Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-05
.IRELAND'S V|CEROY
Lord Dudley is the Peace
maker Of England.
BROKE RED-TAPE BONDS
MADE A TOUR AMONG IRISH TO
LEARN THEIR NEEDS.
Stories Of His Career as q Municipal
Administrator at Home-Has
q Charming Wife.
BROKE RED-TAPE BONDS

warming VIE.
Written for The Evening Star by Bassett Staines
Copyright, 1903, by T. c. McClure.)
When King Edward and Queen Alexan-
dra visited Ireland the other day they were
warmly greeted: but the crowds cheered
just as heartily for Lord and Lady Dudley,
who piloted the king and queen around
Dublin And with good reason. Lord Dud-
ley is the man who is making peace be-
tween England and Ireland.
He is the most popular viceroy Ireland
has ever had" Is the verdict of an Irish
nationalist member of parliament. 'Viceroy
after Viceroy have come here with the no
ton that they are the heads of an English
garrison in hostile country. They have
stayed in Dublin Castle surrounded by old
fashioned. prejudiced officials and have
learned nothing about the people or the
country except through official reports and
minutes They have allowed themselves to
be swathed like mummies in red tape, and
then they have wondered why their admin
1stratton was failure
Worrying the officials.
mot so Lord Dudley. AS soon as he was
made lord lieutenant and took up the reins
OF government in Dublin the officials
swarmed around him and expected him to
| simply o. X all their proposals like an
automaton, as his predecessors had DONE
But he politely declined. saying. in effect:
I'm going among the people to find out
things myself. | won't do anything blind
folded When I come back I'll consider
your schemes on their merits. I am going
to make tour through Ireland in my auto
mobile
alone? the officials gasped. Tt is mad
| ness. my lord. You will be assassinated'
No. not alone. Lady Dudley Is going
with me-
I'm vain the officials fmplored him to give
among the people as friend. and he was
sure they would receive him one.
$50 they did. That automobile trip was a
triumphal progress. Lord and Lady Dud-
ley both possess the golden art Of making
friends. They made themselves SO popu-
lar that anybody who had even insulted
Them much less harmed them, would have
run a good chance Of being mobbed.
How Lord Dudley Got to Know.
"Often they would stop their automobile
at peasants cottage, beg glass of milk,
and chat for hours with the family. Lord
Dudley would get the husbands Views
about politics and the land question. while
Lady Dudley would find out from the wife
all about the Woman's side of Irish life
and the need for revfving the lace-making
craft and other old Industries which would
give employment 10 the girls
They didn't go to the big country houses
Of their acquaintances. for they knew the
landlords views already. They gathered
information from the blacksmith, the viii
lage tradesman. the rural constable, the
postman and the cottager. Lord Dudley
would sit up of nights drinking whisky
with the parish priest and getting to know
the truth about Ireland as no lord-lieuten-
ant ever knew 1t before. He would even
dance with the country girls at the cross
roads on Sundays. and go around the cot
tages expressing learned opinions as to the
value of the family pig. When he returned
to Dublin he had made hosts of friends
everywhere. and there was hardly phase
of Irish life with which he was unfamiliar.
A Policy Of Peace.
"Then." continued the speaker "he hor-
rified the officials by bursting all the bonds
of red tape and rejecting their schemes for
more coercion. In hundred different d.
rections he initiated peace-making policy
which eliminated eventually in the great
Irish land purchase bill. Most wonderful
Of ALL he-a great landlord-went among his
friends the Irish landlords. and talked to
them like Dutch uncle until he convinced
them that 1t was folly to remain in open
warfare with their own tenants.
George WyndhaRn. the Irish secretary
has aided this policy Of peace. and so have
others: but we 1rishmen are convinced that
the credit Is mainly due to King Edward
the king. who Is an intimate personal
friend Of Lord Dudley, inspired his appoint
ment and backed up his policy from first to
last One thing Is certain. While Lord
Dudley remains at the head OF affairs.
there Is not likely to be any serious trouble
in Ireland"
Lord Dudley the great peacemaker, is a
remarkable man in many ways. He is one
of the richest peers in Great Britain. He
has no need Of his salary of 800 900 year
as lord-lieutenant Of Ireland. Indeed, the
cost Of maintaining his viceregal position
far exceeds that sum. His collieries in the
BLACK Country alone return him over
100000 year. and he also owns large de-
posts OF minerals in Stafkordshire and Wor-
cestershire. large iron works. big agricul-
tura1 estates in various parts of England,
ana plantations in Jamaica and other West
Indian islands.
At first sight nobody would take him for
the thoughtful statesman and clever adj
ministrator he has proved himself to be.
He Is just jolly, blum. good-nature coun-
NJ. F. H., whose principal worry is the
health of his horses and hounds. There is,
indeed, no better sportsman in England
His word is law in the Jockey Club, the
Ranelaugh Club and the Royal Yacht
squadron-three of the most exclusive
sporting clubs in the world.
An Excellent Mayor.
Yet this wealthy peer, who has all the |
money and titles man can wish for, and |
every inducement to live life of idle lux |
ury, works as hard at the difficult trade CT