The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-11-23
WHO WON
THEIR TITLES
LORDS WHO ARE NOT DR0NES.
MOST BRITISH PEERS ARE HARD
WORKERS.

out of GIG Members of the House OF
Lords ISS Won Their Titles by
Conspicuous Service for Their
COuntry'-WhS "1Iy Lord" is a Sub
ject OF RidicuIe When He is Really
Above the Average Lawmaker in
Intellect and Character.
BY William Thorp.
Boston, Nov. 19.-Americans are
prone to believe that the members of
the British House of Lords are moth
ing but the sons of their fathers: that
their titles. honors and privileges are
inherited and not won by any merit
of their own. While this is true of a
good many, it is by no means true of
all British peers.
No fewer than 1873 out of the 636
members of the House of Lords won
their titles by hard work and conspic-
uous service of their country in one
line or other.
1t is hardly necessary to tell of the
services of such world-famous soldiers
as Lord Roberts. Lord Kitchener and
Lord Wolseey. They have all received
the highest honors their country can
bestow, including large grants of mon
ey as well as titles. But it would
be easy to pick out a score of other
members of the House of Lords who
are great generals. In most cases,
however, their titles have been inner
tied, not won by their skill in the art
OF war. Lord Methuen and Lord Dun
donald are good types of this class
of peer.
Among the peers who have won their
titles in civil life, it would be hard to
find a better example of the self-made
man than Lord Strathcona and Mount
Royal. He left Scotland in his youth
plain Donald Smith. with hardly
penny in his pocket and nobody to
help him save himself. He went to
Canada and rose to be the greatest
man in the country.
There is no name more intimately
connected than his with the develops
ment of the Dominion. The building
of the Canadian Pacific Railway was
due to him more than to any other
man. He holds the railways of Can
ada in the hollow Of his hand as if
they were so many wires and he the
wire-puller There is hardly a single
big work in Canada which he has not
promoted, and he has given away hun
dreds of thousands of dollars for be-
neVolent purposes in the Dominion, as
another man might give away dimes.
But perhaps his greatest achieve
ment was to come back to England,
his fame and fortune made. and mar
ry a beautiful and socially expert but
pennileSs girl, who has made him one
or the greatest powers in British socie-
ty. He has become, through her help
an intimate friend of King Edward
the German Emperor, and most of the
other potentates of Europe. But he
does care much for the social racket;
he spends the. evening of his life in
promoting the interests of his beloved
Canada, as High Commissioner in
London.
Peer in Commerce.
Another peer whose right to titular
reward cannot be questioned is John
Burns, first Lord Inverclyde. He is
the founder of the Cunard Steamship
company and has probably done more
than any other man to bring up Eng
lands mercantile marine to its present
position. But this was not the reason,
or at least not the main reason, why
ne was made peer. He was the first
10 recommend to the British govern
ment the adapting of merchant steam
snlps as scouts and reserves in naval
warfare. The example was widely fol-
lowed by other countries, until it is
now general among the naval powers
OF the world; but John Burns was the
hrst man to get the idea
The wonderful work done in Egypt
oy Lord Cron1er is we'll known but
many people in America seems to
nave the idea that he inherited his title.
1hat IS not. the case. He started his
career as Evelyn Barring, and won his
peerage by his own good work as a SOL
uler hnancier, diplomatist and an
administrator.
Newspaper Lord.
Lord Miner, who ranks second in
pubic estimation among British colo
NAL administrators, although he Is
PROBABLY by no means second in ability,
also won his title. He was once
an obscure newspaper man, but got
a billet In the Board of Trade and
worked his way up to his present posi-
Lord Curzon OF Kedleston Is gen
Siaiy regarded in America as a MEM
oer OF the House of Lords. 1t is true
Inn In, ne is peer who won his title by
prHllant service as a statesman before
ne was made Viceroy of India. but
ne Is an Irish peer, and not one of the
representative peers at that. He chose
ms Kind of a title in preference TO an
English peerage because he ala not
"ssh 20 sit In the House of Lords
Sa1ter ne finishes his work in India he
intends to resume his parliamentary
career His acceptance OF an Irish
peeraBe does not debar him from re-
etecIlon as member of the House
VI commons for a constituency In
treat Britain at the conclusion of his
term as Viceroy.
Lords Who Are Scientists.
Among the scientists who have been
a1SWarded with peerages, William
thompson. first Lord Kelvin. is one
vi me foremost. He has made many
Important additions to the sciences
vi electrieity and magnetism, and he
saihea the blue ribbon OF English
Se'ein.lsts' the presidency OF the Royal |
,,''.i II Is, however, In connection |
misn submarine telegraphy that his |
t,aile Is best known. and he has also
Fehted several electrical Instruments |
gedt value 20 naviRators These |
ao.lcal services to mankind won him |
i ns Ute II II very evident, In Look |
through the list OF men who have |
- made peers Of the United King |
III mat none of them a a mere |
nsoilst, none devoted 10 pure eolence /
a.. ay,sirhctlons Of any kind. They |
~ ~ men who have rendered serv- |
$50 20 tneir kind, men who have done /
WORK IN the world.
49,. Mlthi not seem AZ nrsf elpbf
lta init dehnifi0n 0ttad Lord Rom. Il