-Caveat Lector- from: http://www.usembassy.org.uk/ukamb1.html | American Embassy London | Ambassador Philip Lader | September 12, 1997 The Swearing-in of Philip Lader as Ambassador of the United States of America to the Court of St. James's Washington -- Philip Lader was sworn in September 12 as U.S. ambassador to the Court of St. James's by Vice President Gore. In a ceremony that attracted more than 200 people to the 8th floor Diplomatic Reception Room of the State Department, Lader described the U.S. relationship with Britain as "enduring" and "knit in ways intellect cannot fully fathom." Lader follows Ambassador William Crowe Jr., a retired chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Following are the Lader's remarks, followed by a poem by Rita Dove, a personal friend of Lader's and a former poet laureate of the United States, in honor of the occasion: Remarks of Philip Lader at his Swearing-in as Ambassador of the United States of America to the Court of St. James's September 12, 1997 Mr. Vice President, thank you for taking the exceptional trouble to honor my family and me today. The degree to which the President and you have worked together for our country is unprecedented in American history. And in the hours I have spent side-by-side with you, it has been clear to me that I have never worked with anyone more conscientious or more honorable. What has mystified me, though, is that some of my friends believe my principal role in this Administration has been to make you look less serious and intense by comparison. Aren't we both fortunate to have friends like these to help us take seriously our jobs, not ourselves! I do take seriously, however, the fact that this day would not have come for me but for the most generous, loving, spirited and spirit-filled person I have ever known, my best friend and wife, Linda LeSourd Lader. Don't you agree? When Winston Churchill stayed at the White House for three weeks in 1942, the President and the Prime Minister met for hours every day; in the evenings, they would retire to their bedrooms to work late into the night and freely visit each other. Once, as Roosevelt's aide Harry Hopkins used to tell the story, FDR was wheeled into his guest's room and entered as Churchill emerged from the bathroom, "start naked and gleaming pink from his bath." As Roosevelt tried to leave, Churchill protested, "The Prime Minister of Great Britain has nothing to hide from the President of the United States." Though Churchill's recollection was different, the point is well taken. In that context and in this setting, two words have deeper resonance for me today. Relationships: The relationship of Roosevelt's and Churchill's successors in 1997 is one from which our children's children will benefit. The United States and the United Kingdom have an enduring friendship. It is as important today as it was during the Second World War, as vibrant today as any time in history. The bonds between our two great nations reach far beyond language, history, and family, far deeper than national security or vast investments. As we observed in our response to the tragic loss of the Princess of Wales, hearts in America, England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are knit in ways intellect cannot fully fathom. I learned this, too, leaving a lecture hall at Oxford three decades ago, when I was informed, Kathleen, of your father's death. I witnessed Britain mourning with us in 1968. Relationships we hold most dear are fragile. My friends have often heard me refer to the many balls we all juggle in our lives. Some of us may even take pride in how many we can juggle simultaneously. Most of those balls are made of rubber; if we drop one of these, it is likely to bounce back, and we can continue on. But some of those balls -- particularly the relationships between family and friends, between allies -- are made of the most precious crystal. If we let one of these glass balls fall, it may smash and be lost. I am commissioned today to be one of the stewards of a historic "special relationship." The second word? Gratitude. I first was given the gift of birth in this country. Now, Linda and I are deeply humbled by the President's naming a son of immigrants to represent our Nation and him at the Court of St. James's. We thank the Senate for swift confirmation. But all of you have helped make this possible. Mr. Vice President, you recognize our mutual friends from Washington. But also with us today, from 26 States, are many of Linda's and my most cherished friends. I thank them for coming here, of course, but even more for "being there" with me, some for 20, 30 or 40 years. Classmates and pastors. Linda's high school principal and my favorite college dean. Our housekeeper and friend from Winthrop. Dozens of South Carolinians who share with us scars from sundry battles. Friends from a mountain top in Africa; others from our days in Australia. I was dorm proctor to one friend here. When he learned that my mother was worried about my going to study abroad, he changed his spring vacation plans, flew to England, and took movies of where I would be living to allay her concerns. Three brothers here, contemporaries of mine, long ago adopted me into their family. Two other brothers here, a generation older, took a chance and allowed me, at 33, to be president of their family company. For 12 years, eight CEO's and I have served as an informal "board of directors" for each other, all of them are here today. This gathering, I must admit, Mr. Vice President, includes more than a few Republicans, but they have open minds. (Well, most of them do.) You are the family and friends who know my warts, yet whose encouragement has been constant. But I am most grateful to giants not here. Our family's blessings have come, in great measure, from the prayers and stern disciplines of Mary Catherine's two grandmothers, whose names she bears. Whitaker was named after her great-grandmother, who was memorialized as "Christy." Our inheritance from her and from Linda's father is their example that there is no higher calling than to be kind; that with every privilege, there is an obligation to serve. Those of you who knew my parents and aunt, their sacrifices, understand. My mother, with no college education, taught three generations of ten-year-olds and was, for each, their most memorable teacher. The last time I saw my father was when he said goodbye as I left to fulfill my childhood dream of studying at Oxford, and he returned to his job as a short-order cook, working nights to ensure that his 21-year-old son could continue his education. In their memory -- and as I stated to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee -- I pledge my energies not only to the salient matters of government and diplomacy; but also to the arts and letters, the streets and fields; to the industries and the entrepreneurs; to those who innovate, to those in need; all of which preserve and strengthen the heritage and common cause of America and the United Kingdom. This I commit with profound gratitude, treasuring relationships, ours and our Nation's. To the President, the Vice President, the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of State, Members of Congress, my family, all of you, for your friendship, confidence, and support, I thank you. EMBARKATION How does one measure a journey? In miles or kilometers, moments or monuments, as a bell-shaped curve or a slow climb toward light? Push off, set sail -- what a festival! What fanfare and cheer, what a chorus of smiles! There, at the lip of the sky, at the tip of the ocean, what is it that flutters -- a bird, or a handkerchief? Look! Each departure holds the promise of a new arrival, calling out Bon Voyage, then: Welcome home. -- Rita Dove For Phil Lader Upon His Appointment As Ambassador To The Court of St. James's September 12, 1997 1997 by Rita Dove. All Rights Reserved ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- | American Embassy London | Ambassador Philip Lader | DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! 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