The New York herald., 1920-01-11
MANCHESTER GUARDIAN YIELDS
GREAT POWER nv POLITICS OF
BRITAIN, SAYS T. P. O'CONNOR
c. p Scott Its Editor Holds ominatng Position in Lanca-
shire Where the Cotton In duSry Through Free Trade
System Can Compete with All the World.

Guard an alone ne cOulu filu Sucu NEWS.
Another great feature in the history OF
the Guardian is its London letter. The
London letter indeed was TO a large extent
the creation of the Guardian. 1t is a COM
IparatiYely new fea ture in the history of
British journalism. 81 least in its present
form. II is there that you find not merely
the inner gossip Of the House of Commans
and of the clubs. but also of society. 1t is
the human side Of the paper which deals
with the personalities as we'll as the prin-
Ciple Of politics and other things. And this
London letter of the Guardian has been
J built up on a plan which when it started
was unknown TO British Journalism. In
stead of being written by one writer. rs is
usually the case, this letter is open to
every body: the smallest free-lance jour
nalist can send in q paragraph with the
certainty that at least it will be considered
on its merits, will be used if acceptable and
will be well paid for
] have earned many n guinea in its
columns during the dreary years when
had no settled position on any newspa per.
When l entered the Lonodn Office of the
great paper / was sure TO find entering
or departing people from all kinds of cir
cles-a great civil service official who did
not object to adding something to his in
come: a man of the stage lady of high
social connections. This feature of the
paper was so carefully looked after that
no money was grudged that might make
it important. ! have often heard of fifteen
men being all engaged and all paid for
finding out certain piece of important in
formation; when the paragraph appeared
il caused a sensation, for il gave definite
news for the first time to the great pubcI
of a great impending political event butt
the paragraph consisted Of only three SEN
tences. To that small dimension all the
accounts Of the fifteen different contribu-
tors had been boiled down. But the Man
chester Guardian found its reward fors the
unused yet paid for copy in having one
of the newspaper scoops Of the epoch.
Thus it is that the Guardian occupies
such a dominating position in all Lanca-
shire. and. after all, Lancashire is they
key county of England it is always
doubtful and it is always powerful. A
Minister who keeps Lancashire can retain
office a Minister who loses it is doomed
You can understand, then, why Mr.. Lloyd
George wanted to capture Mr.. Scott.
There is another reason however. Mr.
Scott has been for many years an intimate
land almost confidential friend of Mr.
Lloyd George 1t will be no news to your
readers that the intensely modern man
Srasped long before any of his rivals the
Importance of the press as political and
personal agent. Even more than Theodore
Roosevelt. he has been his own best pub
between Asquith and Lloyd George during
the war Ccott was Lloyd George man; he
had lost hope in Asquith as a Minister
The ties thus formed remained close and
Scott remained a friend of Lloyd George
long after all the other old associates of
Lloyd George had turned away from him
in suspicion and even in disgust Scott
would like to stick by Lloyd George still.
but Lloyd George has violated the ark of
the covenant in Scott's mind on two sub
lJects-free trade and Ireland. To free
trade and Ireland. To free trade in COM
mon with all Lancashire Liberals Scott
must remain infleXibly true. and the anti
Jumping bill and other firtations OF Lloyd
George, with the protectionists who keep
him in power, became the touchstonc of
this friendship. on Ireland Scott has been
Iequally infleXible and immutable, and
Lloyd Georges patronage of the worst
militarist and coercionist system Ireland
mas had for more than quarter of a
century has shaken TO its very foundations
the friendship between the two men.
What manner of man is this great editor
who Yields such tremendous power with
such unfailing intelligence, with such rigid
and infleXible honesty? He isamanof
and inflexible honesty? He is a man of
middle height rather below than above il,
with robust and energetic frame but a
slight frame all the samoa small and
slight scabbard with q. cleaning sword in
side. It is the eyes only that give you an
insight into the resolute and fiery soul
fiery in the English sense where emotion is
always submerged under an appearance of
frisid reserve. But these eyes tell you the
tale; large. open. red glinting in color
flashing quietly but perpetually.
! 1t is these eyes well as the well
shaped nose and the lightish beard that
suggest the rather close resemblance be-
tween him and Parnell which so many
people have observed The likeness indeed
I is so close that the first time 1 saw Scott
after Parnell's death and when Scott
turned upon me those wonderful eyes Of
his l got almost an uncanny shock. l saw
Parnelfs strange, mysterious. dominating
gaze upon me once again. He seemed to
come as a ghole beyond the grave.
Watch. then, what the Manchester
Guardian says durin gtte now critical
months Of Lloyd Georges Premiership So
long as Scott does not turne openly against
him there still is the hope that Lloyd
George may remain both Prime Minister
and q Liberal. When Scott gives him up
LLOYD George may remain Prime Minister.
but he ceases TO be a Liberal. Lloyd
George will then have chosen the path of
leadership Of n Conservative moderately
Liberal and captalstic party and aban-
don the ways of the turbulent and raucous
voiced tribune who once stirred the masses
| to rage and revolt against the ruling
classes.