Messersmith, G.S.
Date
2011-06-15
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press
Abstract
Description
Discusses personality, character, and ability of Anthony Drexel Biddle; as a native of Pennsylvania, Messersmith had known of the Biddle family and had supposed Tony to be something of a playboy; some time in 1935 Biddle called the Legation in Vienna to say he and his wife were in Vienna for some weeks on a pleasure trip and would like to see Messersmith; invited them to lunch and saw quite a bit of them while they were in Austria; found Biddle to have attractive personality and his wife charming; the Messersmiths liked them both from the start; one day Biddle approached Messersmith on a personal matter; he said he had decided he would like to go into diplomatic service and asked Messersmith what his chances were; told him because of age it would be impossible for him to enter as career foreign service officer, but he might get a political appointment as chief of mission if he made a contribution to the Party; he had much to learn, but he had traveled widely and was genuinely interested in political situation; thought he would make a better chief of mission than some who had been appointed to such posts; heard several months later of his appointment as Ambassador to Poland [i.e. Norway, then Poland]; obvious that he learned fast, for he did good job there; during the war Biddle was stationed in London as U.S. Ambassador to various governments in exile there, and later in Paris, doing an excellent job in both places; last saw him in Mexico City in 1954, and found him the same lively, courteous man he had always been; Messersmith likes to think he may have had a little to do with Biddle's entering government service; until then his life had had no fixed objective, but on entering service he found a new zest in life; when men have risen in career service to point where they are able to perform duties of chief of mission, they should be given preference over political appointees, but there are not always enough capable career officers, and President should not be limited to them in making appointments; occasionally a business or professional man of outstanding capacity may be the best person for a particular post; does not believe, however, President should use these appointments for paying off political debts.
Keywords
Messersmith, George S. (George Strausser), 1883-1960.