New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-03
AnglO-A1nerican Memories
CXXXv.
TWO cELEBRITIEs-sIR HENRY CAPTAIN seYN
Copyright. 1911. George ". smalIey.,
London. August u.

London, August il.
II is a pathetic thing that man
should be a celebrity during all his life
and then be forgotten. Or, 10 put it diff
ferently, that he should be famous in his
own country and unknown elsewhere. 1
could give you list Of such men, each
one OF whose names would mean much
70 an Englishman, or at least to an Eng
yshu1an with a social position, and moth
ing az all to the American reader. Let
me try 10 introduce one OF two of them.
and I viii begin with Sir Henry Calcraft.
owe him something. He was my pro-
poser at certain London club which is
commonly said 20 be unlike every other
club. partly because Of its exceptional
organization. partly because Of It's mem
bership Calcraft, think. was an origi-
nal member. at any rate. he was there,
as elsewhere. a man of authority. About
clubs he had his own point Of view, as
he always had. He said:
you 20 often abroad. You would firS
the club a convenient place for dining
before you catch your night train. III
put YOU up if your like
As entrance 10 this club was then sup
posed 10 be difficult. such an offer was
not 70 be rejected. believe there was a
question whether an American or any
non-English candidate came within the
election rules: but Calcraft overrode all
difficulties. If any there were, and a
notice Of election came in die course
That was some five and twenty years
ago. I have used the club as other mem
bers 90. more or less. ever since. but 1
cannot remember that have ever dined
there on my way TO the Continental Ex-
presc. Ny debt to Calcraft is none the
less,a considerable one, and to Seymour
Wyane Finch, my seconder.
,aicraft was a Civil Servant; Of the
higher class. and I should think one Of
the most efficient ever known. He was
"a r. of the world and a man Of bust
~. in one. In both capacities he was
s<gta ndinE. permanent. one-man Court Of
Arbitration. The Permanent Secretary
OF any great Department rules that De
partment. Parliamentary chiefs come
and 90. The Secretary comes and stays,
masters its business. enforces discipline.
forms conclusions. takes decisions, sub
uits them 10 his Parliamentary Chief
and this great man. as a rule, has no
choice but 70 accept them. Calcraft
knew the Board Of Trade from end 70
end. and he had the advantage Of an i'm
perious temper and natural gift for
getting his own way.
Besides which his relations with great
men IN the City We're known 10 be close.
Lord Rothschld. who b. virtue Of his
name. his wealth and his abilities stands
At the head Of the City. was his intimate
friend. He valued Calcrafts judgment
IN matters Of business. and in his own
business s0eriaIties. II a firm which, Ike
The. RothschIds. deals in everything, can
b- said 20 have specialties. He often
sent for Calc.att 70 consult with him on
these high matters. The popular idea
of a man Ike Lord Rothschild or Mr..
P.erpont Morgan as one who carries
vast business unaided Is. Of course,
wrong and impossible idea. 1t is one Of
their titles 10 supremacy that they
know how 10 choose agents and advisers.
They are surrounded by agents and ad-
Yisers, and the opinions Of these agents
and advisers are the material from
which they form their own opinions, on
which they base their own decisions.
Calcraft was asked 10 advise in politi-
cal matters also; the trusted confidant Of
Ministers Of the Crown. He was con-
suited In all sorts Of social troubles
There had been. I suppose. nobody since
Charles Crevine who had an authority
Ike his, and Greville's Memoirs. per-
haps the most enlightening of books on
English life. show on many page what
role he himself played. To have Calcra&t
on your side IN q controversy was as
good as a battalion. he delivered him
self of terse. clear sentences with never
q word to spare, from which there was
seldom az appeal He borrowed from
nobody. The opinion he gave mp was his
own. In society he c0nf0rmed 10 certain
conventionalities. as every man with a
Mace IN society must, but the conven-
tionaHties he disregarded were more nu-
merous than those 20 which he sub
mitted. When he was made a *. C. 3.
and became sir Henry Calcraft I con-
doIed with him on having TO order new
card plate. But he said:
'I have never had a card and am not
going 10 begin now"
little thing II YOU like but the little
things are the most significant How
many other men could have said the
same thing? He dressed carelessly and
rather badly. as did much greater men.
Ike Mr. Gladstone and LORD Salisbury,
who could do as they chose. But so did
Cslc-aft do az he chose. in these and
other matters. I have seen him make his
appearance at a smart garden party
where men came in frock coats-it was
then the dav Of the now discarded frock
coat-and tall hats. Calcraft was in a
loose, light gray shooting suit and a soft
gray hat. Nobody cared what he wore.
He used TO regard life as one long ex~
pertinent. His mind was too active 70
be content with routine. and he left few
paths untrodden or untried. He told me
that ne once gave up wine and SPIRITS Tor
three months, but added;
81 do not ADVISE you 10 do the same
Il takes too much out Of man.
And he specified a result which II
might not be prudent 10 menuon IN
n