The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-09

l in England who claim he is one of the greatest of living Englishmen: ana there are those who say he is sadly lacking in all the clements of a great statesman. In the eyes of the Latter he is eclipsed by hts more brilliant lieutenants, Lloyd George and Winston Churchill and perhaps by Haldane. The former retort by pointing out that his has been the master hand that has held all these men together through che of the most critical and turbulent periods of English history; that in each succeeding crisis 1t was Asquith and not Churchill or Lloyd George CT Haldane who saved the day and that his ability to work without jealousy or interference with his brilliant suh- ordinates md through it all retain their loyalty and devotion. is but proof of the bigness of the man.
 Although there are two opinions about Asquith there are no two opinions about his wife. She is by general consent one of the cleverest if not the cleverest. of English women in public life. As Mar got Tennant. the daughter of rich north country family, she was the center of brilliant group of young girls and one of the original members of The Souls, justly famous organization of intelleQ- uals. But she has higher claims to fame than that which she shares with others; she is the original of that delightful char acter ''Dodo." the Heroine of E. F. Ben sons world-popular book of that name.
 Mrs Asquith manages her. husband de- lightfully. She has a <charm of manner which has served to soften the grim character of her partner No one could claim that the prime minister is sym pathetic figure. To the public he appears tc be d man of cold mentality with little or no heart. It must be said that this is not the impression he gives those whc work with him day In and day out. for. hy his close associates he is greatly loved But to the public he appears to work too much by calculation and too little by in- pulse. In this matter his wife supple uents his character. She has thrown herself with enthusiasm into social serv- ice and for years has worked among the poor of the East End. She is the leader of the movement for personal service claiming that 1t is not enough to give money to the poverty stricken. but that the rich and the highly placed must learn first hand the problems that beset the less fortunate. The writer remembers hearing her address a meeting of the un- employed. Previous speakers had dis cussed the supposed causes of the wide- spread unemployment that was then prev alent throughout England. Mrs. Asquiths speech was short and to the point T don't know why you are unemployed"
 
 get you employed soon as possible. That practical sentiment immediately ap- pealed to her working class hearers
 Although Mrs. Asquith takes no active part in politics. she is remarkably well informed on all matters and within her own home discusses national and inter national affairs with a frankness and knowledge that eompels the respect of the hundreds of visitors who are from time to time, the guests of the prime minister Indeed she is much more inclined to talk than is her husband Recently I heard the story of an Interview with the prime minister secured by a newspaper man The interviewer talked first with Mrs Asauith, then with the premier. The in tervew written and submitted first to the prime minister's private secretary and then to Mrs. Asqufth The latter found it necessary to cut out so much material that not much was left. In re- turn she supplied the newspaper man with mass of fresh personal matter concerning her husband which made the interview interesting that one was reconciled to the brevity of the state mans remarks.
 Although the social duties of the wife of the prime minister of England are heavy and constant. Mrs. Asquith has the seputation of being an ideal mother Three of the prime minister's sons by a former marriage are now in service, while the two daughters are active in war social work. The older Violet who was engaged to the second son of the Earl of Aberdeen. who was killed in a motor accident couple of years ago. | is much like her stepmother that. when famous poet sometime ago launched controversial poem even the wise heads found it impossible to say whether he had had Violet Asouith l or her mother in mind The poet finally settled the controversy by declaring that he had had them both in sight and that he had made "a composite DOT trait"
 Although less striking individually than Mrs. Asquth, Mrs Winston Chruchill, wife of the ruler of the Kings navee.' is worth Investigating. She was little known before her mar riage to the son of the former Jennie Jerome of New York. Indeed their short engagement and subsequent marriage came as great surprise to society which had for many years predicted all manner of more brilliant alliances for Winnie The latter was then president or the Board of Trade his first big cab met Job. and although marked out for the highest honors. he had by no means an easy road 10 travel It is said that clementine Hozier, as his wife then was was considerable help and en
 o'''Sht tO HllI oHe mas the reDll- tation Of being a brilliant conversation- aiist. speaking half dozen languages anu having the push and energy of her mothers native rase. the Scots.
 III managing Winston Churchill sine mas difficult task for her husbano IS one of the strangest and mos, un certain characters in public life in england. He is an odd mixture of ex cessiVe temperament, passion. senti- ment and intelIecualitv Evan th other members of the cabinet who have worked with him for years, are by no iheans-sure of his next move. He is un. oerstood to have been one of the s. s'"nsest forces in favor of the war In the critical days when England,s a. 'ituoe hung in the balance, and is now said 10 go far beyond any other mem per or the cabinet in his determina- ton that his country shall persist to FREE LIFE nYATVc mn