New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-29
Anglo-Anerican Memories
CXLIII.
CID GEORGE AsKwrrH AND AND MR. SYDNEY
copyright. 1911. George W smaney.,
1nndon- September 20.


s.. George Askwith, is pleasant person
- meet and there is a sense in which he
.,..r deserves this new honor. He is an
,Hcial Of the Board of Trade; briefly and
.,rveniently known as Comptroller Cen
zeal NJ the Commercial. Labour and
s,,f;stical Departments of the Board Of
,.a5a He has won fame and his new
,i.r, bv composing c adjusting strikes;
something like a hundred Of them, first
and last. This he has done under orders
.-on his superior officers. He has a vast
t.,roy,ledge of industrial questions. which
d.. handles. say other experts, with
a,,azing skill. He has unusual abilities.
o rare diplomatic gift profound knowl-
edge o. the mind Of the laborer, and
.sneoiallv Of the strike leaders and
,rrs5e Union officials; with an accurate
-pdgment in most cases Of the extent to
which employers may be induced 10 give
NAV or coereed into concessions. 1t
must 7 suppose. be said that most OF Mr..
,stuyith's interventions in the disputes
hstUeen- laborers and employers ended
g., The advantage OF the laborer BE
that as it may, he has had a job given
him 10 do and has done it, as JOB with
GREAT cleverness. do not know how far
no is responsible for the policy he has
carried out. or how far he is in SYM
-athv with it. But since he has 10 take
b.. orders from the Board Of Trade pre-
for N believe that the Board of Trade
and NOT its subordinate is responsible.
In many cases, before the present war
against Society began. ny. Askwith's
intervention was entirely beneficial.
That was before Syndicalism. Socialism
and the Solidarity Of Labor had become
the oatchwords Of the paid professional
o-qa rizers Of disorder 4 strike was
then strike. Now it is a Revolt. and
arv lav il may become Revolution.
II is therefore held 20 be the duty of the
Government. OF any Government. 10 put
g. down. This present Government, how
a,zr announced that IL would not take
s,dae Between order and disorder It
undertook 10 be impartial; TO hold the
balance even. But Ministers soon found
that an impossible policy. They were
forced 70 take sides against men who
recognized no law but mob law; who
we're ready 20 staTve great cities, TO par
alive great industries. 20 ruin com
mer-e and 90 throw Kingdom into
helpless confusion in order 10 make four
trade unions masters Of the Kingdom.
r-oors were called out. the worst Of the
Threatened evil was prevented.
Rr- Ministers still went on negotiating
with the enemies whom Englishmen
Thought If was their duty 10 crush; and
.f- As<witb was still chief negotiator;
except Ir tho crisis Of which Mr.. Lloyd
rer -.r.. charge II touch on these
...erI matters il is only because with
. -.r.. reference to current affairs
1l ts.rth's position cannot be under
..,.I and 10 is desirable TO his interest
r.r . Should be- understood. At the
...r--.t .- is one of the conspicuous
.-. English public life. can
..'-r ..a- instance in which a subor-
#-.t. rror in the Civil Service has
a.er .~aaIlv conspicuous. Circum-
STANCES alone can explain this interest
u@ aEomo.y
therefore mean uo ceusuTe upon SIR
George As,with when I say that 1 think
This whole business Of strike-settling has
borne poisonous fruit. has brought dis
aster in It's train and is likely 20 bring
nuer more il there is blame TO be
Borne le- it be borne by Mr. LloyG
George Mr. Winston Churchill, and Mr.
Syd1er Buxton. successive Presidents OF
The Board VI Trade during these recent
periods at industrial war. And let the
Permanent Secretary. Sir H. Llewellyn
Smith accept his share Of it: since little
indeed goes on i'm the Board OF Trade
C- in any ether Department Of the Gov
eminent 0f Great Britain for which the
Permanent Secretary is not entitled 20 a
a large award Of praise or blame. as the
case may be.
have Got a word TO say against any
Of them as individuals They are all
able men. each with his own conceptions
n public 6utv which each has carried
'''-'5 10 MS NsH'S' VI ,i''9
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F''''' 0- "uii''iiIs' u a'''e CHI, =
Nsn1s very high indeed AR. Gladstone
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