The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-01-01

humorous twinkle Of appre-
citation, are gazing into the depths
Of No. 10 Downing street these
days. The prime minister of Great
Britain has made for himself
central niche In the interest Of the
world, and gentlemen with busters
and a host Of students of the ''bis
five" have hung about the doors
and peeped In the windows Of the
official residence. Number TO-"
Along comes a popular English
novelist and there results a por-
trait. deliciousiy amusing and
etched with biting clarity. J. c.
snaith. in his newly published
novel, 1.-THE Council of Seven"
writes Of "a prime minister Of Brit
ain" whom no names "wilberforce
Williams" Quotation from Mr..
snaith's brilliant pages displays an
eloquent bit Of Characterization
reflection In q mirror of Downing
street that Is highly polished.
The prime minister Of Britain in
THE Council Of Seven" Is sener-
ally known AZ Slippery SAM" we
are told. because, as his fervent
admirers claimed. you meyer knew
when you 'ad 'im.'" Another view
Of the MANIA supine and ignoble
figure in the view of many" No.
body knows exactly "how, when or
why Slippery Sam had made his
way to his present eminence." But.
with world Of insight In the
phrase. Nobody caredr' There he
was and II possible there he meant
to stay. He was by way Of be-
ing an amateur In the human COM
edy." snaith puts his finger on
the crux Of the case: I'm point Of
sheer cleverness Slippery Sam was
without peer in the realm" Per-
haps "cleverness may not be .
specially high attribute" but this
10 q man Of truest keenness. Slip
perry Sam, who was perfectly
frank with himself. would have
been the first 70 say So"
This IL q statesman who says
Ito HIMSELF. 81 am quite frank with
myself. though with nobody else"
And not only does he examine with
truthfulness his own mental and
spiritual workings, but he pos
sesses insight almost uncanny into
the workings Of the minds Of his
chosen instruments" There is q
cynicissn In this canny diplomat.
exclaiming In q museful moment,
ALAS, honest men are very shy
Of me-" Human he IL. Smiling
pleasantly at his thoughts" delv-
ing curiously into Whitaker's brief
biographies Of his contemporaries.
He Is q "far-sighted man. hind.
sighted, too. He remembered
Glsdstone's power of carrying not
only the House. but the country
with him on . live issue"
What q portrait It II that Mr..
Snaith projects, unctiously savering
the devastating implications of his
words! misunderstanding, white
haired" IL slippery sam-an "in-
effably cunning gentleman" We
see him approaching the youth Of
England. the main thread Of Mr..
snaith's gripping story-"In the
humane art Of patting on the shout
der the younger generation Slip
perry Sam had no peer" We hear
the Genuine ring In his voice Of
fatherly benevolence." 1t 10 q pleas
ure to accompany Mr.. Snaith's hero
to dinner zen famille" at 10 Down
ing street-where in the library
guests find themselves ''at grips
with Fate" thanked on the one hand
by a bust Of Pitt, on the other by
the Encyclopedia Britannica. "A
model host and no mean converse
tionalist" Is Slippery Sam. His
anecdotes are q fund which no man
living knows better how to draw
upon. He was geniality itself, and
on occasions Of modest festivity in
the bosom Of his family he was
wholly delightful" For who can
resist those alluring tones? "The
honeyed voice Of Mr.. Wiloerforce
williams had the mellifluence that
endeared him to every journalist
in the land" The fearless canni-
ness! such linked sweetness must
have seemed excessive in anyone
not the prime minister" At other
times he could lay low and say
Muffin" He could know Muffin.
AT such times 1t almost seemed in
point of fact that Nuffinness had
been permanently emblasoned upon
his politely specious countenance."
Richly entertaining is Mr.. Snaith's
reporting Of Slippery Sans CONVEX
sation. A typical instance is that
where the prime minister's kindness
turns to q youthful politicians
oratorical skill: Don't let me be
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