Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-19

has in a high degree; but it is an IL
lusive charm. He smiles upon MS
friends and leaves them to the wolves. "
At 26 Balfour entered the House Of
Commons. Everyone was surprised
when a few years after his arrival at
Westminster he joined forces with the
conservative rebel element known as
the Fourth Party. Meantime, Balfour
was obtaining an insight into the trace
government by acting as private secre-
tary to Lord Salisbury, secretary 1or
foreign affairs.
Took Stern Steps in Ireland.
After the Liberals had had a long
lease of power, Balfour was appointed
in 1885 a member of the Salisbury
Conservative government, but not OF the
cabinet as president of the local gov
eminent board. It was only a few
months until the Liberals under Glad
stone again threw out the ConServa-
tives, who, however, turned the tables
on their opponents once more IN the
same year, 1886, when Balfour became,
firstly, secretary for Scotland and then
chief secretary for Ireland.
Ireland at this time, 1887. was In a
state of chaos. The reign OF terror
was in full force Balfour suppressed
the disorders by abolishing trial by jury.
The people of Ireland detested the
new administrator and many were the
threats against bloody Balfour, put
he went on until he bagan to display
the milder side of his character. He
evolved the plan Of compulsory land
purchase for the tenant farmers, whose
rebellion had been the outcome OF many
wears Of rack-renting and absentee
landlordism, and he introduced sys-
tenn Of light railroads to assist them N
disposing Of their produce.
Backed U. S. In 1898.
An action which did much to strength
en- the friendly feeling Of the United
States for the British was attributed 70
Ralfour during his next term OF ONCE.
AS first lord of the treasury he was tenn
porarily taking the place Of Lord Sails
bury at the foreign ONCE when the
Cuban crisis arose in 1898. Certain Eu-
ropean powers proposed to intervene At
Washington in behalf OF the right OF
Spain to govern her colonies in her own
way. Britain was approached, but Bal
four did not fall in with the plan ana
notified Washington that Britain would
not adopt any policy which might be
construed as unfriendly to the United
States.
After salisbury's death Balfour sue
ceeded to the position of premier in
1902. In 1905 the question of tariffs
rang the death knen Of the Tory ad-
ministration and brought about the
temporary eclipse Of Balfour, but the
next year, 1906, he was elected q men,
Der Of Parliament from the city of
London and served mainly in that ca
pacity until the outbreak of the great
war in 1914 again brought his abilities
as an administrator into recognition.
Visited q. s.. in 1921.
Lord Balfour made his second notable
VISIT to the United States in October,
1921, coming as head of the British
delegation to the washington Arma-
ment Conference. He~took one of the
most prominent parts in this epochal
assembly and created an excellent i'm
preston both here and In England
through his efforts to cooperate with
the other delegations and bring the
conference to q point where actual ac-
compliShments of international benefit
could be recorded.
After accepting in principle the pro-
poSal of Secretary Hughes for a re-
duction in naval armament, and cham
piontng the French plan for a curtail-
ment of land forces and armament, he
used his good Offices to bring the jap
anese and Chinese delegations together
for a settlement of the tangled and
delicate Shantung controversy, which
had been used as club in the United
States Senate to keep this country out
of the League of Nations.
Upon his return to England he was
proposed for the peerage, largely be-
cause Of his services Ill Washington,
but he declined at first to entertain
the offer. Later, however, he was in
vested with the Order of the Garter
and in March, 1922, at the request of
King George, he entered the House of
Lords, taking the title of Earl of Bal
four and Viscount Traprain Of Whit
tingehame.