The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-23
MR,BALF0UR SHOWS
MEN AL COLLAPSE
His Work During Campaign Far
Below Usual High
Standard.
|
DIsAPPolNTs FOLLOW ERs.
Failure on Firing Line Is Regard
cd as National Dis
aster.
DIsAPPolNTs FOIL w ERs
BY WILLIAM II. STEAD.


Especial Cable TO The Tines-pspatch1
London. January e2.--Apart from the
result of the polling. the most out.
standing feature OF the general cleo
tion has been the evidence II has at.
forded of the intellectual collapse OF
Mr.. Balfour 1t is little short of a
rational disaster.
In America one, party remains In
,fiico SO many years in succession
hat the party in power ceases to re-
gard the maintenance of a high stand-
ard OF the leaders of the other side
rs matter or national Importance.
But In Britain THIS Is not SO. 1t is re-
zarded as almost normal rule that
every six or seven years the govern
ment and the opposition change places.
The leader of the opposition becomes
Prime Minister. with the destinies OF
the empire In his hands. Hence, 1t is
q matter only second in Importance to
the maintenance of your own leaders
in high state of efficiency to see to
st that the leaders of tho opposition
are fit and proper persons 20 be in
trusted with the welfare of the realm.
Until this election we have fondly
believed that although the Wit of the
| leaders of the opposition was miser-
ably second rate, we had In Mr. Ral-
four q statesman of the first rank.
A Melancholy Spectacle.
That faith has been shattered by
| the melancholy spectacle which he has
afforded us by his speeches during the
campaign They have been lamentably
lacking in every respect. They have
shown neither courage. wit nor elo-
auence. They have shown an almost
incapacity to expound
a definite policy, to. explain his own
position or even to rouse his own fol-
lowers to enthusiasm. a distinguished
|publicist who was lamenting this only
too obvious fact to-day remarked that
the only explanation that he could
suggest was that the constantly re-
curing attacks of influenza to which
Mr.. Balfour is subject had at last af-
fected iniuriously the gray matter OF
his brain. Mr.. Balfour has not faced
single vital question. He has left
the country entirely in the dark as to
the policy he would pursue IL he wero
returned TO power And on the one
serious danger which threatens Eng
land abroad. he has spoken in such
| way as to increase the menace with
out affordinG the nation any clear
| guidance as to how he would
strengthen 1t against its possible foes
Hnrps on War Scare.
Mr.. Balfour's reference to n possible
war between Germany and England
has excited the liveliest feelings OF
resentment and alarm In Germany
feelings which might find disagree
able vent IL the electors had made him
once more first minister of the crown.
Carping criticisms of ministers who
have faced the dissatisfaction of their
most active supporters in order to
maintain the supremacy of the fleet,
have been relieved by no clear decla-
ration of his determination to support
them If they deciled TO adopt the
standard of two keels to one.
He has repeated fantastical nonsense
about Germany being determined to
set a policy OF tariff reform. and while
insisting upon the need for more ships
he actively supported the Lords in
depriving the government Of means to
pay for them.
Such needless rIiesoric, such I'M
worthy recrL1dnatiqn. such inflamma-
tory alarpispss are scandalous in a
man who has been once. and who as
pires to be again, first minister of the
crown.
Germans Not Worrying.
| The Germans are not worrying their
heads much about the English. They
keep on saving wood. But they arc
lean tariff. and they are beginning to
he worried about Mr.. Knox's proposal
10 internationalize the Manchurian
Railway. There seems to be every
prospect of a severe tariff war be-
tween Germany and the United States, |
The German agrarians who pocket So |
in increased price upon their own agrl-
cultural produce for each single dol
lad levied upon American foodstuffs
refuse absolutely to allow German
inahufacturers 10 purchase admission
10 the American market by reduc-
ton on German duties on American
meat. 1t is very pretty quarrel, and
u II Should lead to prolonged tariff
war between the two protective coun-
tries free trade England will find
much profit and many valuable OBJ
lect lessons in watching the strategy
which consists in cutting off your
nose 10 spite your face