The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-10-24
CURZON PRAISES
NEW PREMIER AT
PARTY GATHERING
Bonar Law Pays Tribute to
Lloyd George-Says New
Administration Will Give
Irish Treaty Chance
BY Associated Press

London, october 23.-The unionists
today elected Andrew Bonar Law
leader of the party preliminary to
his acceptance of the call of the King
to the office Of prime minister.
Representative members of the
party from both the House of Com
mons and the House of Lords met at
the Hotel Cecil this afternoon for
that purpose. Sir George Younger.
who had much to do with the over
throw of Lloyd George. presided and
recommended the selection of Mr.
Bonar Law as the psrty's standard
bearer.
Mr.. Bonar Law was not present at
the opening of the proceedings and
Lord Curzon suggested that as the
object of the meeting was already as
sured 1t was absurd that he should
not be present He therefore pro-
posed that even at the cost OF some
bushes to him Mr.. Bonar Law be in
vited 10 hear the whole proceeding.
Mr.. Bonar Law forthwith entered.
In proposing Mr.. Bonar Law for
leadership. Lord curzon. who was
secretary for foreign affairs in the
LLOYD George cabinet, said II was a
great dag on which the unionist
party after having for seven years
suhordinattd It's interests and
merged is Identity in national
party and the national cause, re-
sumed its freedom and proceeded to
re- elect its old leader. He paid a
warm tribute to Austen Chamber
lain's services as leader during MIR.
Bonar Laws illness and the valuable
past services Of Mr.. Bonar Law him
self and voiced the pleasure OF the
unionists to see him return to the
scene of his former triumphs.
Not scIf-seeking
He described MIR. Bonar Law as
completely innocent of self-seeking
and as possessing just those qualities
the nation required in trusted
leader in the present crisis.
After an elaboration of Mr.. Bonar
Laws merits as statesman Lord
Curzon described the suggestion
made at the Carlton club that the
unionlsts intended to embark on a
policy of reaction as nonsense and
insisted that the 100 men who at the
Carlton club meeting, voted against
the coalition were no more reaction
aries than the 30 who voted in the
opposite sense. Neither, he added.
were they. as described by MIR. Lloyd
George, Representatives of Belgravia
and Mayfair.
He was convinced that Bonar Law.
chosen stability, would be his watch
" ord-sobrietY. rather than fire.
works. In the present troubled state,
the world was only recovering, not
by startling or dramatic strokes, not
= = 4, - .Ioss l..
~ Compromise. cooperation and
good will.
Stanley Baldwin, former president
of the board of trade, seconded the
resolution to elect, which was carried
unanimously by a show of hands
Thanks Meeting
Mr.. Bonar Law then rose and
thanked the meeting for the warmth
Of its expressions of confidence and
reiterated that so far as his share in
what had happened was concerned,
there was no personal feelings He
paid warm personal tribute to Mr.
courage with which he performed an
almost impossible task. Abiding to
MIR. Lloyd George, he said:
II am told he has sword in his
hand. | am grateful to him that he
used the sword very gently on me on
Saturday. But he is a bonnie fighter
and | do not doubt that some shrewd
blows will be struck and some very
effective strokes will reach my poor
body. i am sure there will be no
malice behind the sword and that
when the fight is over we Will both
remember the part we played to-
gether rather than when we were
fighting each other.
Il will never forget, and will al
ways be ready to assert, that in the
greatest crisis of our history he did
service for which the nation can
never be too grateful. But that
gratitude does not mean that he has
the right to be prime minister for
the rest of his natural life.
Make Change
"One of the safety valves of our
constitution is that when govern
ment gets discredted and becomes
less popular it is real ADVANTAGE
to the nation to make a change even
though there is no Improvement in
the change. for we get fresh start
and the people start with new hope"
Referring to Mr.. Lloyd Georges
description of him as honest to the
verge of simplicity" Mr.. Bonar Law
said: II always in the back of my
mind had suspicion that | am not
quite as simple as | SEEM
1t was mistake. he said, to sup
pose that simplicity was proof Of
stupidity but he could ask no better
epitaph than Honest to the verge
of simplicity" adding: Il am COM
monplace man and understand what
commonplace men think"
The coalition, in the opinion of
Mr.. Bonar Law. could not exist on