Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-17

7YNDHAM used to be too beauti-
M full" said famous London sculp-
N tor recently, but / have noticed
lately that the big work he Is
80 doing has strengthened the lines
In his face and given 1t the last touch 1t
needed to make 1t well-nigh ideal. 1 don't
mean that 1t was ever a weak face-only
that Il was almost too perfect"
His classic outline is one of the remark
able things about George Wyndham, who,
as Great Britain's chief secretary for Ire
land, has drawn the attention OF the world
20 himself by his Irish land bill, Even men
admire his six-foot figure of perfect pro-
portions, his finely cut face, his brilliant
eyes, his dark hair and mustache; and he
is variously and invariably described by
such phrases as "the handsomest man In
the House of Commons" "the English
Apollo" and man with 'just suspicion
of Italian opera"
Another remarkable thing about Mr..
Wyndham, who is now looked upon as the
creator of a new and better Ireland is that
he is a direct descendant of one of the
most famous and bravest of the old Irish
rebels who fought England to the last drop
of their blood. Lord Edward Fitzgerald,
whose only daughter, Lady Campbell, was
George Wyndham's grandmother, died OF
a wound which he received when leading
his Irish followers against British troops.
On more than one occasion, when Mr..
Wyndham, as Irish secretary, has been
called upon to uphold the governments
policy in the Emerald Isle against attacks
made upon 1t by the Irish leaders, shouts
have come from that direction to the effect
that the speaker should keep well in mind
the salutary example set him by his great
grandfather.
In the opinion of many of England's pub
lie men, this little circumstance In Mr..
Wyndham's pedigree has made even the
most vehement OF his Irish opponents in
the House of Commons more generously
disposed toward him than they ever will
be to Mr.. Balfour, the present premier and
former Irish secretary; and this, COM
bined with Wyndhams initial experience
I'm the very heart of Irish disaffection has
helped him and will help him In carrying
out his program for Ireland
This experience is often referred to az
wyndhams novitiate, for he went through
Il as Mr.. Balfours private secretary during
the four years when the prime minister held
the very post of secretary of state for Ire
land-with his official residence in that per-
turbed country-which Wyndham nils to-
day.
It was while he was in this position that
the coming under secretary of war made
his second bid for fame. He was only Is at
the time but then when only q, as an Off
Ger OF the Foot Guards, he had gone
through tho wearing Soudan campaign and
come out OF It with distinction.
1t was rather a paradoxical thing that q
young man, who so comparatively lately
had laid aside the sword should have scored
his next success as particularly effective
letter writer but that was Wyndham'
destiny. He had hardly gone to Dublin
with his new chief than there began 9
determined Irish attack upon Mr.. Balfour
of which Parnell himself was leader by
open speech and by innuendo. but mainly
by lettors to the newspapers. The mos
important Of these screeds the Irish secre
tarys secretary undertook to answer. ant