Right Job for Wrong

Canada's striped-pants corps was reshuffled last week. New envoys were appointed to the U.S. and Great Britain.

To Washington, replacing Ambassador Lester Bowles ("Mike") Pearson, went Humphrey Hume Wrong* (he eschews the "Humphrey"), who has been called "about the closest thing to an aristocrat Canada is capable of producing."

A tall, slim, lofty-browed scholar, Hume Wrong was born in Toronto 52 years ago, was brought up by his historian-father George Wrong in the British tradition. He studied at the University of Toronto and Oxford, served in the British Army in World War I (the Canadians rejected him because of a childhood injury to his left eye), then taught modern history at Toronto for six years before joining the Department of External Affairs (U.S. equivalent: State Department) in 1927. He had served in Washington, Geneva and London before becoming Associate Under Secretary in Ottawa.

Washington would find his surface iciness a sharp contrast to breezy, easygoing Mike Pearson. But it would also find him friendly underneath, as well as an expert in all phases of U.S.-Canadian relations.

To London, to the High Commissionership vacated six months ago by retired Vincent Massey, went shy, brainy Norman Alexander Robertson, 42. He was a Rhodes Scholar at 19, then taught at the University of British Columbia and at Harvard before joining the Department in 1929. Since 1941 he has been its Under Secretary. His specialty: trade and economics.

Robertson, closemouthed, stoop-shouldered and almost bald, shies away from the press. He asked for the London job. He was tired from wartime chores, and broke. (His salary will remain the same but his living allowance will be much greater.)

From Washington popular Mike Pearson went back to Ottawa to take Norm Robertson's place. In calling him home, Prime Minister King was giving his new and relatively inexperienced External Affairs Minister Louis Stephen St. Laurent a thoroughly experienced, adept right hand. He was also, significantly, bringing within arm's reach a man whose name has been mentioned as Mr. King's political crown prince.

*Not to be confused with his cousin, Hume Wright, who is already stationed in Washington as Third Secretary at the Canadian embassy.

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