New-York tribune., 1910-02-06
London, January 25.


to meet the Prime Minister: rather an
unusual formula in London except for
royalty. but his American hostess. then
quite recently married. had perhaps
brought with her an American notion or
two Why should she not? These Amer
ioan notions have not hindered, they
have perhaps helped. Lady Granard's s
early social successes. Mr. Asquith was
aTrayed in fun naval uniform. which he
Is entitled TO wear as an Elder Brother
Of Trinity. and cid actually wear that
evening because of the Speakers Levee
70 which he was going later. One of his
Younger colleagues in the Cabinet be-
holding this splendor, went UP to him in
the drawing room before dinner. and this
colloQuy occurred:
Come aboard sir: with naval
salute. which tie Prime Minister re
turned
What ship. sir
The. phantom Dreadnought.
The ouickness and aptness Of the re-
tort were characteristic Of Mr Asquith.
Il was the moment when the demand
Of the country Tor eight DTeaonoughts
vas being pressed; when MI LLOYD
George and Mr. Winston Churchill stroVe
70 limit them to four. or TO put Oh III
next year the. laying down OF the second
1,,ur. and when Mr.. Balfour had de-
srriha5 these hypothetical ships as
-7,e,,o-, feet- Mr. Asquith's readiness
in renartee is one part OF the equipment
OF the born debater- He has had I'M
roense practice: e good deal OF pTactlce
a1 the bar and more in public life
v-her he rises in the House that exact
zns BODY knows it is going to listen TO a
statement which. whatever else may he
sid Of il, will be lucid. persuasive and
strong. Even Ar. Balfour. from his
rlace as Leader Of His Majesty's OPP
rosition. has borne testimony to Mr.. As
,3uitIls qualities as Leader Of the House
such amenities are not uncommon IN
Parliament: albeit not always intelligible
- the foreigner. The late Lord Goschen
;1sed TO relate with delight how he had
taken Mr.. Guizot into the gallery OF the
House and left him there during fierce
rahste when ne went to fetch him the
Frenchman asked:
When viii the meeting take placer
What meeting"
-'T2llt have YOU not already sent your
seconds 10 the Minister who insulted
you"
oh that Is not our way. But you will
meet him tonight At my house at din
ner.~
Vt. Asquith is ] think, the only man
- whom Mr. Gladstone offered a seat in
efs Cabinet without any previous depart
---rTaI training He had never been SO
much as an under secretary when ne
,--came- Home Secretary in 1892 The
Home Office Is \ post for which a legal
training is sometimes supposed to be
N advantage and sometimes not. There
5s.a competent law staff at the disposal
~ the Home Secretary which perhaps
6oe~ It's work as weu under a layman
e under lawyer. What the Home
Sec-ets-y needs above all things is strong
common. sense and .. proper confidence
i n himself
Ffe IS officially described as the me-
dunn bv which the Sovereign acqualnts
h hIs people Of his pleasure, and channel
Of communication with the Sovereign,
md his main functions are the main
Il -enarce Of the Kings peace, the enforce
Il -Ier- Of rules made for the internal we'll
being Of rhe community, and the exercise
r. the rrerogative of mercy"
President Lowell whose Government
II England is an invalua bic handbook
s. 20 the student and 10 everybody else, re-
marks that the Home Office is kind or
8 -esiduar- legatee That reminds one OF
Lord Dufferir's account OF himself as
E Chancellor Of the Duchy of Lancaster
l Ill orb n
q Cabinet Duties not specifically assigned
8 10 sny Of the other secretaries of state
s fail 70 the Home Secretary: who is neN-
s ertheIess known as His AIajesty's Princi-
pal Secretary OF State; the other four
81 beng the secretaries Of state for For
q eign Affairs, for India, for War. and for
the Colonies.
Nr. Ascuith vas q good Home Secre-
tsry. though he did not rise TO the height
d ~ lis predecessor. Sir William Harcourt,
who belonged 70 race of giants now
s extinct On the other hand he was very
!; far from descending 20 the level Of Mr..
Herbert Gladstone, who. after much ex-
refieoc= in other executive posts. en-
tered the rather grim portals Of the
s. Home Office in 1905 in Sir Henry Camp
E oell-Bannerman's administration. There
Il ne remained till the other day, when he
81 T-as sent 70 South Africa as High Com
81 missioner and Governor OF the Transvaaf
IN succession 70 Lord Selborne. What
south Africa thinks Of this latest ap-
pclntnent We know but dimly. II may
q NeH enough be that the local rulers are
content with Commissioner who will
NOT Dc spt 70 interfere too much.
I IN earlier days I used sometimes TO
meet NJ Asquith, and sometimes TO hear
81 aln Oh the platform. ! sometimes also
f he7r0 Of him from the late Master Of
Fl haliloL DR. Jowett had a way of fore
( 'e-lng erninence for his pet boys. He
E easts brilliant horoscope for Lord Cur
+ "'hr and another for Lord Miner, both
'L whom long since justified his astrolog-
afal skill But OF Mr Asquith, the Mas
Ter expressly said:
Il Il he lives, he VIII be Prime Minister
q England"
toek nim not much more than five
-Hu twenty wears 10 fulf1 that inspired
'ifcast oi his future. Meantime, he had
r'h good though not great position at
'le- par he had Won Mr.. Gladstone's
~lii'ioh and the Home Office; he had
-.