Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-10-31

Flags were half-masted today, ana
Major General Sir Frederick Sykes,
his son-in-law, was summoned to
Buckingham Palace this afternoon.
where the king and queen expressed
their condolences.
Andrew Bonar Law, one of the
most powerful figures in political
Europe preceding. during and i'm
mediately following the World War.
, became Prime Minister of England,
October %, 1922. upon the resigna-
ton of David Lloyd George--last OF
the famous war premiers and OF the
| "Big Four" at Versailles to step
down from Office.
| Bonar Law had distinguished him
self five years before as the man
who refused kings offer to make
| him Prime Minister. AS leader or
! the Conservatives, the largest single
| party in the House of Commons, he
was summoned by King George to
| form a cabinet late in 1916, after
Lloyd George, then Minister of Mum
! itions, had forced an issue with
Premier Asquith and brought about
/ the latter's resignation. The politi-
| cal colleagues of Asquith, however.
declined to promise adhesion, and
| believing that a coalition govern
ment was essential for the success
| full prosecution of the war, Bonar
Law refused the honor. Lloyd
George and his famous war cabinet
was the result.
| Often called the Roosevelt of
| England" because of his tremendous
following from all parties and all
walks of life, Bonar Law became
Chancellor of the Exchequer under
the new premier and fought side
| by side with the Little Welsh Gil
ant until the spring of 1927, when
he was forced to. retire because of
| Ill health.
| Although always a champion of
| the man he had virtually made
! premier. Bonar Law remained with
| his party when the Conservatives,
| in 1922, met and decided to with
| hold support from the Coalition
| government, which. it was felt, had
! out-lived the emergency for which
| it was created. Despite his failing
health. he was considered the logi-
cal successor to Lloyd George. and
when the king again invited him to
form ministry, he found no words
| behind which to couch refusal.
He managed to conduct the af-
| fairs of his strenuous Office for seven
/ u
| known that his health again had
| broken down. Late in May. 1923,
| it was announced that the Premier
was suffering from a serious throat
| affection. and that his retirement
was imminent. A few days later his
| formal resignation was filed with
the king and Stanley Baldwin, Chan
| ce1lor of the Exchequer, was named
to succeed him.
In contrast to the epochal period
during the war. the Armistice and
the era of reconstruction subsequent
I to the ending of hostilities, the gov
eminent of Bonar Law was eclipsed
! in Importance, although it dealt with
several problems of great domestic
and international magnitude. Among
i these was the Irish question, the
French invasion of the Ruhr VAL
ley. which placed England in an ex-
tremely delicate position: the fund
| ing of the American debt, and the
difficulties with Soviet Russia over
the treatment of British subjects in
the Near East. y.
statesman with few political
enemies. the career of Bonar Law
was singular. He was AZ years of
age before he entered politics. A
successful Glasgow iron merchant
who had been born and educated in
Canada, his rise to eminence in the
British parliament began with his
election in 900 as a Unionist from
the BlackfriarS Division of Glasgow.
Strong for tariff reform. he soon be-
came noted for his clear reasoning
on that subject. and as a result was
made Parliamentary Secretary of
the Board of Trade. Later he sue
cesslvely became leader of the I'm
ionist. or Opposition party in the
House of Commons. Secretary of
State for the Colonies. Chancellor of
the EXchequer, Lord of the Privy
Seal, and finally premier
Primarily business man. he en-
ployed the tactics of business rath-
er than the strategy of politics in
dealing with national problems.
With the advent of Lloyd George as
Premier. he became the Welshman's
Jonathan. and was referred to as his
Man Friday" AS a member of the
war cabinet, as Chancellor. and as
the Coalition governments leader in
the House of Commons. he enjoyed
the fullest confidence of his famous
chief.
He interpreted, administration
measures, parted thrusts against
the government and answered>inter-
pellations from the floor. A 1.-the,
slim figure of a man, scarcely five
feet In heighth, with a bristling
mustache, bright. active eyes. and
determined set to his mouth and
chin. he was a typical hard headed
Scotch business man. In addition,
he was something of an orator,
quick of thought and speech, using
short. sharp sentences that often
smacked of that bitter, cutting sar- ,
casm for which he was famous.
1t was his persistency that brought |
about the evacuation of Gallipoli. of !
ill-starred Dardanelles campaign |
fame and the removal of more than |
IOO,OOO surviving British soldiers |
from an untenable position.
His services as government leader |
in the House of Commons. a more |
difficult and thankless position than |
that of the leader of the opposition, |
placed Bonar Law high among his
INDUSTRIOUS predecessors. DisraeH. |
Gladstone, Campbell annerman and |
A. j. Balfour.
News of his retirement due to i'll |
health in the spring of 1921. came as |
a shock to his colleagues and tributes |
10 MS work were paid even by former
bitter opponents. Former Premier AS
qu1tn said: Il have for many years |
Deen engaged in giving and taking
blows from Mr.. Bonar Law but they |
never left any rancor behind them"
Lloyd George, in reading the retiring /
Chancellor's letter of resignation, re-
peatedly choked back sobs and ex-
pressed the hope that his friend might
return TO his duties after a prolonged
rest. Finally the Premier who had