New-York tribune., 1908-02-01
DOWNING STREET.
4 Haruard Mans H0uSc-The
j Centre of Empire.
London. January IS.

=
loud Iaugn AZ OF his post. .prsndial exer-
~iscs Al the Guildhan by declaring that it was
an American. and Harvard boy 10 boot. who
had laid out Downing street. built a house Cor
;he future prime ministers and created a centre
fer the British Empire. Foreign discoveries
-es-ecting the most famous street in the all red
realm have not been resented. bUc critically ex-
amined. and bulky but entertaining volume
Ct s44 pages has been compiled by Mr. Charles
F.yre Pascoe under the STYLE Nc 10 Downing
Street whitehall" The history and associa-
;icns Of the Cockpit, the Treasury and the First
lords official residence are recited IN gossip
hs.nting mood. but tile reputation Of Downing
street as essentially British in origin IS vindi-
Gated George Downing Was born in England.
went out Massachusetts in 1888 with his
parents and was second on the list of Harvard's
first class Of graduates in 1912 and enc Of the
earliest tutors in the fnfart college: but he
speedily turned his back upon the primitive viii
derness and became chaplain OF Colonel Okey's
Roundhead regiment and one of Cromwelrs most
jealous partisans and jntrigUeTs- When the
Restoration came on he changed sides with
rrecipitate rush. hunted down the regicides
Okey. Corbet and Barkstead with relentless fury
ana made himself so useful TO his new masters
;hat he was rewarded with profitable offices and
& great section Of the Kings land from White
hall TO St Jarnes's Park, with the privilege of
building houses and opaning q street There
was nothing American about George Downing
except the srnatterfng Of education which he re-
ceIved at Harvard, and SO unscrupulOus and
tricky an Englishman was he that Pepys and
others associated with him described him as a
-e-N6ofls rogue and a dOubly perjured traitor.
American readers OF these chapters on the
t,,il6er Of No 10 Downing street will gladly re
1frogisa every claim upon Sir George Downing
- = -e7-esentative Of the early virtues Of Salem
sn5 Massachusetts, Bay and gracefully Concede
hat be vas II every sense q Briton Of the home
xor Whether Englishrnen viii be grateful TO
NJ r-oare fer forcing them 10 study the history
- : celebrated street. which Is the central link
worldwide empire. Is an open question. The
L,e-e4sc75ozs b. which the family estates in
Carabr1dgeshire and Bedfordshire were left II
The third generation for the Tneagre endowment
af Downing College co not offer adequate com
rensations for the duplicity, serviIity and
avarIce % the pushful man OF business, who
MADE his own fortune by hook or by crook and
gave an unenviable name to the official centre
II the empire Indeed, the disclosures Of light
hearted. sarr7llous Mr.. Pascoe can hardly fail to
cause regret among Englishmen that the older
name Of the Cockpit was not retained in prefer
e-nce 70 Downing street. That was a character
5s:.e Tudor institution, and the Prime Minister'S
garden and the old Kent Treasury connected
with his house mark the historic site. although
the massage 70 il from Whitehall has been
booked up and the whole section now known
- Downing street was styled for generations the
rockrft. All traces Of II have disappeared ex-
ro-- n-5-ked-lIp gateway IN the east wall Of
.f.e Prime n iaiste-'s garden where was once an
sxf- ron -he oc-agon Of Henry VII There arc
cockpit steps leading out Of Birdcage Walk
around the Irish Ofice where police patrols have
heen stationed day and night for thirty years 10
prevent another dynamite explosion, but they
r,r5r- - 2 later Cockpit royal fourishing in
Westminster under Charles II
A -o16 many well worn traditions. TO which
tourists lend q credulous eaE are sacrificed III
these pleasant chronicles Of No 10 Downing
street., HOW often have Yankee visitors been
5eoa-ez into that garden 70 see the bricEed-up
massage Of which Cromwell was reputed 10
have made secret use, Ter now the truth j.
revealed that il couId never have been q water
gate and that Cromwell might have gone through
i- - Whitehall IS easily as Sir George Downing
did when he Vas building the house which prime
ministers were 20 occupy There is also the
famous story o. the meeting Of Wellington aT1
Nelson n the waiting room when neither knew
r-e ether Yet each felt the natural attraction o.
The others genius. How often has the tale been
rrnra-ze5 bv taIkarive guides opposite the en-
france II The Prime Ministers house. guarded by
-re lions head kuocker, Yet now the scene Is
transferred 70 the old Colonial Office from which
strenuous and obstinate attempts Were made 70
whip riee American rebels into submission 10
taxation without Representations and tnat MS
-o-ic structure has gone unless possibly a sec
-sor or a single wal has been used IN later con-
r----tf7r There is also tha legend Of the back
stairs leading from the park into q little office
-rrr-e Sir Robert WaIpole's paymaster used 10
-z- members OF Parliament for voting straight
" Pasooe admits that immense secret service
e.n5. were expended in those days without
record or accounting btIt docs not confirm the
familiar tale which has been told from genera
-sr- 70 generation behind the Prime Ministers
fence
The house itself behind the seIf-assertiFe. brass
krorle- with the lackey in blue fIock coat with
r---- On The Ianale-Iord Rosebery's decorative
c-es-fo-s-to oren the doo- IS not q fiction. -
George Downing built series Of houses ana
rsre--e IN the street named after him. and TWO
or -aen .euain-the First Lords and The Office
re -t.e Chancellor or the Exchequer adjoining it.
Possibly he lived IN No. 10 himself for while
before -e-t-nE 10 ais Cambridges,lire estate: and
certainly Count Bothnan was one 0f the occu-
piers before S.r Robert WalDola accepted II
from tHe crown rot as q personal gift. but as an
Official residence for the Prime Minister and has
SUCCESSORS Tho d;ngy little street fronts are
virtually the same as when Downing built the
houses. but oa the garden side Of No 10 there
Sly Christopher Wreu's enlargement, ana
there have been alterations and rcstoratIons 10y
ST. John Soare and other architects as success
s.r- prime ministers have lived there. i Is "a"
o'5-te-aio-ed house. with stone kitchen and
cellar below stairs and attics at top and with
three SPACIOUS apartments ana nests or small
rooms ana rambling stairways and passages az