The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-24
FAMOUS BRITISH LABOR LEADER
 ROSE FROM POVERTY TO POWER

London. January 14.-tspecisl) Some of the English publicists have been talking about peace terms. do not mean to imply that the public IS at present in any mood for coming to terms with the enemy, but there is Undoubtedly very prevalent mood among the writers 10 take stock and to get into shape a general outline of the terms that would be acceptable to this country should success crown the arms of the allies. Even in these times, when democratic government has gone by the boards and autocracy holds all most undisputed sway, 1t N probable ithat public opinion will have much to say regarding the terms upon which the greatest war in the history Of the world will be brought to a conclusion.
 For it is upon the exact conditions of these terms that Nle duration of the war largely depends. And 1t Is upon English public opinion that the Brit fish government no matter how auto cratic for the moment, must depend Tor its ability to continue the struggle. Tn the shaping of this public opinion one 
 ssv Macdonald, late chairman of the Independent labor party, who resigned his job because the party refused to support him in his general opposition Ito the war and to Sir Edward Grey handling of foreign affairs especially Macdonald is carrying on spirited lpropaganda in an effort to moderate the intense war fever which seized upon the British public immediately war was declared, and which drove hundreds of otherwise level headed men to talk wildly of all kinds of outcomes and to advocate war to a finish in vain attempt to accomplish quite impossible = ends
 Macdonald, with Morel of Belgian Congo fame, Norman Angel. of The Great Illusion" Charles Trevelyna. who fresigned a sjob in the cabinet because of his opposition to the war. and oth- CTS of like mind, are biding their time When the soldiers of the allies have gained an undoubted ascendancy over the legions of the Kaiser they will get busy These men are the leaders of numerous. although at the moment not
  fish public, which fears the destruction of Germany as powerful and poten- tially useful nation and who are afraid that this country will be tempted by an extreme public to continue the war until it Is economically exhausted in an effort to accomplish ends which, in the long run. would operate against the best interests of the British em- pire.
 Behind Macdonald are thousands of working men who believe that Eng lands first concern should be the peo- pie who inhabit John Bulls little island and that their interests should not be sacrificed for some dream of empire. Little Englanders" they have long been called. They have been slow in answering the call to arms and will probably be slower in the future. Many of them refuse to believe that Great Britain is in danger despite the pro- nouncements of prophets, priests and kings.
 At AS Ramsay Macdonald is one of the three or four most interesting po liticians in Great Britain. It was he who created the labor party in the House of Commons for it was his grip of the essentials of electioneering that secured the triumph of labor in the election of 1906 and since then he has dictated it's policy like a true au- tocrat He restrained the order of l<er Hardie, who has describtd lim as !" the greatest intellectual asset of the British labor movement he oVerruled Philip Snowden and suppressed Victor Grayson. and incidentally he won the regard of the liberal party and became its ally. Indubitably he would have followed that other renowned labor leader John Burns, into the govern ment fold, and, like him, have been rewarded with a cabinet post, after which his political genius which has earned him, among many other titles, complimentary and otherwise. that of Monarch of Wirepullers," plus his ex perience, knowledge and indefatigable industry, surely would have gained him a place near the top of the tree.
 Industry, that is the key to Ramsay i Macdonald's success. for he is net a man of great natural bgrilliance nor a natural orator thought he Is now one of the best speakers, as wei as one of the handsomest men in the