New-York tribune., 1910-09-04
Ang1o-American Memories
TXXYTU
.as, SPENCER AS STATESMAN AND IN PRIVATE LIFE.
..ssasrght. 1910, by George VI. slnaiie,1
London. August II

~. -, his Lord I5eutenancy Of Ire
Ind Lord suenoerSs services as First
Lord Of ths Admiralty, from iot- u
7Sq- .5~st under AIr- Gladstone and then
under Lord Rosebery, were OF the hisi--
.st value 10 the country lie laid 1iIS
foundation IF the system under WHICH
.s7e T2-irisn navy has attained It's present
,,over. He did il in spite OF NJ Nidu-
.+,,a. and in spite of Nj Gladstone
.,t,lee+ lieutenant. Sir William Harcourt-
Nsr Gladstone in truth Was not fnuch
.,etrer than Z Little Englander- tie vas
ref willing. at any rate. 10 spend 1he
money en- naval defence which alone
ea,4d insure u England her centFel OF
-ns seas. and therefore her Imperial po-
si-ion Ee allowed Sir William Har-
so,Irt. then Chancellor OF the ENchequer'
ana in that cauacity, like other Finance
NTinisters, parsimonious ID the great
..r,e7ding departments, to assure the
EEouse IN 1898 that the Sea Lords or the
Admiralty were satisfied with things %
they stocd. Lcrd Spencer told Hlr " ~
sam FIarcourt that unless that statenaeit
were corrected and adequate iuhds pro-
--ided for the strengthening ct the may
De should resign The Sea Leros IN
forced that protest, and the Prime MIL
sister and chancellor Of the EXchequer
were confronted with the certainty that
-he Lords Of the Admiralty, Civil and
Naval. would resign in a body They
4.4+ country above party Nj Gladstone
had 10 give WAY. and the Estimates OF
7+e following wear were framed IN ac-
Il
s.rsu7r7e. Bus X was one Of the causes
which led 70 M. Gladstone's resig1lS-
Iion. none too soon
7 dwell ne further on Lord Spencer
political career. except tc say that ne
held rnauv nigh Offices: that his reHoNn
statesman grew steadily greater.
that. though not al orator. he was one
o- the weightlest speakers in the House
@ Lords. and that, with the Sovereign
snd with the Nation, he held position
IF high conhdence- Nj Gladstone, mad
re been asked by the Queen TO recon-
mend 2 successor on his resignation III
1874 would have recommended Lord
Srerce-- But Lord Morley dryly re
marks. As il happened his advice vas
MOI sought The act of magnanimity,
.nces between Lord Spencer and him
SET which M Gladstone had in mind
could not o. performed
There came q note one day from Lord
Spencer
II YOU VIII look in for lunch tc-nor-
rev there's something I should like 10
ask you bout"
At that time Lerd and Lady Spencer
were living N Spencer House. St James
Place With the disadvantage Of q con
rrsd entrance and being, SO tar as ap-
proach 70 II and getting away from It
were concerned. in z cul De sac, Il was
nevertheless one of the best houses III
London. The west front looks out on
Green Park and on Buckingham Palace
~. rre near distance Many Of the rooms
IRE me. and there are fine pictures The
dining room was on the first floor.
Lunch over. We went to Lord Spencer
room AL the world knew that the
great AIIhorp library was TO be sold
E-sv people. T think. knew that Lord
rr=reer had elected Jo sell II in order
10 reduce the rents on the Althorp prop
.rrr and 50 relieve the farmers, hard
able 70 make both ends meet. let alone
The question OF profit. Lord Dalhousie
had done Z similar thing on the Brecfln
and Pann7ure estates II Scotland. but
e5ea instances we're rare and have not
-e- become frequent. said Lord Spen-
C=r.
7 suppose vcu VIII ee sorry to hear
that The Library IS sold
But il was 70 be disposed Of by auc-
sion
Yes. but 7 had an offer from z pri-
-zte Buyer which 7 have accepted. and
The books are nov being packed for re
-7o-aL You were 20 much interested
t- them that I thought you might like
70 know"
There was moments hesitation then
l. went ou-
Tor the present am not at liberty
10 tell You the name Of the buyer nor
the amount of the purchase money. But
there's q rnatt4r on which should like
-o-~ opinion"
Ncr am ] at liberty. uHr shall ] ever
90. Jo repeat what Lord Spencer then
told Ire about the circumstances OF the
sale II became known presently that
re buyer vas Airs Eylands. of Man
chester. an whom 10 blame of any kind
rests. and The sula paid Is believed 70
have been Wei over z quarter uf q mill
son sterling and uot lar from million
and & has iu dollars. Saying nothing
z -uur -Lesa matters. Lord Spencer brie--
-v z~d very quietly stated the facts. and
rae selzoas Why he had not. in fact re
1.1lez tne whole OF the purchase money,
auf asked me what 1 Thought If the
,-4 -4ctt8u a. z "a hole
Hut son sav The transaction Is COM
U-e--6."
Yes 81 --
Then Fraat is The use Of asking me
io advise zou abJlL II: II Eou had ap-
Ified ts lae earlier. -
.AH + supposed you would disapprove,
ard nat IS pE- ! did mol tel you at
ou.e. Xeo probSbly think I had legal
rights s.Ll1h usigHt have enforced"
-1az
.Wel / thought il ali over and made
,s uv .4.1d I could ncl have & lawsuit
scout the library"