New-York tribune., 1911-11-06
LONDON NOTES
A New Watch 0og-Compromiss
Agencies-Picture Traffic.
London. Ocfohev oy

naming for short term IN charge ~
those great administrative departments.
the Board OF Trade and the Homo Ofics.
he has changed places with Mr.. Nc
Kenna and is now First Lord Of the Ad.
mirslty, AS he is Mr.. Lloyd Georges
principal rival In popularity on the Lib.
era front bench and is equally ambi-
which could not have been forced upon
him against his will is an interesting
subject Of conjecture. Mr.. Mckenna,
preference for the Homo Office Is intelli.
gibe, since II is less laborious post
than the Admiralty and more con-
genial one for a lawyer, and at the sams
time is a more dignified one, ranking
after the Chancellorship Of the TX
chequer. Mr. Churchill does not obtain
promotion. nor does he accept RESPONSE
bility for what are likely to be the main
measures under debate during the next
two years--Home Rule for Ireland and
D,sestablishment for Wales. Why then,
has he gone to the Admiralty?
Political foes, who decline TO give Mr.
Churchill credit for disinterested action
assert that he is leaving the Home Of
fee because he has discovered that ho
was incurring unpopularlty there among
yorkingmen by his energy and deter
mination in the maintenance Of order
during railway strikes. In their opinion
| he has taken refuge in the Admiralty
because he foresees the renewal of labor
complications over the Railway Comms-
sion's report and does not want TO tacs
the responsibility Of calling out military
forces for the suppression Of disorders.
These partisan explanations are grossly
unjust to a Cabinet Minister who has
never displayed lack OF courage. II he
has deliberately taken charge OF one Of
the great spending services II must be
because he is convinced that importan:
work is to be done at the Admiralty,
and that he is now prepared 10 under
take Il, as he was not few years ago
when Lord Fisher urged him 70 become
Lord Tweedmouths successor. Like his
father, Lord Randolph Churchill he has
stood for retrenchment In the military
and naval estimates: and he has con-
demned excessive armaments and ridi-
culed the two-power standard, which
required England to arm herself against
a possible coalition OF the United states
and Germany 1t would be rash TO as
sumo that he has become a Little Eng
lander like Mr.. Lloyd George. II would
be more natural to credit him with a
patriotic desire to promote national
peace by the regulation Of vasteful
arnaments. The Chancellor's watch
dog is at the Admiralty.
| Only one Of Mr.. Asquith's colleagues,
Lord Morley. was in the Cabinet when
Mr. Gladstone and Lord Rosebery were
! in power. That Is significant proof o,
the rap,dity with which new men have
been getting on and OF the attractive
power Of Liberalism for the rising gen
Grafton. Even so consistent radical
as Lord Darlington considers himself an
old fogy at seventy and only ht for
sinecure like the Priyy Seal; and
younger man with fine business quail
ties. Mr.. Runciman is brought into ths
Department Of Agriculture 10 put driv-
II ing energy into the small holdings pol
| icy and 10 make Hodge sound Radical
! like himself. This is good politics, and
so also IS the appointment of Dir. Pesse.
formerly Chief Liberal Whip. to tho
Presidency of the Board Of Education.
Not only II he the representative OF ono
Of the best known Quaker families ana
! in entire sympathy with the Noncon-
! formists on educational questions, but
/ he has also been one of the cleverese
party managers and has mastered the
art of conclliatlng jealous and host''e
factions.
The Prime Minister, now that the Par'
lament bill is on the statute BOOKS ana
the Lords veto reduced 10 suspehsiNs
function for two years. has the difiicut
Cladstonian task Of reconciling his Nom
conformist followers to Roman Cathoh'
ascendancv in Ireland. He begins by
retaining Mr.. Birrell, one Of their SIM
cerest and most consistent representa-
tives. i'm the Irish Office and by promising
disestablishment for Wales. lie WIZ
probably end by reviving Mr.. BirreF'
! education bill in more drastic torIn'
hut in the mean time Mr.. Pease will po
I'm office 10 direct the administration "l
educational interests and favor tres
! Church men in every possible way. The
! Nonconformist conscience is 70 be eased
by concessions large and small while ths
, Home Rule bill is carried three times
through the Commons. While this great
political game of compromise Is played
10 the mutual advantage OF Roman cam
olics and Free Church men, traces
unionism and Socialism are 10 he con
ciliated by the revision of the Osborns
Judgment. the adoption Of a stupendous
insurance scheme, railway diplomacy N
sectional boards and other devices for
keeping the Labor party loyal 10 the
coalition. II the Prime Minister sue
ceeds In all these complex undertakings
he will be known i'm political history as
miracle worker in compromise.
an American house, Messrs. Knoed'er
! & Co, now has galleries in Old Bona
street, opposite the Agnews', and Is OK
| hibiting British masters for the benchs
OF the National Art Collection tuno
This gift OF gate money does not concesl
the fact that there is organized traffic III
the treasures Of English country houses
and that there are unusual facilities Tor
| transferring them 10 the walls OF Amer