Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-08-05

hunting expedition in central Africa.
From the cares and evils of Office Sir
Edward Grey gets relief in the country
life He has a passion for the country
side, is skilled angler, keen observer
of Nature in all her moods and loving
student Of birds Whenever he can snatch
an opportunity. Sir Edward speeds off TO
the country with all the zest of school
boy. Under his guidance Mr.. Roosevelt
during his last visit to England spent a
night In the New forest, to watch the
dawn Of a summer day. His love of ma
ture has helped to preserve the youth
fulness which is so marked a character
istic of Sir Edward Grey. There must
be healing balm in the sounds and scents
and the soft, delicious glamour of the
countryside after the heavy evils and the
wearing anxieties Of the foreign Office.
Churchill Not Liked.
While Sir Edward Grey is. with the ex-
ception of Mr.. Asquith, the most popular
man in the government. there is no doubt
that Winston Churchill is the most I'M
popular. The opposition is always ready
for a quarrel with him and many of his
own side cordially dislike him. He has
contrived to inspire in his political oppo-
nents an intensity of personal dislike for
which 1t would be necessary to go back
long way In parliamentary history to
find a parallel. In spite of all the
the past fiv, years, and especially by the
grave constitutional struggle still in prog
ress, that happy and unique tradition of
English politics which makes it possible
FOR the keenest warfare on vital public
questions to co-eXist with sentiments of
mutual respect and even of close per-
sonal friendship between the combat
ants is today as fully maintained as
ever.
Men who hold each others political
opinions in frank adherence are not
thereby prevented from approaching each
others personal qualities. or from fore
gathering with the sincerest amity and
good will in the relations Of social and
private intercourse. while the personal
admiration and esteem which most of the
captains Of both political armies command
rom all sections Of their opponents finds
constant expression both within and out
side the walls of parliament.
1t follows. then, that the curiously
unanimous dislike with which Mr.. Churc-
hill has come to be personally regarded by
the opposition Is not to be explained either
by his opinions as politician or by his
arts as a minister. He Is. 1t Is true.
one of the two members of the present
cabinet to whose influence is chiefly at
tributed the trend of it's policy in direc-
tons most obnoxious to the convictions
of its opponents and in their view most
threatening to the welfare Of the state
and the security Of the empire. But he
has neither done nor said half as much
to provoke the bitter resentment Of all
men of conservative instincts as his col
league OF the exchequer, and Lloyd
George, for all his "limehousing'' hys-
terics and henroosting proclivities, has
never earned the personal dislike OF his
foes. For in him are recognized certain
qualities which command for him a meas
ure OF liking and respect. even from those
who most detest his methods. and the
foremost Of these qualities is his trans
parent and unquestionable sincerity.
Deserted Former Friends.
Now, the house of commons has the de-
served reputation of being. in it's collect
i've capacity, keen and shrewd judge of
character. and it is matter Of common
knowledge that men Of all parties within
it's walls agree in an estimate that is
not altogether f1attering of the political
sincerity of Winston Churchill To at
tribute the peculiar antipathy which he
excites in his opponents to the fact that
he is a deserter from their ranks is to
recognize only part of the truth. Human
nature being what it is, the man who
changes his party allegiance and exhibits
the proverbial zeal Of the convert in as
sailing his former creed is in no circum-
stances likely to be an object Of devoted
admiration to the friends he has left. But
in Mr. Churchill's case the manner Of his
sudden turning of his political coat was
felt to justify a far stronger feeling Of
resentment than is usually excited by the
party renegade.
But, after all. the home secretary s
quite extraordinary unpopularity is due
far less to what he has done than to
what he is. His merciless oratory, his
attacks on the judicial bench. his pam
derings to the enemies of the social order
to which he belongs, are more tolerable
than the singular offensiveness Of manner
and bearing which brought storm about
his head during his recent brief essay
in the leadership in the house of COM
mons. To Mr.. Churchill the amenities
of debate go far less than nothing so
long as there is gibe to be hurled at
the head of an opponent, the virtues of
tact and Cancellation are Of no account
when their cultivation would restrain the
free Indulgence Of pert invective and a
domineering spirit scarcely betting the
dignity Of cabinet minister. It is, in
short before all things, the unfortunate
temperament and rasping personality of
Mr.. Churchill that render him an object
of unconcealed dislike to his political
opponents and severely restrict his pop
ularity even with the party to which his
undoubtedly brilliant gifts are now de-
voted. Unless he is capable of learning
his lesson and learning it soon, he will
never be tolerated. even by his own Do
litical friends. in the higher position to
which he aspires