Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-01
MCDONALD TIRED,
VISITOR LEARNS
Premier Works Hard as
Peers Play Near His
Old Home.
BY NEGLEY FARSON.

DdrQnetS ana DaTS. Inc OCOCk EAcHdIlBe
and the killed aristocracy-yanking sill
yer salmon out of Scotlands Bonnie
Burns potting grouse on the purple
sweeps of the sky-f1ung empty moors,
stalking royal stays beyond the lone
some pine--Sinking whiskeyS and sodas
at the nineteenth hole.
And amid all this happy slaughter
and vacationing 1 found the most tired
man 1 ever hope 10 see-RamSay Mac
Donald, for the third time prime MIN
lister of Great Britain.
1T fngs," he said, tenSely. leaving
me to answer the imperative telephone.
at rings all the time-London"
We stood on the stone Veranda OF his
humble little stone cottage in LoSSle-
mouth within a few yards OF the spot
where 65 years ago Mr.. Macdonald hao
been born. Dogged hands showed INTO
the pockets of his double breasted blue
suit a seasoned briar between clenched
teeth. the greenish idealist's eyes gazing
off across the windy sweeps OF the gorse
and sea meadows to his beloved earn
germs. Hero or-What?
Called Traitor" IA Years Ago.
Well. for the last week, nlne-tenths
Of the world has been hailing him as
hero-a tribute not altogether displeas-
ing to a vain highland pride, But IA
veers ago. when Macdonald had pub
iiclv welcomed the Russian revolution
the citizens of this little Scottish fishing
village had painted the letters traitor
over his door. 49,
Weather and public opinion nave
since rubbed them out. That was
When In the red anger Of the war days,
he had defied lingo patriotism oy
championing true paciflcism. BRUSH
sailors walked off their ship-refuSlng
to carry him to a premature peace
conference in observation-disclosures
was a blankety blank Socialist.
Today the people for whom ne mas
been almost crucified politically have
laid the charge OF betrayal once again
at his humble door.
In the Sunday newspaper IN my
hands, 1 notice that Seaham. his own
constituency, has just asked him TO re-
sign. .,,,s ,,,,r
Of our party. .,,. tn,
NOT talk about this now. Nothing This
is something that must be thought
over"
Has Letters From All Glasses.
His steady eyes staring past us bore
the same intent fxity have seen time
and again in the eyes OF traWler cap
tains of little Scottish fishing vessels
threading their way into port-the
'hand-at- he-wheel'' look The prime
minister is taking his political bearings
as he handles the British ship OF state.
why" he said slowly weighing every
word, i've a hundred letters from peo-
pie of all sections and classes OF British
life-bishops parsons, business men, oio
age misunderstanding I've done right
che gave the name OF one OF the nigh
est prelateS in the land), letters from
the very people. mind you. who are
going to be the hardest hit by the sac
rifices we must ask.
"Ive got letter after letter here from
the old Socialist rank and flle-not men
in the front rank, perhaps holding pub
lie offices. but steady, quiet men behind
the scenes who, in the key posts OF the
party have been working for true So
cialism all along. I've got letter here
from a group of unemployed stating
frankly that they believe the time has
come when they must make a terrific
sacrifice, too"
AS we talked. the prime minister's
housekeeper cleared away breakfast. He
always eats at the Hillocks, in the open
air,
The Hillocks, might say, is known
up here as the little house with its
back to its front" for you enter 1t
through the side wall and there are only
two high windows in the grim granite
IL
Its back or its front yard, therefore, Is
a tiny patch Of cut grass. protected by
a few strands of wire fence on the
edges of billowing sea Of green gorse
and sea meadows It should spell utter
seclusion; but from this green jungle
wild photographers have been popping
lid to snap Mr.. Macdonald at the Spar
tan meals he always eats on the porch.
Last Friday-as if digging himself in
against the future-the prime minister,
with his own hands and trusty spade,
planted IL willow trees so that they
might grow up and shield one OF the
windows through which newspaper cor
respondents have penchant for peep
ing in.
Premier's House Is Small.
Ezs house IL so small, mind you, that
he cannot entertain a guest, and when
his secretaries are there, his children,
Joan, Malcolm and faithful Ishbel, sleep
In little stone hutS ranged alongside.
Ishbel, with the permission OF j. M.
Barrie, named hers THE Wendy House. ="
Granite, green gorSe, the salt sweep OF
deer-colored sands and grand hills roll
ing against the blue sky-a grand set
ting for great man.
And Mr.. Macdonald knows 1t. His
King gave him that imperial sympa-
thetic understanding this dour Scot
needed at such a time. And as a con-
slant reminder of where his real heart
lies, on the other side of the hill are
two fashionable hotels lined with sump-
tuouS motor cars, and the Moray Coli
Club-which expelled him for his so,
cialiSm" IA years ago-and has been on
its knees ever since trying to get him
back. But the prime minister played
no golf this week end-the phone
tangled again
ITS not true Socialists who stand in
our path" Mr.. Macdonald said, firmly.
ITS the hidebound element OF the
trade unions"
He pulled handful of change from
his pocket and bounced it up and down
on his palm.
HE looks at his money like this and
says, I'm this much poorer and he
utterly misses the moral of this appeal.
He does not realize that unless some
thing is done the poor will be in more
dire need
Explains Stand on Dole.
I asked him to explain why, when 1t
would yield only f12, 100000 ($64,750,-
O0O), he had accepted the dole cut OF
10 per cent which exiled him from his
party and sent the whole Labor move
ment into the official opposition-could
not the money have been raised some
where else?
ITS not that at ALL" he replied.
"Twelve and half millions is large
sum, in fact. But it's the principle OF
the thing
1.-THE other services have already
been so cut to the bone that in some
cases even per cent is practically more
than they could stand. But they'd
have accepted it. And now the time
has come when unemployment insur-
ance also must share the equal sacrifice
for all-that must be faced. And I'm
going to see this thing through"
/ saw him later coming out OF the
high United Free Church, red-leafed
gold hymn book under his arm and