The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-29

The public must often have wondered what magic Mr. Lloyd George possessed which enabled him to bring to an eii the general railway strike, as it seemed, rrasters and men were literally spoil ing for q fight to finish. The expiaha- ton reaches us from an authoratiVe source and forms a most sensational chapter of secret history. On the morn ing of Saturday, october 19, when, as |. seemed, all ordinary efforts to restore neace were doomed to failure, the frah- eo-German crisis-and for that matter the Anglo German crisis-had reached us rost acute phase. At this critical june ture MT. Lloyd George told the railway managers that if the strike were permit ted to continue the result would pfopaplS he a declaration of war on the part or Germany This was an appeal to the pa triotsm of the managers that could not le resisted, with the result that they agreed to a meeting between their rep resentatiVes and the men, and truce was arranged,
 This prospect of immediate war with Germany was the special circumstance re- ferred to by Sir Guy Granet, general manager of the Midland railway, In his evidence before the commission last week. Sir Guy said the masters consent ed to meet the mems representatives under very special circumstances, to which I am not permitted to allude, and which are not likely to recur, at the ear nest solicitation of the government
 During those anxious days Lord Kitch- erer was a frequent visitor to the war office and now that the Moroccan trou- ble is no longer likely to provoke war the secret of his conferences with the military chiefs may be revealed. The French government had asked that Brit ish troops should be landed on French soil and hurried to the northern frontier to assist in repelling the mighty Ger man host that, at the signal for war, would pour over the border. The Brit ish government agreed to this proposal. and Lord Kitchener, with the cordial approval of the French authorities, was nominated as commander of the expedi- tion. Had it come to fight our fla nous general might have had chance of winning laurels on the very fields renowned for Marlborough's victories. Nor is it without a certain appropriate ness that Marlborough descendant fills the post of home secretary in the minis try which resolved upon so bold and so decisive a departure in foreign politics.
 The recent sale of the Star and Garter at Richmond reminds one that this hotel has numerous most romantic and histor- teal associations. Among the royal per- sonages who have stayed temporarily at the Star and Garter are Napoleon III. King Victor Emmanuel, the Emperor Maxmillian of Mexico, the Empress of Austria and Louis Philippe and Queen Marie Amele This last royal couple staved at the hotel for months at a time, and were frequently visited by Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort. It is POO years since the Star and Garter first opened it's hospitabe doors.
 The original building does not, how ever, stand to the present day for in 1897 big fire occurred which practically destroyed the historical hotel.
 The National League of the Blind pass ed recently by large mapority a reso- lution requiring direct representation of the blind in parliament