Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Most Honourable
The Marquess of Lothian
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| British Ambassador to the United States | |
| In office 1 September 1939 – 12 December 1940 |
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| Monarch | George VI |
| Prime Minister | Neville Chamberlain Winston Churchill |
| Preceded by | Sir Ronald Lindsay |
| Succeeded by | The Viscount Halifax |
| Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | |
| In office 25 August 1931 – 10 November 1931 |
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| Monarch | George V |
| Prime Minister | Ramsay MacDonald |
| Preceded by | The Lord Ponsonby |
| Succeeded by | J. C. C. Davidson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 April 1882 London, England |
| Died | 12 December 1940 (aged 58) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Alma mater | New College, Oxford |
| Signature |  |
Philip Henry Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian (18 April 1882 – 12 December 1940), known as Philip Kerr until 1930, was an important British politician and diplomat. He also worked as a newspaper editor. From 1916 to 1921, he was the private secretary to Prime Minister David Lloyd George.
After becoming a Marquess in 1930, he held government roles from 1931 to 1932. In the late 1930s, he believed in a policy called appeasement towards Germany. This meant trying to avoid war by giving in to some of Germany's demands. He thought the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I, had been too harsh on Germany. From 1939 until his death, he served as the British Ambassador to the United States. In this role, he was very successful in getting America to support Britain during World War II, especially through the Lend-Lease program.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Philip Kerr was born in London, England. His father was Lord Ralph Kerr, and his mother was Lady Anne Fitzalan-Howard. His family had a long history in British nobility.
He attended The Oratory School from 1892 to 1900. Later, he studied at New College, Oxford, where he excelled in Modern History in 1904. At Oxford, he developed a love for golf and was known for being a charming and intelligent person. He later converted to Christian Science, a religion that combines spiritual beliefs with a focus on science.
Public Service and Political Views
From 1905 to 1910, Kerr worked for the government in South Africa. He was part of a group called "Milner's Kindergarten." This group believed that British colonies should have more say in the Commonwealth of Nations. They wanted to improve the status of white colonists. Kerr became more open-minded on racial issues than others in his group. He admired Mahatma Gandhi and tried to be more progressive.
In South Africa, Kerr focused on running railroads. He helped write the Selborne Memorandum in 1907. This document called for the four British colonies in South Africa to unite into one country with self-governing status. He supported reconciliation with moderate Afrikaner leaders. Kerr also started a journal called The States in 1908. It was published in both English and Afrikaans. The journal encouraged the colonies to unite and form a new nation. On 31 May 1910, the new nation of South Africa was formed.
In 1910, Kerr returned to England and founded The Round Table Journal. He became its first editor in November 1910. The journal promoted the idea of turning the British Empire into a unified federation. In his writings, Kerr often called for a "world state" or a "voluntary federation of all free civilised states" to prevent future wars. He believed that nations needed to create laws to ensure justice for everyone.
Working with the Prime Minister
In December 1916, Kerr became the private secretary to Prime Minister David Lloyd George. He played a key role in the Paris Peace Conference, 1919, after World War I. Kerr was very influential because he managed what information reached the Prime Minister. He also decided who could meet with Lloyd George.
Kerr was involved in discussions about Germany's war reparations. He supported demands for Germany to pay for pensions for British veterans, widows, and orphans. This increased the amount Britain sought from Germany. He also helped shape the final wording of the Treaty of Versailles.
He strongly opposed French plans to separate the Rhineland region from Germany. Kerr believed that Germany should have some hope and independence after the war. The Rhineland remained part of Germany but was demilitarized. Kerr also worried that the United States would not join the League of Nations. He suggested changes to the League's rules to address American concerns, but his advice was not followed.
During the peace conference, Kerr became friends with Franklin D. Roosevelt, who later became the U.S. President. This friendship would be important for his future career. In March 1920, he was made a Companion of Honour. In March 1921, Kerr left his role with Lloyd George to become the editor of The Daily Chronicle newspaper.
Later Political Career
From 1925 to 1939, Kerr served as secretary to the Rhodes Trust. In 1922, he gave lectures in Massachusetts about preventing war. He continued to argue that a world federation was the best way to stop conflicts. He believed that dividing the world into "absolutely separate sovereign states" caused wars.
Over time, Lothian began to feel that the Treaty of Versailles had been unfair to Germany. He thought the treaty needed to be changed to keep world peace. In October 1929, he stated that the idea of one nation being solely responsible for World War I was "clearly untrue." He also claimed the Treaty of Versailles was wrong because it was based on the "lie" that Germany started the war.
In March 1930, he became the 11th Marquess of Lothian and joined the House of Lords. In August 1931, he was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. He then served as Under-Secretary of State for India until 1932.
Lothian was a key supporter of the National Trust Act of 1937. This act helped the National Trust acquire many country homes and estates. It allowed people to donate their homes to the Trust to avoid certain taxes. When he died, Lothian left his own home, Blickling Hall, to the National Trust.
Views on Nazi Germany
Lothian believed that Germany had been treated unfairly by the Treaty of Versailles. He became a strong supporter of changing the treaty in Germany's favor. This policy was known as appeasement. He was part of a group of people who sought better relations with Nazi Germany.
In 1933, Lothian said that while he disliked the Nazi regime, he felt that Britain should be willing to treat Germany fairly. He believed that some of the Nazi regime's actions were a reaction to how Germany had been treated since World War I.
In January 1935, Lothian visited Germany and met with Adolf Hitler. He was impressed by the meeting. After returning to Britain, he stated that Germany did not want war and was ready to give it up if it was treated as an equal. Lothian saw himself as an unofficial diplomat working to improve relations between Britain and Germany. He was against boycotting the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. He thought that showing interest in Germany would encourage it to become more moderate.
After Germany remilitarized the Rhineland in March 1936, Lothian famously said it was like Germans walking into "their own back garden." He did not support punishing Germany for this action. He felt that France was responsible for many problems in Europe because it had tried to "humiliate and repress Germany."
In May 1937, he met Hitler again. This meeting focused on economic issues. Hitler's team argued for the return of Germany's former African colonies. Lothian became convinced that Hitler mainly wanted these colonies back. He also believed Hitler only wanted to unite with Austria and gain more rights for German minorities in Poland and Czechoslovakia. Lothian thought these demands were reasonable. He described National Socialism as a "fundamentally popular movement" and believed Hitler's power came from public support.
By early 1938, Lothian started to feel that the international situation was becoming dangerous. He thought Britain and France needed to show more strength. Despite some concerns, his friend Lord Halifax, the Foreign Secretary, decided to appoint Lothian as the British Ambassador to the United States. Lothian had many American friends, including President Roosevelt, and was known for supporting closer ties between Britain and America.
After the Munich Agreement in September 1938, Lothian felt relieved. He praised Prime Minister Chamberlain for refusing to believe that Hitler was beyond reason. However, after reading Hitler's book Mein Kampf in late 1938, Lothian became less supportive of Nazi Germany. He realized that Hitler's main goal was not just to revise the Treaty of Versailles, but to dominate Europe.
His views changed completely after Hitler occupied Czechoslovakia in March 1939. He wrote that Hitler was a "fanatical gangster" who would stop at nothing. In April 1939, Lothian spoke in favor of peacetime conscription in Britain to deter Germany from war.
Ambassador to the United States
In September 1939, Lothian became the British Ambassador to the United States. He held this important position until his death the following year. He played a crucial role in getting American support and economic aid for Britain's war effort. When he arrived in Washington D.C., Germany had just invaded Poland. President Roosevelt told Lothian that he sympathized with the Allies but had to follow America's neutrality laws.
Unlike previous ambassadors, Lothian actively sought media attention. He wanted to "educate" the American public about Britain's cause. He adopted a friendly, down-to-earth style, which appealed to Americans. He often joked about a portrait of King George III in the embassy, calling him the "founder of the American republic."
Lothian worked with American experts to promote British interests. He believed the best way to gain American support was to connect Britain's cause with American values. He also appointed William Stephenson to lead the British Security Co-ordination group in New York. This group handled secret operations to influence American public opinion.
In late 1939, Lothian had a disagreement with Winston Churchill, who was then First Lord of the Admiralty. Churchill had started writing directly to President Roosevelt, which Lothian felt undermined his role as ambassador. The issue was resolved, and Churchill agreed to share copies of his letters with Lothian.
In January 1940, Lothian faced a challenge when the U.S. State Department protested Britain's blockade of Germany. American ships were being stopped in the Atlantic. Lothian warned London that the blockade was hurting Britain's image in the U.S. He stressed that Britain needed to show Americans that its actions were necessary to win the war.
When Churchill became Prime Minister in May 1940, Anglo-American relations became even more important. Lothian found himself leading the most crucial British embassy in the world. In May 1940, Lothian suggested what became the destroyers-for-bases deal. Under this deal, the Royal Navy would receive 50 older American destroyers. In return, Britain would give the U.S. Navy and Air Force leases on British naval and air bases in the Caribbean and Newfoundland for 99 years.
Churchill was initially against the deal, feeling Britain was giving up too much. However, Lothian argued it would help with Britain's shortage of destroyers. He also pointed out that the deal would bring the United States closer to Britain. He believed it would create a joint defense of the New World. Lothian's efforts helped pave the way for the Destroyers for Bases deal, which was signed on 2 September 1940.
In his speeches to Americans, Lothian described Nazi Germany as a ruthless power aiming for world domination. He also explained that the British Empire was changing into the Commonwealth, where member nations like Canada and Australia chose to join the war freely. He promised that colonies like India would eventually gain self-governance. Lothian often highlighted the shared democratic heritage between Britain and the U.S. He even placed an original copy of the Magna Carta at the Library of Congress as a gift.
Lothian used the ideas of American historian Alfred Thayer Mahan, who wrote about the importance of sea power. Lothian argued that Britain's control of the seas protected the U.S. as well. He claimed that if Germany controlled the seas, it would eventually clash with the United States. Therefore, aiding Britain was the best way for the U.S. to avoid entering the war. In a speech in Chicago, a city known for its isolationist views, Lothian stated that the Royal Navy was the U.S.'s "first line of defense."
In July 1940, when Japan demanded that Britain close the Burma Road (which supplied arms to China), Lothian supported accepting the demand. He later suggested that the U.S. and Britain impose an oil embargo on Japan. This idea, though initially made in anger, contributed to the oil embargo that was eventually placed on Japan in 1941.
Lothian worked hard to inform the American public about Britain's desperate need for destroyers. He leaked a memo about the Royal Navy's destroyer shortage to the American media. This helped build public support for aid to Britain. By late 1940, the U.S. State Department trusted Lothian's reports more than those of the American ambassador in London.
During a trip to Britain in October 1940, Lothian urged Churchill to clearly explain Britain's financial situation to Roosevelt. Returning to New York in November 1940, he famously told journalists, "Well, boys, Britain's broke; it's your money we want." This statement, though controversial, helped push President Roosevelt to propose the Lend-Lease Program, which provided vital aid to Britain. Lothian also helped start the joint Anglo-American military organization called the Combined Chiefs of Staff.
Personal Life and Passing
The Kerr family had been raised in the Catholic Church. Philip Kerr himself considered becoming a priest at one point. However, he later became a Christian Scientist. He was very dedicated to this religion until the end of his life.
He passed away in Washington, D.C., in December 1940, at the age of 58. He had refused medical treatment as a Christian Scientist. His remains were cremated. Because sea travel was dangerous during the war, his ashes remained in the United States. They were buried at the USS Maine Mast Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery on 15 December 1940, after a funeral at the Washington National Cathedral. His ashes were finally returned to the United Kingdom in December 1945.
Philip Kerr never married and had no children. His cousin, Peter Kerr, 12th Marquess of Lothian, inherited his title. He left his country home, Blickling Hall, to the National Trust.
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Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian
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Philip Kerr's signature
