Norman Armour
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Norman Armour (October 14, 1887–September 27, 1982) was a career United States diplomat who the New York Times once called "the perfect diplomat". In his long career spanning both World Wars, he served as Chief of Mission in eight countries, as Assistant Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and married into Russian nobility.
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[edit] Career
Armour was born in Brighton, England while his parents were vacationing there. He grew up in Princeton, New Jersey and graduated from Princeton University in 1909. In 1913, he graduated from Harvard Law School before returning to Princeton to study diplomacy. His first posts were to Austria in 1912 and France from 1915-1916 before formally entering the Foreign Service.
[edit] Russia
One of his first assignments in the foreign service was as Second Secretary in the United States embassy in Petrograd in the Russian Empire, beginning in 1916 (during World War I). After the collapse of Czarist Russia, the Bolsheviks seized control of the government and signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the Central Powers which marked their exit from World War I. (These events precipitated the Russian Civil War which would lead to the formation of the Soviet Union in 1922.) Prior to the formal signing of the treaty, the United States partially evacuated their embassy, but Armour remained as part of the limited staff. On July 25, the Russian authorities ordered the diplomats out of Petrograd and a new legation was set up in Vologda. The North Russia Campaign, an Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War, further destabilized the situation and resulted in the legation becoming essentially under siege. (The Russian army had already attacked the British consulate and killed its Attache.) At this point, the order of events for Armour becomes somewhat unclear. According to news reports of the time, Armour was arrested and brought back to Moscow, where he and other Americans (diplomats and otherwise) were allowed to flee the country on August 26, by train to Sweden, arriving on September 5. Later, it was revealed that Armour had during this period used a fake Norwegian passport and, disguised as a courier, snuck back into Petrograd and arranged for Princess Myra Koudacheff of Petrograd to escape the country. (Contrary to the contemporary reports, his obituary in the New York Times also says that he did not travel in the refugee train from Moscow, but rather escaped himself to Finland, still disguised as a courier, where he caught up with them.) On November 2, shortly after they arrived back in the United States, they announced their engagement. They were married February 2, 1919 in Brussels, Belgium.
Over the following years, Armour would serve in a number of embassies and consulates, including those in Belgium, The Netherlands, Uruguay, Italy, the Department of State (1922-1924), Japan (1925-1928), and France (1928-1932).
[edit] France
In 1929, after the death of Myron T. Herrick on March 31, 1929, Armour was made Chargé d'affaires and Head of the Embassy in Paris until the selection of a replacement. This was Armour's first time as Chief of Mission. Armour was also an extremely popular social figure in France and he and his wife were often written about in American newspapers, flaunting the Parisian high life.
[edit] Haiti
In 1932, Armour would be elevated to Envoy and assigned as Minister to Haiti. His primary responsibility in Haiti was to work toward returning the government of the country back to native hands at the conclusion of the United States occupation of Haiti which had been in effect since prior to World War I. He was selected to the position due to his fluency in French, but also as a sign to the Haitians that the United States would put a well-respected diplomat in their country. On August 7, 1933, Armour signed a treaty with Haiti to return government functions to the Haitians by October of 1944 and to withdraw the United States Marines stationed there by November of 1944. (The plan would actually succeed ahead of schedule as Marines left the country on August 14, 1934.)
[edit] Canada
After the death in office of Warren Delano Robbins, Armour was made Minister to Canada. His appointment to Canada so soon after his success in Haiti was meant to underscore Canada's importance to the United States, according to the New York Times.
During his time in Canada, the State Department banned marriages between diplomatic personnel and the citizens of foreign countries they served due to potential conflict of interest problems. Though there were at this time 122 diplomats that had taken foreign wives, Armour's high-profile relationship with his highborn Russian wife and the way in which they were engaged were commonly cited by the press on both sides of the issue.
[edit] Chile & Argentina
In 1938, Armour was appointed as Ambassador to Chile, a post which he served relatively uneventfully. The following year, he was appointed as Ambassador to Argentina as the Second World War was heating up. During this period, Armour worked to negotiate better trade relations with these South American countries, and once the United States entered the war, to apply pressure on them to not support the Axis Powers. (One of the provisions of the treaty that he helped negotiate essentially cut off the supply of Tungsten to Japan from Argentina. Imports from that country to Japan accounted for half of that country's supply.) However, Argentina refused to budge off key issues and remained ostensibly neutral.
In 1941, Armour was made honorary director of the 1st Pan-American Games which were to be held in 1942. Unfortunately, the games were called off due to the war.
Near the end of the war, on January 26, 1944, Argentina finally caved to pressure from Britain and the United States and broke ties with the Axis Powers. However, almost immediately after, Edelmiro Julián Farrell seized power in a coup from President Pedro Pablo Ramírez. As a result of this turmoil, the United States refused to recognize the legitimacy of the new government. Armour was ordered to remain in Argentina, but not to officially establish relations of any kind with the new government until a list of conditions were met. The United States officially suspended relations with the country on March 3, 1944, believing that the coup was backed by pro-Axis groups. Armour was officially recalled June 27, 1944.
After his recall, Armour was made acting-Chief of the Department of Latin American Affairs in the State Department, until his appointment the following year to Spain.
[edit] Spain & Retirement
In Spain, Armour continued to apply pressure on the government of Francisco Franco due in part to its support of the Axis powers during the Second World War. On his retirement on November 29, 1945, the United States further isolated Spain by refusing to send another Ambassador until 1951. (During that period, the embassy remained open with a Chargé d'Affaires.)
In 1947, Armour came out of retirement to serve as an Assistant Secretary of State of Political Affairs under George C. Marshall. On July 15, 1948, he retired for a second time. Three years later, in 1950, Armour was asked out of retirement again to serve as Ambassador to Venezuela. In 1954, he came out of retirement for a third time to serve as Ambassador to Guatemala, a post he only served in for seven months.
According to an interview in 1976, Armour indicated that he was proudest of his work in 1954, protesting the attacks of Joseph R. McCarthy on the members of the Foreign Service.
Armour died in 1982 and was buried in Princeton Cemetery.
| Preceded by Myron T. Herrick |
United States Ambassador to France 1929 Chargés d'affaires ad interim |
Succeeded by Walter E. Edge |
| Preceded by Dana G. Munro |
United States Ambassador to Haiti 1932–1935 Minister Plenipotentiary |
Succeeded by George A. Gordon |
| Preceded by Warren Delano Robbins |
United States Ambassador to Canada 1935–1938 Minister Plenipotentiary |
Succeeded by Daniel C. Roper |
| Preceded by Hoffman Philip |
United States Ambassador to Chile 1938–1939 |
Succeeded by Claude G. Bowers |
| Preceded by Alexander W. Weddell |
United States Ambassador to Argentina 1939–1944 |
Succeeded by Spruille Braden |
| Preceded by Carlton J. H. Hayes |
United States Ambassador to Spain 1945 |
Succeeded by Stanton Griffis |
| Preceded by Walter J. Donnelly |
United States Ambassador to Venezuela 1950-1951 |
Succeeded by Fletcher Warren |
| Preceded by John E. Peurifoy |
United States Ambassador to Guatemala 1954-1955 |
Succeeded by Edward J. Sparks |
[edit] References
- Allied Ambassadors Still In Petrograd. New York Times. New York, N.Y.: Feb 26, 1918. pg. 2, 1 pgs
- Bolsheviki Regime Practically at War With Allied Powers. The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Ga.: Aug 15, 1918. pg. 1, 2 pgs
- Americans Flee From Bolsheviki. The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Ga.: Sep 8, 1918. pg. 3, 1 pgs
- Story of Allied Consuls' Withdrawal From Russia Bares Bolshevik Threats. The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: Sep 15, 1918. pg. 17, 1 pgs
- To Wed Russian Princess. New York Times. New York, N.Y.: Nov 2, 1918. pg. 15, 1 pgs
- Embassy Secretary Back from Russia. New York Times. New York, N.Y.: Nov 6, 1918. pg. 24, 1 pgs
- Marriage Announcement. New York Times. New York, N.Y.: Feb 3, 1919. pg. 15, 1 pgs
- Hoover Appoints Norman Armour Envoy to Haiti. Chicago Daily Tribune. Chicago, Ill.: Aug 14, 1932. pg. 3, 1 pgs
- Armour Appointed Minister to Haiti. New York Times. New York, N.Y.: Aug 14, 1932. pg. 14, 1 pgs
- Treaty Signed with Haiti for Marines' Withdrawal. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, Calif.: Aug 8, 1933. pg. 1, 1 pgs
- Our Minister to Canada. New York Times. New York, N.Y.: May 22, 1935. pg. 18, 1 pgs
- Armour Gets Games Post. New York Times. New York, N.Y.: Sep 14, 1941. pg. S8, 1 pgs
- Argentina Sells U.S. All Tungsten. Arnaldo Cortesi. New York Times. New York, N.Y.: Nov 28, 1941. pg. 1, 2 pgs
- U.S. to Hold Up Recognition of Argentina Chief. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, Calif.: Mar 5, 1944. pg. 1, 2 pgs
- Recall Armour in New Blow at Argentine Rule. Chicago Daily Tribune. Chicago, Ill.: Jun 28, 1944. pg. 8, 1 pgs
- Armour New Head of U.S. Latin Bureau. New York Times. New York, N.Y.: Jul 19, 1944. pg. 10, 1 pgs
- Armour Quits Post Today. New York Times. New York, N.Y.: Dec 1, 1945. pg. 2, 1 pgs
- Norman Armour Named Assistant Secretary of State. Chicago Daily Tribune. Chicago, Ill.: Jun 10, 1947. pg. 33, 1 pgs
- Norman Armour Retires Again. New York Times. New York, N.Y.: Jul 16, 1948. pg. 8, 1 pgs
- Norman Armour, 94, Dies. By Alvin Krebs. New York Times. New York, N.Y.: Sep 29, 1982. pg. D26, 1 pgs
[edit] External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Armour, Norman |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American diplomat |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 14, 1887 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Brighton, England |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 27, 1982 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
