New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-12
THE NEW BR1T1sH CABINET.

Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman has organ
lied a Ministry which must unhesitahngiy be
recognized as marked with high character eX-
tended experience and approved ability. Per
haps the first thought that arises on reviewing
the list is one of admiration for and congratu-
lation to z nation that can so readily replace
one Ministry with another entirely different
vet SO conspicuously worthy; and the second
one Of surprise that the late Opposition should
have been so widely regarded as meIncehI
when 1t contained such an array of competent
men There will be criticisms Of the Ministry
as a whole and Of individual members or II hy
that late Government party which has now be-
come the Opposition, and there will be remarks
upon the exclusion, or the failure to include
two of the abest statesmen of the Liberal
party and the two who have rendered some
of the most conspicuous services to that party
In these last ten years Of Oppositon-we refer,
of course to Lord Rosebery and Sir Charles
Dixie There will not, however, be denuncla-
ton of single one Of the appointments as
unfit to be made, nor is there likely to be much
criticism of any of them as indicating the
adoption Of a policy which even political OPP
ponents would regard as dangerous 10 tne
Kingdom or the Empire.
In fact, the individual excellence Of the new
ministers Is rivalIed by the discretion with
which they have been arranged. The selection
of Sir Edward Grey for the Foreign Office will
doubtless command approval as nearly uni
versal as it would be possible to secure Even
the most aggressive Imperialtsts VIII not carp
at the statesman who In advance called malt
to the French at FaShoda, and who has W1th1n
the last month definitely committed himself to
maintenance of the fundamental principles of
Lord Iansdowne's policies. AS for the Irish
Office. the appointment Of Mr.. Morley to 1t
might have precipitated another Home Rule
crisis; but, instead, Mr.. Morley Is sent to the
Indian Office and Ireland is to be looked after
by Mr. Bryce, who less than fortnight ago
publicly declared that the new Ministry would
not introduce a Home Rule bill on the old lines,
that the Irish question was to be settled Dy the
gradual extension of local self-government,
and that in any event and at all times Ireland
must remain subject to the imperial Parlia-
ment at Westminster. To Mr.. Gladstone that
would have seemed heresy and it may be so
looked upon by Mr.. Morley, but we may as
sumo 1t is the policy which Mr.. Bryce Will pur-
sue If So some Irish extremists may be
aIienated but there will probably be little out
cry against the new Government on the part
of Unionists within the Liberal ranks, and
little chance for effective criticism, on that
score, by the UniOnists in Opposition. Mr..
As0uith who now becomes Chancellor Of the
Excheuuer has also declared that, in his
oplnion no Home Rule bill whatever will be
found on the programme of the new Ministry
or of the new Parliament Mr.. Asquith is, Of
course, an uncompromising free trader, and pur-
poses to make his campaign chiefly one of defence
of that principle against MT. ChamperlalnS
tariff reform proposals.
Apart from these salient indications OF pol
lev the list of ministers is interesting for its
apparently homogeneous mixture OF Oxford
training with Radical predictions. At least
eleven of the twenty-five men were educated
at that stronghold of Conservatism, Oxford
five of them hailing from Balliol. Yet Cabi-
net including Mr. Burns and Mr.. Morley and
Mr.. LIoyd-George must be regarded as strong
" tinctured at least, with Radicalism. With
Mr.. Bryce. Mr.. Morley, Mr.. Haldane and Mr..
Birrell in It, the Government has also de-
cidedly literary and philosophical tone In its
devotion to out of door sports it is really an
extraordinary body. Mr. Gladstone is president
of the National Physical Recreation Society," Mr..
Asquith rivals Mr.. Balfour himself as q golf
enthusiast Mr.. Burns is an expert boxer, crlck-
ct player and oarsman, Sir Edward Grey is an
authority on fly fishing, Sir Robert Reid is a
football champion at Oxford, Mr.. Birrell is
crack pedestrian and golf player, Lord Crewe
hunts. shoots and races horses, and even the
! studious Mr. Bryce is seldom happier than
! when he has fishing rod in his hand or is
! climbing mountains. Physically, as well as in
telectualIy, then, the Ministry is well rep
resentative of the British people and doubt
/ less In close and Synpaueuc Ioucn WIN lneH
! There may be expressions of regret and almost
/ of expostulation at the circumstance that so
/ admira BILE a Ministry is called into existence to
| meet hostile majority and, presumably, TO dis
! solve Parliament and fight for continued lease
/ of life But that is Of the not uncom-
mon contingencies Of British politics, and we
may be sure that in the impending campaign
/ Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman and his col
/ leagues will make an exceptionally vigorous
{ oJl,r rfTsO to oo
| favor OF the electorate.