Castle to Tokyo

A good diplomatist must be a pinch-hitter. Pinch-hitting was what President Hoover wanted of Assistant Secretary of State William Richards Castle Jr. when he sent him to bat last week as U. S. Ambassador to Japan. Mr. Castle was expected to make one hit and get back to home-plate as fast as possible. His appointment to Tokyo was only for the duration of the five-power naval conference in London. Before his departure, he will confer this week with the Japanese parley delegates passing through the U. S.

Trouble enough has the Japanese post given President Hoover. Most expensive of diplomatic jobs (it is estimated to require $50,000 per year more than the ambassadorial salary of $17,000) it was left vacant a year ago by the resignation of Charles MacVeagh. President Hoover offered it to both Hubert Work and Roy Owen West, who both declined. The London parley necessitated an appointment, even temporary, of a man capable of conducting the intricate behind scenes negotiations incident to any international conference. A new complication had arisen with Japan's request for a change in its cruiser and submarine ratio to 10-10-7 from 5-5-3. Mr. Castle was selected, with the powers of an envoy plenipotentiary, for two reasons:

1) he knows by heart every twist and turn of the U. S. naval parley program;

2) he is an experienced diplomat.

A third and intangible reason is his kinship with the Pacific. He was born in Honolulu 51 years ago, as was his father 80 years ago. Castle Sr. rendered the Hawaiian monarchy notable service, was its attorney-general, its minister to Washington. He took a leading part in the movement for U. S. annexation. Lawyer, banker, public utilities man, Castle Sr. is today one of Hawaii's most venerable citizens (TIME, July 8). The brightest spot in the Tokyo assignment is the visit the son will pay the father between ships in Honolulu.

Smooth, likable, cautious, Ambassador Castle was graduated from Harvard (1900), served his college as instructor and assistant dean for seven years, edited the Graduates Magazine for two more. During the War he was Director of Communications for the Red Cross. He entered the State Department ten years ago, served as chief of the Western European division until his appointment in 1927 as Assistant Secretary of State.

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