Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-03
CHAMBERLAIN A
COMPLETE WRECK
SNAP SHOT SHOWS He CAN
NEVER AGAIN LEAD
5alfour, by Default, Head Of opposI-
tion-Proteetlonlsts Of 5Irmlng-
ham statesman's School Win
Control Of Tories
snecIal cable TO The Herald.

Special Cable to The Herald.
LONDON, March 2.-There Is no
doubt that II Joseph Chamberlain were
now the man he once was the attitude
Of the Unionist party would be such as
to overthrow Arthur Balfour out Of
hand. The fact is that Chamberlain,
big man that he is, has become physi-
cal wreck, and his collapse is most un-
fortunate for his party.
Try as they willard have done-fol-
lowers OF Chamberlain who insist that
he is not down and out physically can
not explain away the photograph OF
their leader published in the Daily
Chronicle.
This shows the aged but until lately
vigorous champion of protection In his
private grounds near buckingham
Chamberlain, as the picture reveals, Is
in q pitiable state of feebleness. His
wife, who was Miss Endicott of Bos-
ton, is seen supporting his heavy steps.
The leader, whose advocacy of a new
tariff was the undoing of Balfour and
Toryism, totters along in the pictures
leaning upon a stick. The whole effect
of the snapshot, which was caught by
the newspapers enterprise, shows
Chamberlain to be, beyWnd argument,
an utter physical wreck.
ct OildIllD6Ildll lutt mas lnC uPPVA
hand. Tariff reform is still the bone
of contention between Arthur Balfour
and the majority of the Unionist party.
The latter are dissatisfied with the late
premier's lukewarm policy-that atti-
tude of philosophic doubt and intel
lectual expectancy that broke down his
adherents' fealty when they looked for
positive and strenuous action.
The policy of semi-protection with re-
gard to the tariff is looked upon by the
majority of the Unionists as the only
sign of hope for the fiscal regeneration
of the British isles and for the empire
as a whole. Bread and butter and the
means to pay the income tax seem to
Tory politicians to depend upon adopt
ing the policies brought forward and
fought for by the now crippled Cham
berlain.
That this is true is demonstrated by
the party election recently Of mem
bers of the executive and finance COM
mittees. Before the election Mr.. Bal
four In his smooth and even lacka-
daisical style, urged the delegates
even besought them-to elect members
of the partys councils with regard
to the candidates. position as Unionists
rather than as protectionists or free
traders
The result is plain reputation of
Balfour's plea. The party has chosen
nineteen protectionists out Of twenty
members of the executive committee of
the Unionist party and put four pro-
tectionists on the finance committee of
FIVE
Balfour, indignant at being so f1out-
ed, caused the secretary to make it
known to the delegates that unless he
receives from now on the loyal support
of all Unionists, irrespective of their
views on tariff reform, he will retire.
not only from the leadership, but from
political life.
| If there were any other leader to
whom the Unionists could turn Bal
four's political history could be written
from this date, but there is no one to
whom his party can look. Chamber
lain is physically incompetent and the
Tories must follow Balfour unless and
until some other statesman arises to
lead them out of the wilderness.