Egerton Herbert Norman
Egerton Herbert Norman (born September 1, 1909 in Karuizawa , † April 4, 1957 in Cairo ) was a Canadian Japanologist and diplomat .
Life path
Egerton Herbert Norman was born the son of a missionary in Japan and studied modern Japanese history. After the Second World War, Norman became Canada's Ambassador to Japan and later became his country's chief UN delegate. The American intelligence chief Charles Willoughby believed to have discovered a Russian spy in him and obtained his recall from Japan without the allegations ever having been proven.
Norman fell victim to anti-communism . Before the McCarran committee, Karl August Wittfogel denounced Norman's communist contacts and suspected membership in the communist party. Herbert Norman had actually joined the party, as he wrote in a private letter, out of admiration for the communist struggle in Spain , but he denied this before the committee. Norman's real career was over. As a diplomat in Cairo, he evaded re-investigation by suicide in 1957 , which led to public outrage in Canada and significant diplomatic conflict between Canada and the United States. "Norman's suicide," commented The New York Times at the time, "has shamed the American government and its members."
Literature and Sources
- ^ Charles Andrew Willoughby, Major General, United States Army (as of December 14, 2004)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Norman, Egerton Herbert |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Canadian Japanologist, diplomat, victim of the McCarthy era |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 1, 1909 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Karuizawa (Nagano) |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 4th 1957 |
| Place of death | Cairo |