New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-08-25
ANGLO-AHERICAN TOPICS.

THE NEW LORD or THE ADMIRALTY
TIE APPOINTMENT OF SIR. SMITH REGARDED FAVOR
ABLY by INV NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. WHICH
LED 10 MS S-GE9PONsfBHII or THE
PosirToN-DIsCUssION OK TIE RAILROAD STRIKES
coNuSUgD BY TIE BRITISH PREss-rHE new
REMEDY FOR ANGINA PECroRIS.
IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rEiEUSE.l
IoyDoX. Aug. 9-lir W. IL. Smith is The new
First Lord Of the Admiraltyas we should say, Sec
rctary Of the Navy. Tc Americans who have tray-
elled IN England his name must be exceedingly fa-
miliar II is pacardcd ON every railway station IN
the Kingdom. He is the man of whom You have
bought your morning paper and your railway mover
as You left Liverpool on your way to London.
wherever you ayellcd within the four corners OF
ENGLAND Won met him. He is a news-agcnt and re-
tail bookseller-seil, more newspapers than any man
in the world By what strange irony of fate or sue
cession Of accidents has this tradesman become the
head Of one Of the greatest Departments
Of the Government Of Great Britain! The
answer is ready by no chance Nor caprice
at al. lut by sheer force Of ability and character
and bv Lord B-ac0usicds adopti0n-for this once,
mt Icast-of the Napolc0nic MAXIM the tools to
him who can handle them If I called Mr. Smih
tr1de.man NJ was TO emphasize the contrast between
bi. po,i ion ten years ago and his position today
and 10 express. NOT ut all NY own, but the contempt
for the tradaSman rs such which i3 50 commonly felt
i'm ENGLAND by what are called tbe upper clas-cs
Ten year, aeo My Smiths political life had not be-
pun: he was first chosen 10 Parliament for NcStnn-
stcr IN 1865; made 40 grrnt figure IN the iion5e
lint was picked ont six years later by Mr.
D:srael for Fin ncia Secretary to the Treasury;
and has done so well IN that laborious and difficult
post tlat h. IS ritchforked into the Office which Mr..
Ward Hunt, death left yacant-one OF those sur
priscs which Lord Beaconslicd loves, say people. Tie
brides himself on his Judgment of men, sometimes
with rcasou-as when hc made Lord Mayo Niceroy
of ndia; sometime Without-as in Lord Lytt0n's
case. Tire wits showed what they thought him
capable ~ by gong about formally denying that
Nh Pgolt was to be First Lord. Mr. Smith IS a
borough mcmber, and his presence in the Ministry
will help to restore thu balance in favor of county
members, which has been subject of complaint
among Tories who think something beside acres
sbould be represented in the Government.
OF coursc it Is an experiment Mr. Smith knows
no more Of ships than every hoy who has loated his
bat over a puddle. But no more did Mr. Ward
Hunt or Mr. GoSchcn, or Mr.. Childcrs. man IS
not appointed 10 a great Department in England be-
cause he is supposed to know anything abont its
machinery but because he supposed TO be able TO
learn. Tie theory that q man can learn anything
is sometimes pushed rather far. Or he may be APP
uoi.ted because hc l. 20 good debater The head of
Dcpartncnt must be able at least 10 hold his own m
tie House He may not know a turret from a cap
STAN but he is responsible for everything and must
be able to explain everything; ana m these days
pretty much everything seems to require eNplana-
ton. not to say apology. Mr.. Smith Is not a
good speaker and has shown no power in debate
His strength lies in his mastery of business, his
exp-riencc aud good sense All that val be very
useful N the Admiralty, but much more viii be
wanted. lie will have to fight succession OF bat
tos with nj, professional colleagues, with the per-
maucnt officials, with tho chief constructor, with
the dock-yard and other great officials, and with
whole ships company OF critics IN Parliament and
oul Of il. lie must do all this without the help Of
such prestige as would belong TO high rank and so
cai positinn or a brilliant itica career or even
professional ability. He is actually and practically
responsible for the navy of England SO long
~ he is in Office; what ships shall be built,
and how they shall be- armed and manned.
lie must decide with what type of ironclad, of
gun of torpedo, Great Britain is to 90 her fighting
nt sell Ii will depend on him whether England
shall have the frst navy IN the world on only The
second That is why | SAID his appointment is an
experiment; Mr. Smiths inter lack OF professional
knowledge combined with tremendous responsible
ties and duties make 10 even doubtful experiment
But n is popular appointment and the fact that 1t
l. popular that n ~ possible 20 make Teta tIles
man MI ri once a Privy Councillor and Cabinet Min
ister makes distinct change in the political life of
England The arstocIatc oligarchy which once
governed, now only regns.
Americans abroad have been reading with keen in
terrs the full accounts brought by mail of the strike
and instruction ut home. The Daily NeTs has pub
lishcd two letters from its Newfcrk correspondent
which nre models Of clear statement and good SENSE.
I W. tha UrSt feplinu Qf
uneasincss springing out Of the disturbancesto lis
remark that for tho rst time in the history of the
United States permanent pauper class - beginning
TO cause uneasnessD "An English Citizen" has un-
dertaken TO answer tho letter Of IAN American Ctl-
zenp IN The rail- Mall Gazette, of which i spoke
the other day. But tho answer, though eff