The Washington herald., 1908-04-19
BY Ex-ATTACHE.

Il
the reconstruction OF the Liberal admin
istration in England by its new premier,
Herbert Asquitn, there is none that has
aroused a greater degree Of sympathetic
interest on this side of the Atlantic than
the promotion of young Winston Church.
/ i'll, at the age of thirty-four, TO a seat in
the cabinet as president OF the board of
trade
This is only natural. For by common
consent and his own grateful admission,
he is largely indebted for his phenomenal
success in the political life OF the Brit
ish empire TO his brilliant American
mother. now Mrs. George CORVALLIS
West, widow OF Lord Randolph Church.
H. and daughter of Leonard Jerome, Of
New York
Possessed Of a marvellous degree Of
tact, combined with an even still greater
qaantum of political experience, she has
been the wisest and most trusted eoun-
selor, from the moment when he first
entered Parliament. and, enjoying the
reputation of having made Lord Ran
dolph, who has justly been described as
the political comet of the Victorian era,
she is now in fair way to do the same
for his gifted son.
| Whereas, Lord Randolph's appearance
on the horizon was as fieeting as that Of
most meteors, his lamentable fall being
due to no fault Of her own, but rather
to the condition Of his health, Winston
ChurchilTs presence IN the planetary
system of political life seems destined
/ to be more enduring.
American traits inherited from his
mother appear TO have tempered a GER
/ tain strain of instability Of purpose and
even eccentricity which have signalized
the character Of so many of the Spencer
Churehlls. and I am but vocing a very
general opinion among public men in
England, that If the new president of
/ the board Of trade will but continue 10
be guided in the future as in the past by
his American mother, he may look for
ward for the position of prime minister
of the huge British empire before many
years have passed
/ Names Of English government depart
ments are sometimes confusing. and it
may be. therefore, as we'll to explain
/ just what the Office is to which Winston
Churchill has been promoted from the
under secretaryship Of state of the col
onles The presidency OF the board Of
trade is the British equivalent Of the
! Secretaryship Of Commerce and Labor
at Washington. with other duties thrown
/ In.
Although inferior in rank. prestige. and
emolument TO the chancellorship Of the
/ eXchequer TO the post of first lord Of
/ the admiralty, or to any one of the great
/ secretaTys ships Of state yet il is an Of
/ fee Of vast Importance the influence Of
which makes itself felt in almost every
( phase OF British life, both at home and
abroad. Indeed. its occupant is by virtue
/ Of his duties so constantly in the eye OF
/ the public, that provided he is man OF
any strength, his promotion is speedily
forced upon the Crown, and upon the
premier, by popular acclaim.
This was the case with Joseph Cham
/ berlain. who left the presidency Of the
/ board Of trade to become secretary of
state for the colonies, and it has now
again been so with its recent incum-
/ bent, David Lloyd George. who has Just
/ become chancellor Of the excheqGer, that
+ is % say, minister OF finance of the en-
/ pire.
Theoretically. the board Of trade is a
! committee OF the privy council, and may
be said 20 owe its origin in any perma-
nent form 20 Charles H. Until his time.
/ whenever questions arose affecting the
| commerce of the country, and which re-
quired action or interference on the part
f of the Crown, they were referred by the
latter to committee Of the privy coun-
+ ell appointed for the purpose Of dealing
/ with the particular matter under con-
/ sideration.
/ This. however, was found so inconven-
/ lent, that In 1858 the Merry Monarch was
/ induced TO create a special board Of trade
and plantations. independent of the privy
council. William III confirmed It. and
/ assigned TO the board ths duty of set
! Ting all the laws, regulations. and dis
putes relating to the colonies and to
! commerce 1t was in his reign that the
1 celebrated John Locke was the secretary
+ and executive officer Of the board. The
/ latter consisted of a first lord commits
/ sioner, the principal officers of state, and
seven other commissioners, with a salary
of 5000 apiece.
/ Although it was deprived of its con-
1 troll of the colonies in 1860 when secTe-
/ tary of state for the colonies was first
| appointed. yet it had, prior to that time.
/ Ia considerable share in bringing about
! those conditions between England and
/ her North American dependencies which
/ eliminated IN the War of Independence.
and in the birth of the United States
I Largely on this account and owing to
popular dissatisfaction with the board. it
was legislated out Of existence by means
/ of Burke's celebrated biz for retrench-
ment in 17S2
/ But Pitt on coming into office, found
/ the need Of assistance IN dealing with
/ questions of trade, industry, and COM
merce. and accordingly reinaugurated' the
| method in vogue up to the reign Of
/ Charles II, of transferring matters relat-
/ ing TO commerce to a special committee
of the privy council, with this difference:
I that the committee, instead of being ap-
/ pointed for the consideration of any par
ticular affair, was made a permanent
/ creation.
/ It's presidency he intrusted to Lord
! Hawksbury. afterward the Earl Of Liv-
eTpOol. as the man above all others best
qualified to conduct its deliberations.
/ The other members of the society consist
ed at first of himself Lord Sidney, Lord
Mulgrave, William Grenville. paymaster
/ Of the forces, and Henry Dundas. the
/ treasurer Of the navy: also, the secre-
/ taries of state. and the Archbishop Of
/ Canterbury.
But it was soon found that the work
was of far too comprehensive and inn
] portant a character to admit of It's trans
4 action in the Office Of the privy council.
/ The president of the committee was pro-
vided with offices of his own, and with
an ever growing staff OF assistants, until
toward the end Of the reign of George "
the board had developed into a full
/ aedged department. in the work of
which the other ministers took no longer
any share. but which was left wholly in
the hands Of the president, who was ac-