The Washington herald., 1908-03-08

BY EX-ATTACHE.
AS many eyes. not only in all parts Of
the vast British empire but also in nu-
merous foreign countries. are turned just
at present upon Herbert Asduith. who.
since the commencement Of Sir Henry
Campbell -Bannerman's serious illness.
has been taking his place as leader Of the
government, and is now about TO succeed
him in the premiership. it may be well
TO offer 10 the readers OF these letters a
few brief notes. destined 10 enable them
to understand a statesman concerning
whom much misapprehension prevails.
And leaving others TO deal with his po-
lltical experiences and aspirations. wiz
endeavor as far as possible TO present the
personal element OF the man. whom Sir
Charles Dixie. assuredly no mean judge
in such matters, processes to regard as
The greatest parliamentarian In the
United Kingdom.
No man in English public life has a
colder manner or a kinder heart. He is
wholly lacking in cordiality. nor has he
any trace of that personal magnetism
which some consider, and wrongly So,
as indispensable to a political leader.
But lie fmpresses one by his extraordinary
iucidity OF utterance and OF intellect.
No Sense of Humor.
His absence of humor is more than
counterbalanced by his convincing clev-
erness, and he possesses in an altogether
pre-eminent degree that one virtue OF all
others which the English-speaking races
value so highly in their public men, that
is 20 say. safeness. There is no danger
OF his ever being carried away by emo
ton. of his deferring to mere sentiment.
o. OF speaking on the impulse or the mo-
ment. In fact, no one credits him with
any such thing as impulse. in the sense
OF its subordination to cold logic and
reason, and the hopes and expectations
which were formed by his friends and ac-
quaintances concerning him when he
took to golf. that il would inevitably re-
suit In his learning 20 swear, have not
been realized. Probably il was just be-
cause OF these peculiar characteristics
that he was able TO secure the heart and
the hand of one of the most brilliant
women in London society. who is his an
tithesis in every respect, who is brimful
Of Wit and OF humOr. possessed OF such
magnetism as TO render men such as
William G. Gladstone, her most devoted
admirers and subject to her sway. and
who, known from one end of Europe 10
the other prior TO her marriage as Miss
MargOt Tenant, is familiar to many
people in America through her portrayal
as F'Dodo" in the popular novel of that
name which first made the literary rep
utation OF its author Edward Frederick
Benson, younger son of the late Arch
bishop Of Canterbury.
Husband Not Rich.
Miss Jack" Tenant Is understood to
have rejected innumerable offers of mar
riage before astonishing not only her
friends and acquaintances. but likewise
the public through becoming the second
wife of Herbert Asquith n self-made man
In every sense of the word. without any
special comeliness. birth. or fortune. and
moreover handicapped in "a matrimonial
sense by a family Of six children. issue
Of a former marriage.
Il is difficult 10 say whether It was the
glaring contradiction between their tenn
peramental characteristics that first at
tracted Margot Tenant 10 Herbert As
Quith, or whether it was that with her
clever feminine intuition she penetrated
under the cold academic exterior OF the
present chancellor of the eXchequer. and
foresaw already fourteen years ago that
he was destined one of these days to be-
come the Prime Minister OF the British
empire
Whatever the cause Of her attraction. il
cannot be denied that the union has
turned out happy one in every respect.
and that while the wit, the humor. the
amusing persifage, and above all the
great magnetism of Mrs Asquith. serve TO
counteract, the arctic chilliness of manner
OF her husband, and to attract those who
might otherwise be repelled by his icy re-
serve, he on the other hand has invested
her with pOise. and with what may be
described as an intellectual ballast, which
she lacked as o young girl.
Asquith Fifty-six Years Old.
Herbert Asquith is to-day ffty-six years
of age, and is the son of a manufacturer
in small way at Morley. a little unlm-
portant town in Yorkshire His father
was far from rich, and destining him to a
commercial career sent him to the City of
London School. where he distinguished
himself as a scholar, but not as a school
boy. That is TO say, he showed no taste
whatsoever for the sports and games of
the institutions, made few friends, and
when by seniority and pre-eminence in his
studies he should have been chosen for
the position of captain of the school. was
repeatedly rejected by his fellow-pupils in
the elections for that Office. owing to his
unpopularity
He carried off. however. all the school
prizes, including an Oxford University
scholarship. and entering Baliol College.
from which so many men Of mark have
graduated. became one of its most bril-
liant lights. bright particular star Of
DR.. Jewett, it's famous master, achev-
ing a degree of prestige among his fellow
students which led 10 their eventually,
electing him president of the celebrated
debating club known as the Union
Makes Mark at Oxford.
Having thus made his mark at oxford.
he proceeded to study for the bar, TO
which he was called in 1876. and
was, thanks to the name which
he had won for himself at the
university, successful from the very out
set in obtaining briefs; so much so. that
in the following year he was enabled to
resign his oxford Fellowship. which as
sured him an income of S2,O00 a year, in
order 20 marry the daughter Of Freder-
lex Melland, Of Oxford. With her he
settled at Hampstead. and from a sociaT
point Of view remained for a number OF
years wholly unknown TO the great world
OF London.
His first retainer was as junior in the
petition against the election of the Right
Honorable Jesse Ceilings as member for
Ipswich. which resulted in the defeat and
unseating OF the genial champion of
Three Acres and a Covyff doctrspa for
no other reason than that one OF his
camnaign aoarts had t-inlatnd III tnr-i