Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-02
SHERWOOD ANDERSON
Holding the London Front

! through the main Hindenburg linz
| ,he Canadians distinguishing them
| selves in series of ferociouS encoun-
ters with picked German troops in the
capture of Cambrai--and reached open
| country.
Farther south the American forces
were smashing through the German
flank. Everywhere the Germans were
on the retreat CONSERVATION reigned
| al German headquarters. II was the
end.
Then honors and rewards for the war
| leaders in the field In the share-out
/ Sir Julian Byng received the thanks OF
pcersge as Baron Byng of Vimy and
| Thorpe lie Soken.
/ His Work in Canada.
| His career seemed ended But In
| Canada, the Duke of DeVonShires term
! as governor general was up. new
| man was required who had something
besides the social qualities and a great
name For the Canada of 1921 was not
! the Canada of 1914. The Dominion S
/ war contribution had released new
| forces and stimulated Canadian ma
| tional.sm. The Canadians were even
demanding their own minister at Wash
| ington The whole question OF the rela-
tons OF the great self governing colon
les with the mother island was in the
melting pot.
The statesmen In London perceived
/ that the tie between Canada and Eng
| land. II not strained TO the breaking
point at least badly needed new human
/ strands woven in.
/ ESsi,a ~ al
/ in Canada and reawskened the interest
OF Canadians In the personal side OF the
| common crown.
! And there. by happy chance. was
/ Byns idol OF the Canadian troops, yet
| an Englishnan to the marrow. a sound
| man. virile, not yet so, good mixer,
| a patrician besides
So out went the Canadians war leader
| TO Government House, and was great
| success, He went about his Job with an
| tnformality and unconventionality most
| unusual In Canada's experience with
| governors general
No high airs about him He went on
| long motor trek without an aide and
| climbed back fences to chat with farm
ers in their barns. He sat down TO eat
| with them In their shackS. And he
/ talked to them as man 10 man In their
/
! MS blood.
| lie very nearly made a complete con-
/ quest OF Canada But right at the last
| he perpetEated faux pas. He fell afoul
Of the politicians
| How II Came About.
| In England defeated premier goes
| to the King and hands his resigna-
ton twhereupon In practice the King,
! on the politicians advice, summons the
| opposition leader or another to form a
| ministry or else he asks for dissolu-
| ton. which the King may grant or re-
| fuse tagain in practice the monarch
/ lakes the advice OF the politician A
/ similar process applies to a dominion.
where a governor general functions in
| ths Kings stead.
Now Byng. In his role of viceroy, re-
| fused. to Mackenzie King what he had
! on previous occasion granted to
Meighen. He had his good reasons. but
| the fact remained that he appeared to
/ show Partially tthe objectionable thing,
the crown standing above politics., and.
what was worse. to favor the Tory i'm
| oerialist. Meighen. as against the Tadi-
| cal Nationalist, King.
The aggrieved party made the result
ant issue one OF whether Canada should
I
lament or from whitehall via a des-
potic viceroy,
Byng's personal popularity. however,
remained so firmly rooted that 1t was
bad politics to attack him personally In
tha election campaign, and even tho
| Justly tncensed Mackenzie King was at
/ oains 10 praise the man and curse the
| system.
| So Baron Byng came home with a
private opinion about politics and poiiti-
clans that would scarcely bear repeat
ing, He went into retirement at Thorpe
lie Soken and proceeded to show his in-
| dependence by refusing 10 pay TO the
| crown Office and the home Office the
usual fees. amounting TO some 81 600.
| In connection with his elevation from a
barony to % eiscountcy the reward for
! his services In Canada The reason
; he gave was that he ought not Ia have
! TO pay IN an honor that n politician
receives for nothing
He won After Is m0rthS' DELAY the
fees we're RENTED and the yiscountcy
| eaZetted
Eyebrows Were Raised.
Bvne again caused tho conventional
Ia raise their eyebrows by turning up
| IN flvilien attire at the state banquet
for President Doumergue of France at
Buckingham Palace last year.
The relocated sentries In the outer
courtyard stared an they saluted; so did
the policemen, Also the footmen In the
entrance hall and corridors, FINALLY
at the outer reception room tactful
ma ior ~domo stopped the erring viScount
Beg pardon, my lord: this Is a FULL
dress affair, Didn't your iordship
I, know"
No. my lord didn't know Had he
better risk IL. or retire? BETTER retire
The French guests might feel sighted
So while the King, the President the
admira's, generals, ambassadors. diplo-
mats and grandees were eating of the
: gold plate OF state in the hanaueting
! hall Of the palace, Lord Byng con-
/ aumed a modest chop and whisky
/ and soda at the Travellers Club
These trifles apart life had lost Its
t complications for Byng. Al last, In the
| vigorous Autumn OF his life. he was EN-
4 ioUina leisure In which he was conn