Word: staffords
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Late in April Sir Richard Stafford Cripps arrived in London after a leisurely tour of the world-which included a sudden, secret, 9,000-mile flight from Chungking to Moscow and back. He went at once to the Chamberlain Government with a brief case full of electric dope which he wanted to sell. Russia, he said, was not too happy about its current arrangement of convenience with Germany. Great Britain had another chance to patch up at least a standoff agreement with the Soviet Union...
Since Sir Stafford had once been leader of the British Labor Party's intellectual left wing, Conservative Neville Chamberlain was not in the market for his wares. But Winston Churchill, definitely was. The risk-all Churchill Cabinet was in favor of getting any friends it could. Fortnight ago they dispatched Sir Stafford to Moscow via the Mediterranean...
There was the usual British hitch. Forgetting the Oriental sensitivity of Joseph Stalin, forgetting that the British trade mission to Moscow had failed last August largely because it was composed of underlings (while Germany sent Ribbentrop in person), the Government stupidly gave Sir Stafford the minor rank of Special Envoy...
Last week the Kremlin haughtily announced Russia would treat with nothing less than an Ambassador. The British Government hurriedly raised Sir Stafford to that rank, replacing Ambassador Sir William Seeds, who had been in London "on leave" since January. Sir Stafford hastened on to Moscow from Athens, hoping Stalin would overlook one more slight...
...reported offer by France of a free port at Djibouti, minority rights in Tunisia and a seat on the Suez Canal board. Il Duce replied coldly that the offer was "too late and too little." The British Government, angling for eventual help from Russia, rushed Socialist Sir Stafford Cripps to the Kremlin, where he is well liked. But was there time to get help from Russia? To smooth relations with Spain, His Majesty's Government sent Sir Samuel Hoare as Ambassador to Madrid. He got a chilly reception and exiled Loyalist Alvárez del Vayo cracked: "The mission...