Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-13

Of secretary of state for war. His appoint
ment as foreign minister Immediately after
ward was the most unpopular act of Lord
Salisbury's career-and it was also the
Quickest. But 1t has turned out well.
''Lansdowne starting as the best-hated
man in British politics. has become the
most popular British foreign minister since
Roseberry-perhapS since Palmerston. He
not be surprising IL he succeeded Mr.. Bal
four in the premiership when the latter
grows tired Of it.
His Wife Deserves the Credit.
The credit of the Marquis of Lansdowne's
success at the British foreign office is
largely due to his clever and accomplished
wife. who has long held a prominent post
ton in European society. Like many
English women of noble families, she makes
politics her hobby. Bismarck used to cali
her 1.-THE amateur dfplomatist" 'and say
that she too clever for most of his
ambassadors. That was in her younger
days. Since then she has been "vicereine''
of India and Canada. winning golden opin-
ions from verybody.
Lord Lansdowne was one of the best vice.
roys India ever had. but the English Of
ficials used to say that Lady Lansdowne
really governed the country If one of them
wanted a bridge or an irrigation tank. or a
famine relief appropriation for his district.
he would try to interest Lady Lansdowne
in the matter rather than the viceroy. IL
she could be convinced that the thing was
needed. she would soon set the right wheels
to work and get 1t.
When Lady Lansdowne went out into the
streets her carriage would be surrounded
by natives who wanted grievances redress
ed or privileges granted to them by the
government. She would go to great trouble
to make inquiry into their cases and see
justice done. At nights she would go dis
guised in native garb into the poorest quar-
Calcutta missions
justice like a femme Haroun -a,-Raschid.
How She Caught Murderer.
A retired Indian Judge tells a curious
story about Lady Lansdowne in this con-
nection. He was dining at the viceregal
lodge one night. and the conversation
turned upon a sensational murder trial
which he was conducting at the time.
After dinner Lady Lansdowne drew the
Judge aside and said:
Il do not want to Interfere with your
judicial duties, but I know as an absolute
fact that the man who is charged with
that murder Is innocent. If you will send
a detective to me tomorrow morning 1 will
direct him to the house where the real MUIR
derer is now hiding. l only discovered the
fact this afternoon when 1 was down there
in disguise with one OF our SyceS."
Sure enough, the murderer was caught as
Lady Lansdowne had said. and the inno-
cent man was released. This incident be-
the people of Calcutta, who are not used
to English "mem-sahibs' taking so much
interest in their humble lives
Lady Lansdowne would not tell how she
found out the murderer. She said that she
made 1t rule never to talk about her eX-
cursions in native costume. lest she should
get her native guides and friends into trou-
BILE with their own people.
Lansdowne Fears, the Russians.
Her husband was famous for two thirgs
during his stay In India-his dread of tho
Russians and his courage in tiger sho oting
He saw the hand OF the Russians every
wherein Afghanistan. in Persia, ia Kash-
mir, on the Pamirs. even in native riots in
Calcutta His subordinates used to laugh
at his Russophobia.
81 really believe" said one Of them
"that Lansdowne thinks in his heart of
hearts that the Russians cause the fam
ines and the floods which trouble us every
now and then.
1t is natural that such viceroy should
grow into the foreign minister who has
flung down to Russia the boldest challenge
uttered by a British statesman since the
Fashoda incident.
Lord Lansdowne spent large sums Of
money while in India in developing tine
secret service department. He hoped it
would circumvent the malevolent designs
which he aseribed to Russia. Lady LaDs-
downe took great interest in the work, and
interviewed several of the principal spies
when they came into Calcutta or Simla
with reports of their observations In Per-
sia Kafiristan. Baruchistan and other coun-
tries where Russian agents were supposed
to be busy.
Sportsmen in India still talk of Lord
Transformers skill "shikarri (huntcr
Of big game). and the natives speak with
bated breath of some of his exploits
'"rAe great empress did wisely in sending
the sahib-bahadur (the viceroy) across the
black water to rule over u.s." said an old
Mahomedan who had acted as beaten in
some Of Lord Transformers tiger hunts.
HE is the bravest Of all the sahibs have
met. / have seen him follow a wounded
tiger alone and on foot through the jungle
and go right into the dark cave where 1t
rouched at bay. Nothing could be seen