Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-26

OF England is Lord Esher and he has
been boss since the present liberal gov
eminent came into power.
who is Lord Esher?' no doubt. a
good many Americans will ask. and they
will only be echoing the question which
has been asked by thousands of Eng
lishmen, many of them, too, in high
places, which would entitle them to
know good deal about the country's
rulers. and the mysterious thing about
1t is that no one has been able to an
swer that question satisfactorily.
AS matter of fact, Lord Esher is to
all intents and purposes a private Eng
lish gentleman. He holds no office in
the government, he seldom appears in
the house of lords, and he never makes
any speeches, for the excellent reason
that he has no gift Of oratory. When
he was young man he tried to make
one speech in the house of commons
and failed miserably. Since then he
has realized that silence is golden. Yet
there Is no man today who has more
TO do with the governance of England
than Lord Esher, and particularly does
he concern himself. with the army and
navy, although he is found every now
and again with a finger in many an
other governmental and administrative
pie.
Officers in the army know that II they
desire promotion it is a good thing to
be on the right side Of Lord Esher.
Officers in the navy, who are anx-
ious of attaining flag rank while they
are still young enough to enjoy it's emolu-
ments, are diigent callers at Lord Esh-
er',s town house. Rising young politicians
who see visions OF themselves on the
front
political engagements to put in an APP
pearance at the little dinners and dances
which Lady Esher gives during the Lon
don season.
Everybody who Is on the inside in Eng
fish politics and society knows all this
but no one seems to be able to answer
the question. Who is Lord Esher?' A
number OF people have tried but / have
not found one who is able to give a
satisfactory answer. 4 few days ago
l put the question to a parsonage who
is In close touch, not only with the
court, but with the chiefs of both the
great political parties and with every
body who is anybody in London society,
and he replied, "Ah. there you are. ask
ing me a question that l can't answer.
I can tell you who his father and
mother were and what he has done, but
why he is the real ruler of England is
more than i can explain. He is not
man Of great wealth and he belongs
to no particular family. He is only the
has not had time to make great con-
nections by marriage. Some people say
1t is pure personality. and, in the alb
sence of any better explanation. we had
better call it that"
The reference to Lord Esher's family
started a train Of thought that may be
illuminating. His father was great
lawyer, Sir William Brett. who became
judge and finally lord chancellor, and
won his peerage. and his mother was a
Jewess, Miss Eugene Mayer the daugh-
ter of a great banking family. With
such parentage young Reggie" Brett
as he was known before he succeeded to
his fathers title, might have been ex-
pected to go far. but no one expected the
great things of him which he has accom-
plshed
Perhaps he owes a good deal to his
clever wife. She was the Youngest
daughter OF the late Sylvan Van de
Weyer. one Of the most noted diploma
fists of his day. who was for many years
Belgian minister in London. Her mother
was probably the most intimate woman
friend that the late Queen Victoria ever
had, and when she died Victoria is
said to have remarked: There is no one
left now to call me Victoria It any
rate, Lady Esher was brought up as
playmate of the queens younger chill
dren. and when she married Reggie Brett
at seventeen the notice of royalty was
attracted to the young man. Queen Vic
tor1a gave him the post of constable of
Windsor Castelar, honorary appointment
which may or may not. according to the
wishes of the holder mean good deal
or work Lord Esher elected to work.
and he suggested a lot of improvements.
When King Edward came to the throne
he was impressed by the capability of
the young peer, and he not only con-
tinued the, appointment. but made him
one of his confidential advisers
Then Lord Esher had couple of OPP
portunities of which he made the most
He was chief of the Office of works
during Queen Victoria's second jubilee
and on him fell all the work Of ar