued orders to the effect ef-fect that automobiles all over Finland, Fin-land, including privately owned cars, busses and trucks, must be fitted with the wood-gas carburetors as soon as possible. The only exceptions excep-tions are ambulances and the cars and trucks of the fire brigades. Every Ev-ery day now sees an increase of the wood-gas driven cars on the streets of Helsinki. By early November, No-vember, 1,900 wood-gas carburetors were in use in Finland, as well as 4,250 charcoal-gas carburetors, another an-other substitute for gasoline. And this affects the farmer, too. All tractors in agricultural use are being fitted with the wood-gas carburetors. car-buretors. Nearly all busses are already al-ready running on wood-gas, and passengers pas-sengers are gratified with the absence ab-sence of the noxious gas fumes usually usu-ally associated with gasoline-driven busses one of the advantages of wood gas. New service stations have had to be set up, for the servicing now is not merely a question of supplying the fuel but also of cleaning the carburetors car-buretors and emptying the ashes, which must be done under cover. Last August, when wood-gas carburetors car-buretors were introduced into Finland, Fin-land, the state appointed a committee commit-tee to find means to finance their purchase. This committee's recommendation, recom-mendation, to set up a guarantee company in which the state would take part, was carried out by the establishment in October of a joint stock company, Wood-Gas Generator Credits, Inc., which extends credits, up to a maximum of 70 per cent of the cost, toward the purchase of the new carburetors. The ministry of supply and transport trans-port also appointed a technical committee com-mittee to work on improvements and modifications of the carburetors. The state granted $100,000 to start this work. Although the development of wood gas in Finland thus far has been a temporary expediency it may have a future as a fuel in the motor world. In that case, Finland, according to the Finnish experts, with her wealth of forests, would be in the first rank of motor-fuel producing countries. At all events, she would be independent inde-pendent as far as her own auto traffic traf-fic is concerned. However, if and when the Finns once again secure their political independence, in-dependence, it is to be hoped they will be part of a world where complete com-plete economic independence is not necessary a world where there is a free flow-of all the products of the earth and of industry between nations.