The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-09-10
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

hcI dI w tOH
 There is something peculiar pathetic that the high type statesman who comes to our shores with hope of further cementing the ties of friendship be- tween the two great English speaking countries is almost blind.
 
 His vision is SO impaired that he can neither seem to read or write, and the sad fact is that he strained them in the conscientious duty in the persnal of t.ons often almost undeclpherable, re- sulting in the latter part of 1916 in al- most total blindness.
 But as has been said, his loss of vi- sion does not necessarily impair his transcendent capacities for service to the nation and mankind. It will be recalled that England's most successful Postmaster General, Henry Fawcett, was stone blind when he was appointed to office. I feel sure that the infirmity of viscount Grey will but endear him to Americans when they know it was brought about in service to the mother country.
 Heis still under three score years of age having been born in April, 1862. He is an Oxford graduate, and in his youth was a noted cricket and tennis player; was winaer of NJ. c. c. and Queens Club tennis prize in 1S9S. L l. l. Co the game even after he had entered the thirties, and way after he became an international figure he did not hesitate to make long bicycle trips.
 
 He is nature lover, and it is not surprising to learn that when Roose welt came back from his African trip and was the guest of the then British Foreign Secretary at his summer cot tage that the two spent the greater part of several days in tramping over the most remote and picturesque por- tions of New Forrest It is pretty safe bet that they aired their natural istic hobbies as well as their political views and preferences. I am sure that Teddy" held his own with his nature yarns.
 
 Visecount Grey as he grew older gave up his more athletic loves like cricket, tennis, and bicycling and took to sal mon and trout fishing. He is a verit- able twentieth century Isaak Walton and his volume on Fly Fishing" is an authority on the subject. I am sure that he and my neighbor Gentry Hill man would hit it off fine as on my way home late in the afternoons I see him out on his lawn practicing fly casting.
 Viscount Grey began his career as private secretary to his cousin, who afterward became Earl Cromer, the organizer of modern Egypt. It seems that the path of glory for many Eng lishmen began in secretaryship of some kind; and so Edward Grey was destined to be much more than a pri vate secretary, and in all the great histories of the war the name of Sir Edward Grey, will have high and forts to prevent it.
 He entered the House of Commons Tweed in 1885, but at this time his interest in politics was rather languid, but he was a disciple of Lord Rose l berry, and in the 1S9295 Liberal minis- try the great knowledge which he later brought into play in the momentous
 
 British secretary of state for foreign affairs he was trying to find way to hold the Kaiser in check. Sir Edward Grey in the crisis had been for decade and a half the chief director of British foreign policy. He made his proposals for a conference of the four powers, not immediately con- nected with the controversy between Austria and Servia, but Berlin demurred that it was not the right form of pro- cedure. But why rehash the story lead ing up to Bank Holiday, August 3rd, 1914, when Sir Edward Grey, in a cold impassive, but singularly power full speech. explained the reasons why it was incumbent on England to help France against German aggression. Viscount Grey who comes to America as Brtains representative has carried heavy burdens and knows from the inside the glory of how the English speaking peoples along with their al- lies stopped the mad Teutonic dreams of world conquest It is fitting that a man of such eminence should be Great Britains spokesman to the de- mocracy loving citizens of this great republic of the west. He ought to be persona Brata to the administration for he was amongst tine first advocates of a league of nations and sponsored the Howard Taft, and urged an alliance be- tween the United States and the United Kingdom"
 i As Sir Edward Grey came in for the venemous hate of the Germans being described in German print as having "a cancerous growth in place of a heart" and many other things of the I same order, will give some side lights on his character from the memories of Prince Lichnowcky, who was Germany's ambassador to Great Britain. Bear in l mind that the Prince was Sir Edward 1 Grey's diplomatic antagonist being the | accredited agent of his imperial gov- ernment to the Court of St. James. Sprung from an old north England family and landowners from whom the statesman Earl Grey is also descended. he (Sir Edward Grey) joined the left Nf h f.x rfx