The sun., 1915-06-09

House OF Commons
Mr. Baifour n philosopher.
A: the same time h" Is y philosopher
ot tie higheset atta!umen;s. y new
philosophical work by Hr Falfuur VIII
he published soon and VIII no doubt -"
eagerly received by men who give N,'le
thought TO the world Of politics IN which
the author Is so great a ACurc ~ he
Admiralty ne will he no mere anna
teur Ever since the war started he
has had a room there ard has been act
ing practically as Minister wi'N'ut
portfolio lie has long been ar active
member OF the Committee Of Imperial
Defence. a body Il which he may he
said to he the originator Str1tcEy Is
his hobby. The vicar .: Leeds, I'm
letter To- the Times to-day, recalls :he
following inc! lent:
"On n Sunday so'l'e thirteen wears
ago the late John Penn. VI. T. FOR lew
isham. the head of The well known en-
gineering firm, said to me; Yesterday
| was going o. play golf with Arthur
Balrnur and went 10 pick him M in
Downing street on the way TO the rail-
way station. lie threw down the book
he was reading and excused himself for
going TO sign some letters before start
ing and | had the curiosity TO pick ur
the book.
10 NV SuTtlrlsp " was on MY wv u
subject. marine engineering, and | said
! TO myself: We'll. | 'atter myself that
this T. subject on which ai lcaS, !
'kuow more than my political chief. hu'
as we travelled from London to the
south coast ! was almost led to change
my mind as ! was put through such
a searching cateChism Il inquiries as
20 first principles and their application
that I had 20 recolcct all | knc"
about engineering I felt there was
little | had learned which that man did
not know and he would he IN his right
place at the head of the Admiralty.
Thirteen years later MIR. Ralfour finds
himself where an expert then thought he
SHOULD he.
Lord Lansdownc who succeeded to
his title when he came Of age. has
never been in the House Of Commons.
He is one OF the few surviving states
men who separated from Mr. Glad
stone on home rulO. lie has rot lHomed
very large IN the public eye and Is TAR
less known personally than many men
Of less ability. LaHsdowne House is an
rristocratic centre wnere there is ~"
sympathy FOR what is generally do
scribed as 'modern smartness.' He
has been a singularly successful For
eign Secretary and IL is greatly due 10
his cool and sound judgment that ever
since his time foreign affairs in this
removed from the cockpit of mere party
politics For twenty years or more the
foreign policy of Great Britain has been
in the main a national, not party
policy.
Enters Cabinet At 20.
Lord Lansdowne al 20 years of age
ard not in the best OF health, stricken
also by the death OF his son. who was
III tp aptinp iDina the
Cabinet as Minister without portfolio
the first appointment of the kind made
in Er gland for more than nifty years
by a curious coincidence the last Eng
lish Minister without portfolio was
Lord Lansdowne's grandfather, IN 1886.
His age and health make IL Impossible"
for him to undertake departmental du-
ties but he will be- able to carry on the
important duties OF the Foreign ofiic"
at such time as this either in con-
junction with Sir Edward Grey, or. in
, Sir Edwards absence, with perfect
smoothness and continuity,
Sir Edward Grey. who. as a matter
OF course. remained at the Foreign once
when the Cabinet was reconstructed. IL
another OF those statemen whose per-
sonal charm Immediately strikes every
! one who meets him. lie has been suffer-
ing very severely for some time from eye
!, strain and Il is probable that he will
have TO take a real holiday before he
will be fit TO undertake the full duties
, OF his responsible post.
The nervous tension on Sir Edward
Grey since July last has. OF course, been
enormous, and II Ia impossible to speak
with him without feeling that here is a
I man who feels the responsibility OF his
position perhaps almost too acutely. He
, IL man evidently for whom II would
he a sheer impossIbllty to play. in even
, the slightest degree, with his conscience,
"CurxOn the superior"
Lord Curzon is one of those who have
, never held Cabinet rank before, hui he
: Is one OF perhaps half dozen men in
2 politics who really know ferelgn affairs.
: II cannot be said OF Lord Cur2on that
, he is conspicuous for personal charm
but he Is a man OF great ability who has
always taken himself and everything
else with great seriousness When he
I was an undergraduate at oxford he was
called "Curzon the superior person"
I Andrew Bonar Law, who goes to the
[ Colonial Office. IL another who has never
: held Cabinet rank but. as leader of the
Opposition In the House of Commons for
E the last three years and n half. he has
had what II equivalent to Cabinet rank.
. and Is the first Canadian born man ia
/. hold II. Mr.. Bonar Law Is one Of the
. quiet men VINO avoid publicity and have
, no use for society with n capital =. He
lives in charming old fashioned house
2 with a large garden, In the heart OF
D kensington, and provides no material
for the gossip paragraphs which are
such a strong feature Of the illustra led
J, press OF to-day.