New-York tribune., 1920-04-18

haunted Mr. Asquith for years.
though he used the phrase in q speech
which received the plaudics OF scores
Of his colleagues in the House of Com.
mons.
Once, referring to Germany Lord
Haldane described 1t as his spiritual
home" That was several years before
the war. He was Secretary for War and
was largely responsible for the pre-
paredness, OF unpreparedness-h however
you view that debatabls subjec.-os the
British army when the war came. In
the early and middle stages of the war
Lord Haldane was attacked in the press
and on the platform as few statesmen
have been even in these times OF violent
abuse and merciless criticism. II his
home had been in France instead of
England this former Cabinet Minister.
who was called pro German" "paci-
fist and "traitor," would have been
lucky to have escaped as easily as has
NJ. CaillauX. He lived on here, never
appeared at war meetings, was rarely
interviewed and almost Stunned by
many of his old friends.
Toward the end OF the war Lord
Ha!dane begar TO come back; now ard
then some liberal newspaper contained
hrlef item about him: the conserva-
tive press seldom referred to him. fact
which must have pleased him more than
the lnnocuous paragraphs n his old
party organs. just before hostilities
ceased II was rumored about that LORD
Hsldane mad been asked to sit on some
government commission. There we're
moro attacks, an apology or two. But
ne continued TO sit on the commission.
He had come back. The war over, the
british took that event as matter
OF course, just as they accept without
comment the announcement that con-
scientious objectors are to receive a
pension or that German-made goods arc
being imported. To an American it
seems almost as great miracle as
If jim JeTries challenged and de-
feated Jack Dempsey
All this IS merely q preface to the
announcement that great many Eng
iishmen are reading with deep interest
book written by Lord Haldanc called
Before the War published by Cas-
SELL. 1t is a decidedly interesting book
for any one who is anxious 70 learn
what brilliant Englishman did in the
way Of organizing the British Terri
torials, which was tie backbone OF
kitchener's army, and what he has to
say about his trips to Germany and
his conversations with the Kaiser,
Rethmann-Hollwcg and other statesmen
Of more interest to ME than Haldanes
Before The War is the criticism of it
III some Of the organs which published
scathlng attacks on him during the war
They are characteristic OF the British:
they illustrate wonderfully we'll the edu-
Gated Brlton's sense OF justice, his appre-
ciation of merit in an opponent, his
desire to hear both sides of case. OF
course. the question is asked "Where
was his sense Of justice during the
war; To which the reply is that no
one il expected to have any sense in
way time.
Here is what The Saturday Review
has to say about Haldane and his book:
The war being over, Lord Haldane
publishes his defense. which we hope
everybody Will read, and having read,
will admit 70 be refutation Of charges
Matched in the fever Of fear. The plain
/ truth is that Mr.. Haldane was the ab!est
Secretary Of State (for War who ever
sat IN the sanctum Of the War Office
We do not base this statement solely
on the facts contained in this book {:
still less upon our own judgment,
which We are not competent TO exercise
on such a pcint. We base it on the
words Of one who, we presume, will be
accepted as an authority, Field Marshal
Lord Haig"
II may be or passing interest to
know that Lcrd Haldane is now leaning
toward thc Labor party and away from
his old captain, Mr.. Asquitt1
iIleb lfc NeN"ldUle JCuI OUlES, LOi~
mer Member Of Parliament and Presi-
! dent of the Local Government Board
from 1905 TO 1914, in restaurant the
other day. At the outbreak OF war
he resigned from the AsQuith Cabinet,
and, though he continued 10 occupy his
seat in Commons until the general
election of 1918, he was rarely heard
at question time or IN debate. lie was
one Of the few labor leaders IN any
country who remained consistently op-
posed to war throughout the period Of
hostilities. Though sixty-four years old
he is as active as man of half his
years. Early in 1914 he recognized the
futility OF opposing the war and turned
his efforts toward the entertainment Of
soldiers who were in London on fur
lough. He tells me that in the last FIVE
years he has escorted upward Of half
a million soldiers around the Parlia-
mentary building. and Westrninster and
Of this number more than $4,000
we're doughboys. Mr.. Burns has two
hobbies, collecting books and writing
pamphlets on historical points Of Lon
don. Almost every afternoon he
browses around in the bookstal at
Leicester Square. He can spot an Amer