SIMON , JOHN ALLSEBROOK SIMON, 1ST VISCOUNT

born Feb. 28, 1873, Manchester, Eng.

died Jan. 11, 1954, London

British politician.

A successful lawyer, he served in the House of Commons (1906–18, 1922–40). In the 1930s he led the Liberal National Party and served successively as foreign secretary (1931–35), home secretary (1935–37), and chancellor of the Exchequer (1937–40). Favouring rapprochement with Germany, he supported the appeasement policy of Neville Chamberlain and the Munich agreement . In 1940 Simon was appointed lord chancellor in Winston Churchill 's wartime coalition ministry and was created a viscount.