Evening star., 1923-09-13
BY THE MARaUIsE DE FoNTENoY.

By THE MARQUISE DE F0NTENOf.
Lord Farquhar's death the other
day in London Is not only great
loss to King George and to the en-
tire royal family. of which he was
perhaps the closest personal friend
and most intimate counselor, but is
also likely to renew the violent quar-
rel which took place last fall as to
the disposition of the fund of S10.-
100000 collected during the premier
ship of Lloyd George for the cam
paign purposes of the liberal party,
and of which Lord Farquhar was ap-
pointed trustee. There can be no
appeal to the courts of law about the
matter. For any trial would involve
inevitable disclosures as to the iden-
tity of the contributors, the amount
of their contributions and the re-
wards which they received in return
in the shape of peerages; baronetcies
and orders of knighthood, which
would prove most embarrassing to all
concerned, especially to the crown,
whose name is so much misused in
such matters.
1t may be remembered that Lloyd
George was driven last fall to resign
the premiership of the coalition ad-
ministration, which had lasted eince
1915, by the detection of the con-
servative party, followed by a split
among the liberals. immediately
ater the fall of the Lloyd George cab
met the conservatives put forward a
claim for the money, on the plea that
II had been collected for coalition
purposes. Lord Farquhar eurtly re-
fused to admit this contention. in
sisting that il had been subscribed
for the liberals. Thereupon the anti
Lloyd George liberals, including former
Premier Herbert Asquith and Lord
Grey of Falloden, as we'll as Reginald
McKenna. who not long ago refused
Stanley Baldwin's offer of the chan
ceIlorship of the exehequer In his con-
servative cabinet, demanded that the
fund should be turned over to them
as the real representatives and chiefs
of the liberals.
Lord Farquhar again declined. He
declared in the most determined fash
ion that he would not surrender pos
session Of the $40 100000 fund until
general election had shown who were
the real chiefs of the liberal party
as a. whole, since, quite Independent
of the numerical strength OF the fac
tfons in the house of commons, II Is
rather generally known that Lloyd
George has an infinitely larger lib
eral following lhc SO0A-
try than former Premier Asquith.
It will be difficult to find another
great banking magnate of such au-
fhority and of such absolute in
dependence as the late Earl Farquhar,
and it is to be feared that his demise
savage tight among the liberals for
the possession of this large fund, con-
stItuting, as it does. invaluable am
munition for the next general cleo,
ton campaign-a campaign looked
for by the end of the year and which
is likely to result in the defeat at
the polls of the conservatives and
consequently of Stanley Baldwin's
Lord Farquhar is one of the half
Townsend Farquhar of the diplomatic
service. While some of his brothers
went into diplomacy. and others into
the army, another, Gilbert Farquhar.
became an actor we'll known profess
sionally in America, while the late
Lord Farquhar, then. plain Horace
Farauhar, went into business as an
ordinary bank clerk. He was con-
nected. first of all, with the London
and Westminster Bank, Then with
that of Herries, Inc, and afterward
became a partner in the banking
Square. There he became associated
with the late Duke of Fife, then
merely Lord Fife, who began by TAX
ing an interest in the Scott concern,
through his business conn actions
with Cecil Rhodes enterprises in
south Africa, and finally Fife Joined
Farouhar In the active management
of the bank The two men became
inseparable, their friendship being of
the Damon and Pythias order, and
when Lord Fife, after a good deal
of difficulty, succeeded in obtaining
the hand OF the princess royal, eldest
sister OF King George, It was Horace
Farquhar who attended him at the
altar as best man. Lord, Fife was
raised, on the occasion of the we'd
ding. to a dukedom and, not long
afterward. his best man, who had
made a most favorable impression on
old Queen Victoria and. indeed. upon
the entire royal family, was created
a baronet.
1t was through the Duke of Fife,
not only son-in-law, but also a hoy
hood friend of King Edward, that
Farauhar became intimate with the
latter. This friendship was all 20
the advantAge Of the king. For, en-
Queen -'Hfcforia's- death, Lord Fas-
quhars who had been previously yais-