Dream Fulfilled

Since the sorrow-filled day in 1918 when he learned that his elder brother had been killed in France with the A.E.F., Massachusetts' Christian Archibald Herter has held steadfast to a dream: to achieve a position in which he could work effectively for peace. Last week Herter's dream was fulfilled. He was named Under Secretary of State succeeding Herbert Hoover Jr., whose resignation, effective next February, was accepted by President Eisenhower.

Chris Herter's life has been shaped for his new job. Born in Paris of American parents, he studied interior decoration in New York, left to accept a minor post with the U.S. embassy in Berlin in 1916. At the Versailles conference, he served as aide to U.S. Delegate Joseph Clark Grew, later became executive secretary of the European Relief Council and traveled around ravaged Europe with Relief Chief Herbert Hoover Sr.

Strangely Irked. When Hoover Sr. became Secretary of Commerce, Herter went to Washington as his personal assistant, then moved to Boston as co-owner and co-editor of Henry Ward Beecher's old magazine of opinion, the Independent. A Republican, Herter saw to it that the Independent championed the League of Nations and word-whipped Massachusetts' Isolationist Republican Senator Henry Cabot Lodge.

In 1942 Herter was elected to the first of five terms in Congress. He led 17 members of a Select House Committee on Foreign Aid (among them, California's Richard Nixon) on a trip to Europe in 1947, helped clear the way for congressional approval of the Marshall Plan. An early Eisenhower backer, Herter seemed strangely irked when, in 1952, Massachusetts Republicans urged him to run for governor against Democratic Incumbent Paul Dever. Said he: "You're just trying to get me out of Washington." Reason for his discomfiture: he was confident that Ike would be the next President--and he thought he had a good chance to become Under Secretary of State.

Smooth-Paced. Nonetheless, Herter ran for governor and was elected. After building up a record in two terms as governor, he announced early this year that he would not run for reelection. He immediately became the unwilling object of affection of various "Christian Herter for President in case Eisenhower doesn't run" clubs, and Harold Stassen started a noisy campaign to have him replace Dick Nixon as vice-presidential candidate. But Herter refused to turn against his old colleague. He not only supported Nixon but, in a dramatic moment at San Francisco, placed him in nomination.

As Under Secretary of State. Herter, 61, will be a smooth-paced replacement for an Under Secretary whose administrative talents sometimes outpaced his policymaking skills. President Eisenhower accepted Herbert Hoover Jr.'s resignation with "deep regret," paid tribute to Hoover's "outstanding ability and dedication." And Chris Herter's friends quickly pointed out that he would make a logical successor to Secretary of State John Foster Dulles if, when and for whatever reason Dulles bowed out.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.