A couple of lines here and there have sufficed to
chronicle the arrival at Lisbon of Sir Walford Selby, the new British Ambassador to Portugal. But the event may prove important. The new Ambassador has for the last four years been Minister at Vienna, and an advance from Minister to Ambassador is, of course, technically promotion. But in all essentials Vienna, where Sir Walford has been an unqualified success, is a post that counts considerably more than Lisbon. Sir Watford Selby's translation is pretty clear evidence of the importance Mr. Eden attaches to relations with Portugal, which have for some months been regaining their old cordiality after a short period of misunderstanding arising from various demonstra- tions of Portugal's sympathies with the Spanish insurgents in the early days of the civil war. Sir Walford (who holds the remarkable record of being Private Secretary to every British Foreign Minister except Lord Balfour and Lord Curzon from Lord Grey to Sir John Simon) will no doubt make it his chief business to make the restored cordiality more cordial still, and I shall be much surprised if he fails. * * * *
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