740.00119 EAC/9: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 22—3:40 p.m.]
8154. Mr. Strang’s appointment as British member of European Advisory Commission is announced in following official statement issued last night:
“The King has been graciously pleased to approve the appointment of Mr. William Strang, C.B., C.M.G., M.B.E., an Assistant Under Secretary of State in the Foreign Office, to be a Knight Commander [Page 807] of the most distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George on his appointment as United Kingdom representative on the European Advisory Commission with the rank of Ambassador.”
Mr. Strang’s appointment, which had been forecast by press for some days, receives friendly comment from diplomatic correspondents today. Times correspondent writes: “The choice is admirable. As an Assistant Under Secretary of State, Mr. Strang has had directly under him department of the Foreign Office concerned with just those problems on which the new European Commission will be required to advise the American, Russian and British Governments. His knowledge of the new Russia is particularly intimate. At the Moscow Conference his work was invaluable, and in his report to Parliament 10 days ago Mr. Eden spoke of him as ‘the brilliant Foreign Office leader of our team’.”
Press states that Government has chosen Lancaster House—adjoining St. James’s Palace—as headquarters of Commission.
Newspapers also carry Moscow announcement that Ambassador Gusev will represent Russia on Commission. Daily Sketch and some of yesterday’s papers speculate that Ambassador Winant will be American representative, while Daily Mail expresses opinion today that “either Mr. Winant15 or Mr. Phillips16 will represent the United States”.
- The Department announced the appointment of Ambassador Winant to the European Advisory Commission on December 4, 1943. For text of press release, see Department of State Bulletin, December 4, 1943, p. 393.↩
- William Phillips, American Political Adviser to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. Army, Commander in Chief of Allied Forces.↩