Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-23


TINE following is q brief summary
Of the most important news OF
the world for the seven days
ended March "a:
GREAT BRITAIN.-Earl Balfour Is
dead at 81, and the world is appreciably
poorer for the passing Of the most dis
tinRuished of Britain's elder statesmen
HIS father was of an ancient Scotch
family, and his mother was Lady
Blanche Cecil, sister of the great Mar
GUESS Of Salisbury. He was educated at
Eton and Cambridge, early entered Par
lament, and In 1873 attended the Con-
gress of Berlin as secretary to his uncle,
but it was not until he was appointed
chief secretary for Ireland, in 1887, that
he impressed himself.
His health had always been extremely
delicate, and apparently none but his
uncle had recognized the strength be-
hind his lackadaisical and valetudinary
manner. At Cambridge he had been
nicknamed Miss Nancy" and his
brother M. P.'S were pleased to call him
Miss Balfour" They received with
outlaws the announcement of his Irish
appointment, but never was there q
few days Miss Balfour," or Pretty
Fanny" was known as Bloody Bal
four" But, though he put down dis
order with a high hand, he soon con-
ciliated the Irish by his singular charm,
while his intrepedity engaged their re-
Spect. He was, in fact, the greatest of
secretaries for Ireland.
Returning to England in 1891. he be-
came leader of the Conservative marty
the which post he held until 1911. His
premiership, 1902-1905, was marked
chiefly by the conclusion Of the entente,
In which epochal transaction his per
Sonal share was important, and by the
creation under his auspices of the COM
mission Of imperial defense: for almost
as clearly as Lord Roberts he perceived
the inevitability OF war and almost as
earnestly did he advocate due prepa-
ration against It, During the war he
served as first lord of the admiralty and
as foreign secretary. We have not for
gotten his visit to this country in 1917
as head of the British High Commits
sion.
He was q delegate to the Peace Con-
ference, and was one of the most con-
sistent advocates and champions of the
League OF Nations. In 1921 he headed
the British delegation to the Washing
VOh NOIl1CIcIlCC, anu III b speech OF SUI
perb dignity and grace he accepted on
behalf Of Great Britain the principle of
British-American naval parity.
But the apogee Of his career was at
the imperial conference in London in
1925. The Balfour report submitted to
that conference is in fact the constitu-
ton of the British commonwealth of
nations.
He was by temperament as much
philosopher as statesman-or rather, he
was your philosopher -statesman of the
platonic kidney. He was great parlia-
mentarian: q terrible opponent because
Of the combination in him of subtlety
and caustic wit with imperturbable
urbanity. He was the first Englishman
Of note to play golf, and the first public
man in England to ride in an airplane.
His most cherished title was that of
captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf
Club Of st. Andrews. He was a gentle
man in the grand style.
Parliamentary debate will begin ere
long on the question of Dover Calais
tunnel. A Channel tunnel committee
appointed by the government proposes
the boring of a pilot tunnel" at the
cost of approximately $25, 600, 900, to