DEATH OF DIPLOMAT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22392, 13 April 1936, Page 9

DEATH OF DIPLOMAT

* GERMAN AMBASSADOR DISTINGUISHED CAREER ENDS LONDON, April 10 The death occurred suddenly to-day of Herr von Hoesch, German Ambassador to Britain. King Edward personally telephoned his condolence to the German Embassy.

The late Herr Leopold von Hoesch began his diplomatic career in 1907 as attache at. Peking, and later was transferred to Paris and Madrid, until in 1912 he was appointed second secretary in London. He was withdrawn on the outbreak of the Great War and sent to the German Legation at Sofia, where ha is said to have predicted to Berlin the approaching collapse of Bulgaria. His prediction was duly fulfilled. After a vear at Constantinople he went, in 19i7, to the Foreign Office at Berlin, and in January, 1921, became Counsellor of Embassy in Paris. In 1923, as a result of the occupation of the Ruhr by the French, the German Ambassador, Dr. Mayer, was recalled from Paris and Herr von Hoesch remained as Charge d'Affaires, a position which, in the circumstances, was one of considerable difficulty. After the cessation of passive resistance in the Ruhr a year later, he was appointed Ambassador, and as relations were strained between Paris and Berlin he had to bear a heavy weight of responsibility. In 1932 he succeeded Baron von Neurath, who had become Foreign Minister, as Ambassador to the Court of St. James', London. In these last two offices, at Paris and London, Herr von Hoesch's most notable work was done. At Paris he helped pave the way for Germany's admission to the League, and was involved in continual negotiations in his efforts to find a solution for the financial ruin which threatened his country. He was able to secure France's agreement to the exchange of visits by Ministers of the two countries, and to the setting up of a committee to promote economic cooperation, and iu November, 1931, France agreed to allow an appeal to be made to "the Bank of International Settlements to call together an advisory committee to report on the financial situation of Germany. In London his tenure was again difficult, and covered the Anglo-German naval arrangement last year to the present international difficulties.