Evening star., 1916-07-20
ENGLAND L|ON|ZES
AUSTRALIAN ORATOR
Prime Minister Hughes Reads
Political Lesson to
Mother Country.
CREATES BIG FOLLOWING
Fer IMPERIAL POLICY
Most Interesting Civilian Of Year
Makes Hit-Started Life as
4 Umbrella Mender.
corresnondene. q, the Associated Press.

Correspondents Of the Associated Press.
+ LONDON, July Seldom in the re-
cent history of English-speaking peo-
PIES and perhaps never in the memory
Of Britain, has any politician almost
unknown to the general public made
so swift q conquest Of the Imagination
and the enthusiasm of the masses as
William Morris Hughes. the prime min
lister of Australia. Only the sudden
achievement of William J. Bryan after
his crown of thorns and cross of gold"
speech before the Chicago convention
twenty years ago gives a parallel in
America.
Last year Hughes was known to the
United Kingdom as a colonial premier,
one of list of overseas statesmen or
politicians. Outside the official world
general who had conducted one of Eng
lands little wars or an explorer
who had written some new names
across the map, was more of a per-
sonage.
England Takes Notice.
Now. the story of Hughes is the story
Of the most interesting civilian OF the
year in England. The self-made Yam
keelike Welshman. the self-schooled
workingman, protectionist. labor union
ist. socialist, is now leaving the old
country after a visit of four months,
and is leaving a popular following COM
parable only to that commanded by an
other self made Welsh politician. Lloyd
George.
The oratorical output of the Austria
Ian prime minister has compared ia
yorabIy with the efforts of an Amerl-
can presidential candidate of the most
= Iy, hA
responded to the bestowal of the free
dom of a conservative municipality
(handed to him in gold casket), greet
ed societies of Welshmen. received
degree from a university, stirred TO en-
thusiasm a meeting of dock laborefs
on the Thames; and gained kid -gloved
applause from a committee OF peeresses
engaged in war work
The Hughes platform. roughly put.
has been this: War to the hilt
against the Germans. both on the pat
tlefield and in the field of trade. Com
mercial union within the British en-
pire, and closer union, with share
for the colonies of making decisions
on imperial questions that concern
them"
{ The reason a colonial statesman
could become a leader almost over
night in the mother country was that
there were currents of thought ana
agitations which were waiting Tor
leadership They wanted only a spokes-
papers, but not among the weighty
men in parliament. or in public life
outside Westminster.
!; Mr.. Hughes came to England by lnVl-
tation of the government to confer on
war matters. Australia and Canada
have furnished fighting forces so large
and 80 good that the cabinet felt that
they should have a larger voice In the
directfon 6f affairs than the old ma
chinery gave them.
Hughes did not regard himself as in
any way visitor. nor an outsider. nor
q Colonial" In his first speech he
took the position of member of the
family. This is the British empire; my
people are a part of it. 1 am one of
you with all the rights and privileges
Of a member of the firm This was
the tone Of his first speech, and the
same tone has permeated all of them.
He advocated policies and he de-
nounced policies. He scattered ad-
monition and advice with liberal
hand. While he did not directly attack
the government, he was soon acclaimed
as the chief "gingerer." He asserted
that he had driven German trade from
Australia, and he proposed a plan for
keeping the key industry Of smelling.
which is of equal Importance to Aus
'.ralian mining industry and the Brit
fsh~ consumer, in the hands of British
companies.