The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-09-15
Mainly About People
A Weekly News Letter
ByTP o'CoNNoR
A Weekly News Lettt
By T. P. O'CONNOR.

Special Cable Dispatch Copyright 1913
by Public Ledger Co.
| LONDON, Sept. l3-I."rc have been
illustrations in the papers recently OF
Auckland Geddes and J. H.. or as he Is
usually called Jim" Thomas. This jux-
| Imposition OF two men SO strangely con-
! trastcd in character. career and tenn
traStcd in character. career and tenn
in preventing "A bad railway strike.
Auckland Gcddes. like his brother Eric
! is one Of tn" strange upheavals Of these
| strange times. and under the influence
! of that unaccountable and hayward Celt
! who is prime minister of England. Eric
! was a railway man and Auckland a pro-
! fessOr of anatomy. Neither ever had the
, smallest political experience or indeed
any settled political convictions. yet
both were thrust into constituencies and
held big cabinet positions.
! Both'look. both act, as if they had re-
! manned in their original jobs. Eric still
/ looks like railway man, with Il strong
executive aiC with a full. ruddy. strong
! jowled face. as though beginning as an
| "nginccC he had forced himself TO the
| top of his railway by sheer force Of a
hrutaY Will, coupled with that humorous
! E"ninlty that sometimes goes with
| StCOnH, dominating nara ndtuTcS
Auckland Geddes Very solemn.
! Auckland. on the other hand. looks
and talks like a presiding officer in a
dissecting room in sharp contrast with
his full and rudy checked brother.
Auckland has cavernous cheeks, high
! check bones. darkish complexion. dark
eyes. heavy brows and an expression as
! solemn AZ an undcrtakers.
So with their methods OF speech. Eric
speaks like a stationmaster addressing
! railway porterS with a suggestion OF n
! good deal Of shyncSS as OF n working
man suddenly finding himself in a draw
! ing room "C high proved blue stockings.
| auckland speaks slowly. solemnly and
/ mournfHlly. as though he had skeleton
At his. side or a corpse on tho table be-
! fore him and was unfolding the mys-
! terieS of the human body to medical stu
! dents.
Whether they arc competent depart
mentally I do not know, nut parliament
tarily they do not impress anybody.
They are not loved in tho House OF Com
mons. for they are regarded as anna
tours, thrust by the inperiOus will OF
! the prime minister into big jobs and
! though his house Of commons has more
| amateurs than any previous parliament,
| il still has sufficiently large number
| OF young mon who adopted politics as
career and look upon the Geddes broth
ers as intruders in their domain and
| obstacles to their advancement. The
manners and speech OF the brothers do
not soften tho asperities Of such feelings
! and rivalrics.
Thomas Glimpses Premiership.
! He thus has the advantage over many
| of his rivals. having never taken ser
vice under middle class Of govern
mcnt and under chief who eXciteS
| such profound distrust among labor
circles as does Lloyd George. In his
| Utmost mind Mr.. Thomas probably fore
sees the time when in a labor ministry
he may occupy. II not the FIRST. Al least
! the second. place and he is willing to
! bide him time.
His history is short and simple. He
, got a good common school education.
! then entered the service OF the Great
/ Western railway. which is the chief
; railway service between Wales and the
! rest Of the world He rose to be en-
gineer OF n locomotive on the big ex-
| presses that speed through Wales TO
| London at lightning rapidity. Perhaps
| il was when driving to London the chief
parliamentary figure Of his native
Wales that Mr.. Thomas was first in
spircd by the ambition TO take his place
| in the House OF Commons
He graduated early in local politics
by getting elected a member OF the To-
cal council in the town OF Svindon.
where tho Great Western railway has
/ it's chief workshops. He soon became
an official Of the big railwaymen's
| trades union and was thus brought into
all those incessant. alarming struggles
between the railway servants and tn"
companies and the whole nation, which
have boon such momentous features OF
the last few years.
The ways OF Thomas.
In oil such struggles Mr.. Thomas mas
combined his extraordinary powers over
men by speech Of sufficient H"hcmcncc
! to suit even the most eXasperated feel
ings. and the same time pursuing secret
councils and private negotiations by inc
| sancst methods and winning victory AT
| the least possible expenditure and risK'
He is sort Of paradoNical stormy
| petrcl. who at once can provoke ana
| aIlay n storm. Sometimes YOU meet
| him rushing wild-cyed with disherrlcd
! hair after stormy meeting with MS
union crying out that war is proclaim
| cd and limiting at terrible things. inc
| next day he appears serene as hluc
| midsummer sky There is thus some
contradiction in his character OF Nche-
| mont expression and moderate action.
He is one ot the guiding spirits or
the famous formdahl" triple ailianc"
bet wean the Railway. Miners and Trans
| mort union. which. ny rrsorting 10 d.
! rect action, might paralyHe the whole
nation hut ne will he always on the
| side of good sense. backed by TN" TWO
! lcyel-hcaded Irishmen. Jack Clynes and
| Jim Sexton.
II is n sign Of the> times that his
union looks after this powerful ana
trusted leader better than in tho old
days. He rides in fine motor car.
presented by them. and has salary
sufficient to keep il up.
Tho prominence of tho Gcddcs broth
crs partly accounts for the growth OF
that effective and watChful party known
AS the Young Tories. who are determined
TO be horns in the sides OF Lloyd
Georges ministry. who press forward
! demands for settlement OF the irish
question generally adopt critical at
titudc and who have found leader IN
Lord Robert Cecil now being nursed for
succession to the leadership Of the Tory
party when Andrew Bonar Law, tired
and broken hearted through the death Of
his two sons and not comfortable under
The scrvitudc Of an impossible man like
Sir Edwrrd Carson. throws up tho whole
game Of notifies in disgust and despair.
n contingency not improbable even
short tim" hence
Jim Thomas In Ltmeltght.
linn Thomas belongs 10 another and
different section. for he is vice leader Of
ia, inL,,r MARTY and may one daS be IL