Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-10
OLD BLOCK AND CHIP
New Anecdotes Of Joe"
Chamberlain and Son.
RESEMBLE EACH OTHER
YOUTHFUL APPEARANCE
IS STILL MARKED.
Son Has Realized an Ambition That
Father Failed to
Fulfil.

| house of commons was the scene of an ex-
| traordinary sCrimmage.
| 1.-THE members says one chronicler.
| poured into the chamber in a pushing,
! bustling, vociferating crowd. One white
| haired member of an age almost that OF the
venerable premier was thrown down under
| the feet of the crowd. The Irish members
| engaged in a tusstle for places which re-
| sembled foot ball scrimmage.'
In that fierce struggle Mr.. Joseph Cham
berlan, probably the strongest opponent of
| the bill, would have lost his seat had not his
son Austen dashed ahead through the crowd
and kept it until his father arrived Austen.
who became chancellor of the exchequer
wnen his father and the preceding chancel-
| Ior c.. r Richie, recently resigned from
| the cabinet, had just been elected member
| of parliament. 1t was his first day In the
| house. but he showed an astonishing ability
to fight for his own and his fathers IN
| terests.
Behold a parallel said an old liberal
| politician. Hes keeping Joe's seat warm
| now but some day he will sit in 1t by his
own right. Keep your eye on that young
man. He's a chip of the old block and
some day he will do great things.
| Everybody remarked how wonderfully the
| son resembled the father. He was his dou-
BILE. The same eye-glass. the same orchid,
| the same immaculate frock coat, spotless
| linen and neat necktie, the same spare,
| clean-cut, cold. expressionless face, the
| same black hair brushed fiat on the scalp
| as If it were plastered down.
Hes the very image of Joe,' everybody
| said "Will he be like him in character and
| ability?'
His Maiden Speech.
| Time proved Three months after he was
| elected a member of parliament Austen
Chamberlain made his maiden speech in the
house of commons on the home rule bill. 1t
| was brilliant speech, and everybody then
| remarked how marvelously the son resem-
bled the father in expression. mannerisms,
| style of speaking and trend Of thought, as
| well as in face and dress. Mr.. Gladstone,
who for years had been the fathers bitter
| political enemy. took occasion of the sons
! triumph to pay both of them a pretty COM
| pliment.
| THE previous speakers he said when
replying on the whole debate prime min
| lister, have evaded the real point at issue.
! The only exception 1 remember was in the
| speech of the honorable member for East
| Worcestershire (Mr. Austen Chamberlain.
l viii not embark on any elaborate eulogy
| of that speech. l will endeavor to sum up
| in few words what [ desire to say of it.
| 1t was speech that must nave been dear
| and refreshing to fathers heart. 1t was
a speech that foretells great career
| Mr.. Gladstone was not wont to be effu
| sve in his praise. This compliment of his
| riveted public attention on Austen Oh amber
| lain from the start of his career and led the
public to expect great things of him. 1t has
| not been disappointed. He has shown great
ability in debate and in administration and
| fairly earned the successive government
| positions to which he has been appointed.
| Even his opponents have never alleged that
| he was unfit, that he obtained his promo
| ton merely because he was the of his
| father.
| Is Still Unmarried
Austen Chamberlain is the eldest son, and
| has never married, although he is now forty
years old. In that respect only does he diff
| fer markedly from his father, who had been
| twice widowed when he reached that age.
There is a very strong bond of affection
| and mutual respect between the two men,
| The son still lives with his father Though
| he is midde-aged and wealthy statesman
| he has never set up an establishment of his
| own. Both men find their greatest pleasure
and recreation in each others society.
| They go to and from the house of COM
mons together arm in arm twice a day when
| the house is in session; they frequent the
same club, the Devonshire; they are both
| fond of an evening together at the theatcr
| when the house is not sitting; and they both
| take great pains to eude the interviewer
and hide their private life from the gaze of
| the public.
| 1t is curious how little the public knows
| OF joseph Chamberlain the man. Because
| he is keen and cynical in debate, a hard hit
| ter and a fearless foe. the impression has
| got abroad that he is a MephistopheIian
| kind of person His son Austen having
| adopted the same public manner is similar
| ly judged. Yet it would be difficult to find
| two men with warmer hearts and keener
| sympathies. two men who love their fellow
men in a more practical way. Their private
| charities in Birmingham and London are
countless
Both Are Liked.
| Good fellows. both of EN-" was the YER
| dict of an old Birmingham artisan II
| don't agree with their politics. but they've
| done a tremendous lot for this city. Joe
was always good fellow from the time he
entered the town council when mere boy
| and Austen takes after him.
II remember when Joe first started out.
away back in the seventies. to make Bir-
mingham decent place There was moth
in but dirt and nastness to live in, then
nothin' but stinks and smells. The young
uns died Off like flies, and the old folks
soaked beer all the time 1t was their only
comfort in that ell of place
But Joe got the worst streets pulled
down and every place made decent. Night
and day he went round the slums looking
after the sick and the poor. giving away
barrels of money. finding jobs for the loaf
ers, and persuading men to go to work in
stead of getting drunk and knocking their
wives and children about.
Austen does that kind o work here now
but don't see the old gentleman much
nowadays. / hear. though that he does a
powerful lot O. good in London"
a stranger would take Joseph and Austen
Chamberlain for brothers. not father and
son. The former is nearly seventy. but
does not look more than fifty. He has never
looked his age.
Jesse Ceilings. Mr.. Chamberlain's political
lieutenant used to be fond of telling stories
about how his chief was mistaken for a
young man even after he became a cabinet
minister
Once they We're travelling together in
Spain. They missed their steamer at Malaga
and went aboard a small tramp to try to ar
range for passage to Gibraltar. The cap
tain. who did not know them, said:
I've got no accommoda ton for passen-
gers; but the old gentleman'-pointing to
Mr. Collings-"can have my bunk and the
youngster must rough 1t on the Sofa
The "youngster'' cabinet minister
| over fifty years old, and less than five
years younger than his te-haired COM
panion.
Shortly before Mr.. Chamberlain was mar
ried a second time a woman who met him
| in Birmingham for the first time exclaimed
| in establishment:
His Boyish Looks.
els that Mr.. Chamberlain? Why. 1 hear
he's a widower and a great man In this
CITY. He doesn't look as If he were old
enough to be married. He looks just like a
clever, well-dressed boy" At that time Mr..