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Annoyed by what he considered to be his underling's pro-French and anti-German attitude. Italy's Benito Mussolini last month abruptly shelved round-eyed, olive-skinned Fulvio Suvich as Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs, appointed him Ambassador to the U. S. in place of Augusto Rosso. Last week President Roosevelt returned the compliment, announced that his good friend Undersecretary of State William Phillips would succeed Breckinridge Long as U. S. Ambassador to Italy next autumn. A chronic case of stomach ulcers had forced Ambassador Long to resign.

Ambassadors Phillips and Suvich are both of the polished and professional type, cool to all but their closest friends. Both are considered by tailors to be utterly faultless in their attire. By competent if not brilliant work, both had plodded successfully along the road of "career men." For Signore Suvich, however, the appointment was a negative promotion. For Mr. Phillips it was a positive professional advancement.

In 1903 Harvardman "Billy" Phillips, scion of a wealthy New England family, entered the U. S. diplomatic service as private secretary to the venerable Joseph H. Choate, U. S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James. By reason of tact and independent means. Careerist Phillips became successively First Secretary of the Embassy in London, Minister to The Netherlands (1920). Ambassador to Belgium (1924), first U. S. Minister to Canada

(1927). Twice he left the State Department, twice returned ; once for Woodrow Wilson in 1914, once for Franklin Roosevelt in 1933. That Republican Phillips was so honored by two Democrats was proof both of his ability and his studied disdain of politics.

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