Evening star., 1923-06-03


party in the commons, have rendered
IL imperative that the premiership
should be held by a member OF the
lower house of parliament at west
minister. yet it is the Marquis OF Cur
zon. whose unique experience ac-
ouired during a career of forty years
in the highest offices of the crown
pre- -eminently fitted him for the post
who remains as secretary of state Tor
foreign affairs. the dominant figure
Of the present conservative admlnis-
tration in England
With the domestic affairs of Great
Rritain. which are mainly those OF a
fiscal and business character. Prime
Minister Stanley Baldwin. VINO Is,
above everything else. business man,
like the great Sir Robert Peel ana
Joseph Chamberlain, is particularly
we'll fitted to deal. and they may be
considered as in exceptionally capaoie
hands. But the problems by Wnlch
not only the United Kingdom but the
great British Empire as whole are
confronted at the present time, are
mainly of an International nature.
JTnon their solution depends the ques-
tion of peace and war. so vital TO the
welfare and to the progress or man
kind And in the management oI
international situations, especially
those of an intricate and troublesome
character, pregnant with danger,
Lord Curzon is a past master, and
without n peer.
II Is no exag1eration to assert that
today his infl/ence in the concert Oh
powers both great and small is su-
preme. All If them are more or less
Consciously jwayed by his views. and
nj
grace. to his guidance. This is not
because of any prediction for the
country to which he belongs. or TO
any long Standing sympathy with ITS
policies. Hut it is entirely pased upon 20
his profound knowledge of all the
issues THAI call for attention. upon
his amazing experience of the cir
cumstances that have brought them
to the fore, and upon his understand l.
ing and prophetic vision as to the
consequences.
One has only to look back at his
achievements since the downfall of
Lloyd George emancipated the depart
ment Of foreign affairs from embar-
RAISING interference by the late
premier. who. seldom saw eye to eye
with the sovereign's principal con
duNlSST OH ihlci
matters, and who vas frequently led
by his brilliant but impulsive nature
to embark upon policies which were
bound in the long run to turn to the
disadvantage of the empire.
Thus. when Lord Curzon recovered
sole and undivided control of the helm
of the ship of state, he found Great
| Britain on the brink of war with the
Ottoman Empire, Greece and Turkey
straining at the leash to hurl them
selves once more at one anothers
| throats, the entire Balkans seethinR
| with unrest largely due to an offe1
| made by Lloyd George to the Ser
bians, to occupy Constantinople
which, of course, have precipttated a
| confiagration of worldwide magni-
tude. Great Britain's relations with
| France were strained to the very
| breaking point, the premiers of the
| two countries having to all intents
and purposes ceased to be on speak
| ing terms. while Italy was so embit-
| tered against England that she was
| turning her attention toward Ger
| many. AS for the relations between
! Great Britain and Russia. they were
| just about as bad as they could be
| while in the valley~of the Nile. mat
] ters had reached such pass that the
l English government had publicly
| threatened Egypt with the depriva
A1o6 1oWrSagutZ and tudAnendepcl