Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-11
When Britain Calls Expert

The clever lawyer. the former favorite
OF high finance, had proved inadequate
IN the changed conditions of the world.
Stamp was one of the few men who
measured up to the new needs.
Britain Turns to Stamp.
Once he had been dislodged from the
treasury, run started on his services.
The League of Nations wanted report
on double taxation Stamp wrote a
report, which is the standard work on
the subject. The London School of
Economics needed a governor. They
got Stamp to take the post The gov
eminent wanted man to cooperate
with Dawes on the committee to ascer-
tain Germany's capacity to pay repara-
tons and devise means of payment.
They la5soed Josiah Stamp. More and
more the government, bewildered by
the conflicting voices Of bankers, in
duStrialists, professors, protectionistS,
free traders and what not. sought SCI
entiflc minds which could assemble
views as a judge assemblies evidence
and pronounce Judgment in &C
cordance with broad economic facts,
and more and more Stamp was called
In to advise the statesmen.
! Nobel Industries went into the merger
which formed the Imperial Chemical
Industries. the biggest industrial COM
bine in Britain. Stamp was brought
into the new board At the same time
the biggest Of the railroad groups, the
l.. M. S., capitalized at $1,000. 900 600
| and controlling the main network run
ming north to south through the island.
was casting around for new chief
executive. It was a 75,000-a-year Job
and all the big railway men were after
II. But Stamp. as a result of the
chemical merger. now had no more
leisure. The railway chiefs came and
asked him what he knew about rail-
roads He smiled his wide yet con-
tanned smile. Nothing he said. So
they made him president Of the
L. M S. He still is
His use to political leaders was in
evitably enlarged by these activities
and experiences. He was not merely
an academician; nor had he the de-
partmental officials mind. He had
tested his theories in action. qualified
his doctrines by including the human
equation. On the peaks of big bust
ness he ives not immured in that little,
aloof world. Through the building So
ciety he headed he was in contact with
the small investor, the small man and
woman who works and saves, the back
bone OF any country. He knew not
only the mentality of labor. but what
labor was up to and the stuff its lead
ers were made of. The railwaymen'S
leaders oriented him there.
Deals AIoofly With Facts.
In fact. when I once wanted Jim
Thomas, the railwaymens chief, to
talk about a big industrial peace move
ment, 1 had some difficulty in prevent
if10 Iak oh ox-I ol al
leader from sending his secretary to
call back Josiah Stamp Stamp had
been cloSeted with him and Stamp, in
sisted Thomas, was better qualified to
talk about this subject than he was.
But I knew that Thomas would be
oratorical and emit rhythmic periods,
while Stamp would talk in hard, sci
entific terms, if he talked at all-and
as I wanted this thing dealt with in
human terms, and picturesquely, with
touch of color. vetoed Stamp and
held Thomas to the task.
Talking with Stamp, one is liable to
be struck with the finality Of his mind.
There is a sort of passive inevitability
about the man which makes his re-
marks sound like those one might ex-
pect to fall from the lips of some
extraterritorial being dispassionately
locking at mankind. But that is when
his brain is busy with facts, known
data. He will not then introduce specu-
lation. He has no use for theories.
But get him off facts, away from the
logical examination of basic situation,
and you will find that he has a broad
basic philosophy against which he
measures his conclusions. He has
thought deeply about life, the worth
while things, the relative values of this
and that form of human aspiration, or
ganization and activity. And it is this
intellectual and humane background
which makes his opinions welcome to
politicians who cannot stand the
ordinary cold and inhuman scientist
who despises the looseness and emotion
alism of politics and shows it.
He believes that behind ali phenome-
ma lies a purpose, but that mans whole
purpose is not to serve the next gen.
Grafton. He laughs at the idea that
mathematical proof IS the only kind
of proof. admitting the profound con-
victions to be reached through artistic
and religious experiences. He thinks
that the present system Of rewards and
encouragement has serious dxaWhacks.