The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-09
From the Kansas City star.


From the Kansas City Star.
YOU'VE heard of Downing street OF
course-anybody who has ever read
- any of f. Phillips Oppenheim's s
international novels couldn't possibly nave
escaped it. Downing street is the center
from which the workings of the British
go fernment are directed and, though less
Impressive, is great deal more import
ant than the palace of st. James, where
the principal problem these days lie who
the Princess Mary shall be allowed to
play with.
Downing srteet is a narrow cul-de-sae
in the heart of London where the prime
minister of the British empire has his
official residence. Curiously enough, 1t
was laid out in the first place by an Ameri-
can, George Downing, who was born in
Massachusetts and graduated from Har-
ward university Downing was an instruc-
tor in Harvard for a few years; went
as chaplain of a ship to the West Indies,
! then became chaplain of one of Crom-
| wells regiments and later treasurer OF
England under the protector He seems
to have possessed considerable agility in
leaping the bandwagon, and SO when
Charles III came back to rule England
1t wasn't long before George Downing
he was Sir George Downing by this time
was high in the councils of the Merry
Monarch"
| Downing brought back from Hoiaho
| Two of the men who had helped behead
Charles |, and in recognition for TINS SER
vice Charles III gave him title ana
grant of land in Whitehall. Downing
/ cuiIt some houses on this addition and
called It Downing street. These houses
in the course of time. became the prop
erty OF the government When George
| 7 of the beer guzzling Hanoverans, be-
came King of England, he gave No. 10
Downing street to his Hanoverian minis
| fer. Baron Bothmar, for life. A few dec
ades later George ii offered NO. ~ to
Sir Robert Waipole. the sage who pointed
out that every man has his price. Sir
| Robert declined to accept the mousse Tor
| life unless the office of premier OF Brit
ian went with it. and he received both
house and the office. And 1t Is since that
time that Downing street and No. ~
| Downing street have been synonyms for
the seat of government in England.
| # is in Downing street that the great
cora,gn off,ces now stand but the old
house at No. is still retains it's pristine
importance, although premiers since Glad
stone and Balfour have not chosen to live
there.
| II was in Downing street at No. 10, then
the colonial department, that Wellington
and Lord Nelson met for the first and
| only time In an ante-room, chatted for
a few minutes and failed to recognize
each other.
] No. 10 Downing street was the habitat
of Pitt and Lord North. There, too, it
may be, the Duke Of Newcastle held that
| famous conference with Colleague in
regard to military plans in America DUR
ing the revolution. The colleague gave
the duke much valuable and hitherto un-
suspected information.
"Oh. yes! yes. to be sure. Annapolis
must be defended. Troops must be sent
to Annapolis. Pray, where is Annapolis?"
"Caoe Breton an island? Wonderful!
Show 1t ME on the map So it is, sure
enough My dear sir, you always bring
me good news. 1 must go and tell the
King Cape Breton is an island"
In the old wainscoted dining room of
this same venerable dwelling. Disraeli,
Earl of Beaconsfeld. whose very taste In
vests discredited him in the eyes Of Glad
stone, used to give the famous parlia-
mentary dinners which In his opinion gave