A SPECTATOR'S NOTEBOOK
THE new batch of diplomatic appointments, added to others I announced in the past month, marks a pretty extensive series of changes. The chief feature of them is the toughness of the jobs the new Ambassadors—Sir Ronald Campbell at Cairo, Sir Maurice Peterson at Moscow, Sir Rex Leeper at Buenos Aires and Sir (technically still Mr.) Clifford Norton at Athens—will have to face. In each case it means stepping more or less into the middle of a crisis, without the experience which previous residence in the country concerned confers. The importance of Cairo at the present juncture is even greater than may superficially appear, and this is essentially a case in which the introduction of new blood may well be a paying policy. Lord Killearn has been in the Egyptian capital for close on ten years, which is far longer than the normal tenure of such posts, and a change has for some time been felt to be over- due. Sir Ronald Campbell was Counsellor at Cairo from 1931 to 1934, long enough to acquire an adequate knowledge of Egyptian politics, and long enough ago to be completely free from any implication in current controversies. Going to Egypt from London he will take with him a complete knowledge of the Government's policy and of Mr. Bevin's attitude in particular—a fact calculated to qualify him admirably for conducting the manifestly delicate negotiations that lie ahead. His personal friendship with the new Prime Minister of Egypt is a further advantage.
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