The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-20
(Hartford Courant.)

The Quidnuncs of London have a
ne" puzzle to solve. Sir Edward
Grey has received the star and other
insignia Of the Most Noble Order of
the Garter and all the diplomats and
politicians are asking each other why.
Sir Edward Grey, Bart, is the British
secretary of state for foreign affairs.
He has filled this post since 1906, that
is to say. in both the Campbell Ban
herman and Asquith ministries; and
has distinguished himself of late by
the fidelity with which he has held to
the understanding With France and
the agreement with Russia by which
the late king. Edward the Seventh,
undertook tas was freely supposedly to
teach Kaiser Wilhelm that the British
uncle was a rather bigger man in the
field of European politics than the
German nephew. AS We have said be-
fore. Sir Edward could not have
maintained this policy more firmly if
ii had been wholly his own.
The Order of the Garter dates from
1898, and 1t is so much Of a preserve
Tor royal personagcs hat no one looks
to it as a proof of merit. Its mem
bers at this time consist OF thirteen
emperors or kings-thc little Manuel.
formerly of Portugal. being one of
Them; fourteen royal highncsscs, all of
A"AA ihailNN 40 llSIlIltsSSeS Ho,
twelve dukes, tho Duke of Fife having
just died; six m%arqucsses. including
i-ansdownc and Grew: and eight carls,
Including Marshal Roberts,
Lord R"scbcrE and Lord Sclbornc.
Sir Edward Grey is not only 81 COM
moncr-one remove from the crowd,
perhaps, in his title of politeness-but
ne also possesses the Democratic
'nle.ld, little as ono might think so
tInnl bic fnnnt,t atyit,,.1> ,.n~ .t,-
efforts of the Persian people to get
honcSt government for themselves. 1t
is u slow mind, a deliberative mind,
anu in certain fundamentals almost
conservatives; but the essential ten
dcilrE of it, after these instructions
har" been worked through. is stead
tasty Democratic. That he. of all
men of this time in the public life of
England. should be decorated with tho
curious ana interesting.
IL we were looking for n private
reason, We should say that King
George wished to show his gratitude
I" the foreign secretary for tho zcst
with which he has adhered to the line
"l foreign policy So closely associated
with tho name and fame Of the late
king. his father. This probably was a
favorable clement in the matter: but
1t looks as if There may also liavc
been strictly political considerations.
one cannot look with much of an eye
into the present field of British poll
tics without seeing Lloyd George; that
is to say. the pounds. sl,illings and
pence which in the last analysis go SO
far TO determine whether a govcrn-
mcnt is a good onc to keep going or
a good II to stop. The present
chancellor of the British eXchequrr is
a sentimental celt, and there seems to
he no limit to the kindncssts or in-
tended ~kindncsscs which he is willing
to confer upon others at the public
expense. MIR. Balfour's philosophical
mind was not quito prepared to deal
With this romantic tendency on the
part of Mr.. Lloyd George, but Mr..
Bonar Laws trained business mind
can no more overlook it than it can
the multiplication table. Accordingly
Mr.. Law took occasion about two
weeks ago. in the course of a speech at
specified a. Georgian Finance" He
opened the matter in this fashion,
But it is in their management Of the
finances of this country that the high
water mark of radical efficiency has
been reached. Before the election of
1906. no change WAS made against us
so prrsistently and so violently as the
cll;lrse of extravaganza in finance. We
were attacked, not because VIC had
spent the money unwiscly. hut because
we had spent too much money. They
told us hat our bloatcd estimates.
taking money out of tho pockets "t
the taxpayers, had crippled commerce.
and lowered wages. And what is the
result of this economical government?
In sin years they have increased the
national expenditure to the extent of
forty millions sterling a year-or. IL
YOU leave old-agc pensions out alto
sethcr, to tho extent of more than
Twenty-Five millions sterling a year.
Whittier has this money gone: he
asked: and made answer as follows:
A large part of it-well, a consider
able part of it-llas gone to the Gre
alton of Il swarm Of new officials who,
like l%ocusts. T. devouring the land.
In six short years they have appointed
between four and five thousand new