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Show I WHO'S NEWS I THIS WEEK... By Lemuel F. Parton "Just a Poor Historian." NEW YORK. In 1933, Am-bassador Am-bassador William E. Dodd protested to Chancellor Hitler against assaults on Americans who failed to give the Nazi salute. He made these representations quietly but emphatically. His protest was effective. Being naturally calm and tactful, it is quite certain that he will not aggravate the. present difficulty as his government calls Germany to account for press attacks on America. Amer-ica. But he is not spineless and will not be merely a messenger boy. He has disproved the assumption that an ambassador to a major power pow-er must be rich. "Just a poor historian," his-torian," he lives simply and rides third class around Germany. He says this Is a much better way of understanding- Germany and knowing know-ing the people than attending state banquets which he abhors. The Germans like him and even forgive his belief in democracy, which he bluntly expresses when such expression seems pertinent. His doctor's degree was obtained at the University of Leipzig, and one of his best books was a biography biog-raphy of Thomas Jefferson, written in German. They have forgiven that. too. Most of his thirty years as a historian his-torian was spent at the University of Chicago. When he was appointed ambassador in June, 1933, he smilingly expressed doubt about being be-ing a diplomat "The trouble is that a historian has to tell the truth," he said. Two former ambassadors am-bassadors to Germany, Bancroft and White, were historians, but in less troubled times. He has spoken frankly, and has been only occasionally occa-sionally vilified, as when Julius Streicher, Germany's notorious anti-Semite, slurred his family on August 16. 1935. A native of North Carolina, be keeps a little cottage down In the Blue Ridge mountains, and drives around In a worn little old car when he comes home. He likes out of doors and is usually sun-tanned. He is medium, somewhat athletic In stature, with a look of keen awareness aware-ness and competence, which softens as he speaks he Is essentially a humanist. The failure of the League of Nations Na-tions he regards as one of the tragedies trag-edies of mankind. He has long been a torch bearer for the Wil-sonian Wil-sonian ideals, co-editor of "The Works of Woodrow Wilson," with Ray Stannard Baker. He is a former for-mer president of the American Historical His-torical association, highly distinguished distin-guished and authoritative in his profession. pro-fession. He is sixty-seven years old. "Too Many Nice Boys." MR. TYLER DENNETT, president presi-dent of Williams, says his college col-lege is getting too many "nice boys." It iyas in 1929 that Professor Profes-sor Robert E. Rogers of M. I. T. told his class that the thing to do was to "be a snob and marry the boss' daughter." In 1934, he took it all back. A graduate might be a snob cum laude, but he was running an elevator ele-vator just the same. Out in Minnesota, Min-nesota, a college dean recently urged students to take postgraduate courses in refined speech, dress and decorum. It must be hard for the youngsters to decide what to be or do. Dr. Dennett evidently doesn't suggest sug-gest "rowdy" as the alternative of "nice." What he seems to have In mind is that Williams should draw more from the main democratic bloodstream, and not so much from the blue-blood arteries. He thinks the exclusive preparatory schools are funneling too many students into in-to Williams. The Admiralty Speaks. SIR SAMUEL HOARE, British first lord of admiralty, defends his $500,000,000 naval plan and urges the United States to build right along with England we are brothers. broth-ers. Already there is a yell over here that England is, as usual, trying try-ing to gel us to pull her chestnuts out of the fire. But that's something some-thing for the editorial page. Sir Samuel, with his high-pitched nasal voice, his long, sharp pedagogue's peda-gogue's nose, his glassy eye, and his way of laying things on the line, is always good copy for the reporters. Simultaneously, he broke the Illustrious Il-lustrious and inquisitive nose, figure-skating, and was eased out as foreign minister because be was too realistic about Ethiopia. Ilia comeback was amazing In its swiftness. swift-ness. In a few months, he headed the admiralty, and articulate and dominant tory England had swung to his view on Ethiopia. His goldsmith ancestors founded Ye Olde Golden Bottel bank in th reign of Charles I. It is still owned by five Hoares, with one of them sleeping on the premises every night as their ancient charter requires. re-quires. Sir Samuel, it is believed, never sleeps, with an eye never closed on the empire where the sue never sets. Consolidated News Features. WNU Service. |