Lord Lothian Philip Henry Kerr UK Ambassador to USA 1940 Signed Photo Card WWII

Description

Lord Lothian Philip Henry Kerr UK Ambassador to USA 1940 Signed Photo Card & Envelope
Philip Henry Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian, (18 April 1882 - 12 December 1940), known as Philip Kerr until 1930, was a British politician, diplomat and newspaper editor. He was private secretary to Prime Minister David Lloyd George between 1916 and 1921. After succeeding a cousin in the marquessate in 1930, he held minor office from 1931 to 1932 in the National Government, headed by Ramsay MacDonald.
In the late 1930s, he was a leading advocate of appeasement of Germany, emphasizing the harshness of the Treaty of Versailles and the dangers of Stalin's communism. In September 1939, Lothian was appointed Ambassador to the United States, a post he held until his death, the following year. He was sworn of the Privy Council in August 1939 and made a Knight of the Thistle in November 1940. Lothian played a central role in enlisting American support for economic aid to the British war effort. His change of view of Nazi intentions following the 1939 invasion of Czechoslovakia led him, as Ambassador to the United States, to seek a comprehensive program of aid for Britain. On 1 September 1939, Lothian arrived at the White House to present his credentials to President Roosevelt as the Britannic Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States of America. The ritual, which was normally a formality under which the new ambassador presents his credentials to the president who then accepts them, was overshadowed by the news that Germany invaded Poland earlier that day. Most of the meeting was taken up with the discussion of the crisis in Europe with Roosevelt telling Lothian that he sympathised with the Allies with "every fibre", but that he had to obey the neutrality laws passed by Congress or else face impeachment for violating the law.
During a trip home to Britain in October 1940, he urged Churchill to make Britain's situation plain to Roosevelt, in the hope that a letter doing so would force the latter into action to help Britain, in order to ensure the future security of the United States. Returning to New York on 23 November 1940, he told the assembled journalists: "Well, boys, Britain's broke; it's your money we want". The near-bankruptcy of the United Kingdom had been a closely guarded secret, and Lothian went well beyond Prime Minister Winston Churchill's instructions in divulging it. The remarks caused a sudden drop in confidence in sterling and were exploited by German propaganda. Lothian's statement helped force President Franklin Roosevelt's hand in responding to British appeals by proposing the Lend-Lease Program to aid Britain. He initiated the joint Anglo-American military organisation of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, which passed Congress after his death.
Lot comprised by:
a) 6" x 4" 1/4 Card with printed photo of Philip Henry Kerr, hand signed by him, undated but from July, 1940. Name and address of collector on back. Condition: Excellent
b) Front cover of postal envelope used to send the card, postmarked in Washington D. C., on July 31, 1940. Condition: Very Good (Mounting tear on back)
REF #:
AZ-113
Provenance:
From the collection of Alejandro Zorrilla de San Martin (birth: Montevideo, Uruguay, September 21, 1880 - death: Montevideo, Uruguay: December 12, 1941), who spent over 20 years collecting autographs mainly from prominent political figures worldwide. He used to send blank cards with a newspaper or magazine clipped photo of the person, attaching a letter asking for an autograph and including a self-addressed envelope.
Important
:
We only deal on vintage original collectible papers. As such these are not a modern reproductions or computer generated prints.
Shipping
:
Price are based upon actual costs, we ship from Uruguay through FedEx International Priority which offers a fantastic shipping record in all senses.
So shipping cost is as follows:
1 up to 100 similar items via FedEx International Priority:
US$ 20 to USA, CANADA and Americas
US$ 25 to EUROPE
US$ 30 to the rest of the World