New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-04


itself rs unpopular
Lord Haldane's attitude in these mill
tsry matters is characteristic Of him I'm
political matters also What he lacks
IS genius for practical affairs. When
he went TO the War Ohce he mastered
10 as. when at the Bar he mastered
brief on a subject hitherto unknown TO
him He mastered IT, that is. for the
purposes OF the trial He applied TO
those unfamiliar problems a singuiarly
acute intellect perfectly trained for
that purpose II an army were to be
created by forensic methods. he would
be an ideal creator. II politics were to
be dealt with in the same way. he
would he an exceedingly competent
politician.
But they cannot be and here II IL
that Lord Haldane's German training
stands him in such in stead. The logic
Of metaphysics is one thing. The logic
Of life is another. and if YOU apply
your metaphysics to problems of actual
life the result is apt 20 he disastrous.
That is what Lord Haldsne does. He
is fertile in distinctions. i'm expedients,
i'm processes Of disiectic: in what Bis
marck used to call chiEOjNcrics; and in
treating the concrete as if it were the
abstract. For the categorical impera-
tive nc substitutes the Hypothetical
subjunctiNe. Present him with a prob
lem i'm practical politics, ne solves it by
theorems The solution is theoretically
perfect but the problem remains as
much problem as ever. OF human
nature as the deciding factor in all
such dHemmas he takes no account
TO a Prime Minister often hard
pressed and sometimes in corner an
adviser Of this kind may he welcome.
He is never without a suggestion: a
remedy of some Kind for all political
ills. II may not be a wise suggestion. but
il H. Il suggestion: and better than the
blank wall al which most advisers
leave YOU staring when YOU come 10
them for counsel Mr., Asquith and Lord
Haldane are both lawyers. Lord Hal
dane is a very great lawye r; likely as
Lord Chancellor 10 render great SER
vices TO English law: capable Of reGuc-
ing its rather chaotic and formless
condition TO symmetry and order; to
give il the scientific completeness of
the Civil Law. or the precision of
Napoleonic code. II Lord Halsoury'
perhaps the greatest Lord Chancellor of
our time, save enc. thinks himself not
too old at eighty eight 10 set about
codifying the whole body of English
law. what may not be possible 10 his
successor still in the ffties and in all
the vigor Of his intellectual energies
( and power Of work? If Lord Haldene
will enter upon that task he may leave
an imperlshaole name; confer an in
estimable boon on his profession and
on England--indeed, on all English
, speaking peoples.
He will not DO it by acting as Mr..
Asouiths lieutenant in party man9u-
vres When Ministers group them
selves about that long table in the Cab
/ met Room in Downing street, they are
, there in a dual capacity: as Ministers
I Of the Crown and as party leaders. Is
il certain which character the more
often prevails? Is it doubtful that when
the chosen Five assemble in an inner
( room they are there 20 deal first Of all
with the perpleXities Of party politics?
Has a man like the Lord Chancellor
nothing better TO do than TO climb a
platform in order to explain that Leeds
IS consistent with Lsdybank, and that
the Prime Minister still has an open
mind about Ulster?
And when. a day later the Prime
Minister finds that this theory will
not serve. and constructs new one
Of his own. is the position of LORD
Haldane an enviable one? What is
there in common between him and
| Mr. LLOYD George. who tells Hollo-
way audience that he has put his knife
into Dukes and landowners and Eccle-
siastical Commissioners and that their
dead carcasses are hanging there for all
men TO see: capable Of no further mis-
chief? Lord Haldane is far above such
vulgarities. what has he in common
with the author Of them. or Why should
he sit with him in an Inner Cabinet Of
which nos ne but Mr.. Lloyd George
himself - believed to be the master
spirit? ! wish he would put that ques-
ton TO himself and answer it with due
regard 70 the claims Of his country
lupon a great Jurist who is capable OF
great things. q. w. =