Evening star., 1922-01-23
CALLED "ENGLIsH YANKEE"

ISSS VI tue lhlCl III Aio 80
ness and the end came suddenly.
CALLED "ENGL1sH YANKEE
His Text Book Is Standard Tor In
struction in q. S. Schools.
AS a man of letters and a publicist,
Tiscount Bryce was a world figure.
Outside of his own country he was
best known in the United States,
where since the early eighties his in
terests had so largely centered that
he was sometimes styled an Eng
lish Yankee" One remarkable thing
repeatedly said of him was that he
knew America better than most
Americans. His work entitled His
tory of the American Commonwealth
has been a standard text book in the
schools of the United States for the
past generation-providing the spec
tacle of foreigner fnStructing Amer
of their own life and laws. as de Toe
quevf11e had done to some extent
years previously in his Democracy IN
America
Through his book. through innum-
cradle addresses in this country and
through five years. service as the
British ambassador in Washington,
ViscouHt Bryce became one of the
most notable human links in the
chain of friendly relations between
the United States and Great Britain.
The extent to which he made his per-
sonality felt is explained in part by
the fact that while he was a scholar
and statesman of the highest rank
he always could be found willing to
meet people and to discuss publicly
and in friendly way topics of ma
tional and international interest.
He was man of varied achieve
nents, and mere reference to his IN
rerest in America eoes not by any
means sum up his remarkable career.
JIe was called ''the most versatile liv-
ing Englishman." which would be
true, says one biographer, had he not
been born in Ireland. son of Scotch
in Glasgow, whence he went to OK
ford He was born in Belfast May 10.
1898; his father being the Rev. James
Bryce of Glasgow. clergyman of the
established church, and his mother
Margaret Noung) Bryce of County
Antrim. Ireland. He was educated in
the high school and University of
Glasgow and subsequently gained
scholarship at Oxford, from which he
obtained his B. A. degree in 1862 and
added to his honors degrees in many
of the most famous universities in
the world.
Capacity for Research.
AS matter of dates II is interesting
that in 1852, the year OF his graduation
from oxford, when he was only twenty
four years old, appeared his Holy
Roman Empire" a work which has
come to be used in colleges and univer-
stiles the world over, and which, like
his american Commonwealth" reflects
remarkable capacity for research and
philosophical vision. The Holy Roman
Empire" was an expansion of the Arm
old Prize Essay which he delivered at
his graduation from Oxford.
Mr. Bryce practiced law in London
for fifteen years, and for twenty-three
years was honored with the Regius pro-
sfessorship of civil law at Oxford, the
oldest chair in Europe, dating from
1916.
when he was first elected to the
house of commons in 1880 as liberal
of the most pronounced type. Mr.. Bryce
was generally considered a failure as
a political factor. During the ensuing
twenty-five years of parliamentary life.
however, he became landmark in
British politics. and became recognized
as one of the Intellectual forces of the
house. The London district he first
represented was quarter composed of
German Jews, whose support Mr.. Bryce
gained largely because of his ability
to address and understand his con-
stituents in their own language.
In 1886 he was appointed under sec
served as chancellor for the duchy Of
Lancaster, which gave him a seat in
the Gladstone cabinet, and he was pres
ident of the board of trade in the Rose
berry government. With the liberals in
power again in 1906. Mr.. Bryce was
made chief secretary for ireland,
post for which he was pre-eminently
fitted, as he always had been friend
to Ireland and an exponent of home
rule. After holding this post for thir-
teen months in the Campbell-Banner-
man ministry he resigned to accept
King Edward Wis appointment of him
as ambassador to the United States to
succeed Sir Henry Mortimer Durand.
Was Successful Diplomat.
The appointment met with universal
approval on both sides of the Atlantic
In farwell dinner given him by the
Pilgrim Society in London, Mr.. Bryce
was highly honored in tributes from
many distinguished men, and in the
United States he was warmly welcomed
as great asset in the preservation of
friendly relations between the English
be the keynote of successful diplomacy,
and during his incumbency at WASH
ington he discussed freely. and publicly
all questions which came up to threat
en- the harmony Of existing relations.
Among the Important disputes that
were settled through his diplomatic
skill was the Newfoundland fisheries
controversy, which went to The
Hague tribunal. He also handled the
general arbitration treaty of 1908 be-
tween the United States and Great
Britain, and was also prominently as
sociated in the settlement of dis
putes involving this country and Can
ada, one being the famous waterways
treaty, and others involving contro-
versieS over the international boun-
Diary line. In connection with. the
Canadian reciprocity negotiations. Mr..
Bryce was also much in the public
eye, appearing in favor OF the scheme,
dunn to the Canadian people.
Unionist members of the British
parliament made use of the reci-
procity failure as a means to attack
both the government and Mr.. Bryce,
some of the more radical leaders go
ing so far as to say that the ambas-
sador had permitted President Taft
allegiance to the crown"
Rumors of his resignation as am
bassador were current for many
months, but 1t was not until the late
fall of 1912 that Mr.. Bryce relin-
quished his post at Washington, with
the desire to devote himself to litera-
ture. A number of perplexing prob
things, the Panama canal tolls ques-
fion, and it was said by some Of Mr..
Bryce's friends that he feared a break
down in his health.
Elevated to PeeraEe.
Shortly after his return to England
the distinguished scholar was ele-
waited to the peerage. being created