Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-04
HENDERSON DREAMS
OF THE DAY OF PEACE
Britain's Foreign Secretary Keeps His
Powder Dry as He Holds His
Party in Power.
tcontinued PROM First page.l

battles at conferences to keep unruly
delegates who were not so much "agir
the government" as against all authority
from rebelling against the executive au-
thority Of the party.
Malcontents would begin to shout. VI
would heave the massive figure in 9
high white collar and Immaculate frock
coat-the Methodist preacher and Labor
leader from the north. Out would boom
his powerful voice It would not be per-
guasive, but it would be compelling And
the upShot would be that the rebels who
wanted to howl Henderson down ano
kick him out were themselves subdued,
less by cajolery than by the heavy hand
and the big stick of the master of the
machine who knew-and knows-its
every detail.
In his room at Labor headquarters in
Eccleston Square he conceals the iron
hand in a padded glove. Here ms
ayuncular reputation has been earned.
He pauses in his work of planning and
negotiating to adjust difference with
good humored adroitness or bring two
disputants together and smooth over
their quarrel for the good of the party.
When the war broke out he had to
make probably the biggest decision OF
his life. The party he had built up was
in danger of splitting between the ma
tional Labor men who we're patriots nrst
and took the view that the war was just
and should be supported and the inter-
nationally minded Socialist paciflSts like
Ramsay Macdonald, who denounced the
war in general and British participation
in particular While Macdonald was
PLAYING the role of what came to be
of the party, led the majority to the
support of the war. His three sons
joined the army. One, the eldest, fell IN
France.
Actually Labor Adviser.
Asouith, premier and Liberal leader,
guaranteed himself Labor support by
taking Henderson into his coalition cab
met. His post was that of education
minister, but his real role was that of
Labor adviser in the national govern
ment. When Asquith fell, Lloyd George
put the powerful Labor leader into his
team as paymaster general and othclat-
ing Labor adviser. No Labor man had
ever held cabinet office before, and Hen
derson would not have been human II
he had not been tickled to be thus taken
into the inner ring OF the governing
clique.
The end of his wartime career, how
ever, was not exactly happy. AS a MEM
Der of the inner war cabinet ne was all
for the strenuous prosecution of the war
and champion of the government on
all public occasions. Then Russia
cracked. and Lloyd George seemed to
think that a Labor politician might DO
more good than the ambassador Ga Tory,
like all professional diplomats) at st.
Petersburg.
He sent Henderson out as head of a
mission, with the ambassadorship in his
pocket. But when the shrewd emissary
had had a talk with Sir George Buchan-
an, the British diplomat in charge, and
had seen for himself what was happen
ing and had gagged the impotence OF
any foreign politician canouhaged as an
ambassador TO stem the tide, like sem
sible man he did not interfere, but re-
turned to report to the big chief In
Whether Lloyd George wanted to get
rid Of Henderson by way OF the aInnaS-
sadorship in Russia and was upset by
his return, or whether on his return
Henderson found (like D'Artagnan IN
Dumas account of the mission to spy
out Fouchet's stronghold at Belle lsle)
that Lloyd George had learned all he
wanted to know from one OF his own
secret service men are questions which
can be answered finally by only one
man-and the Lloyd George memoirs
have yet to appear.
The historic fact remains that Hen
derson found his place on the war coun-
ell taken by a rival Labor leader; that
he was kept waiting on the mat outside
the cabinet room by the then virtual
dictator OF England; that he did not
resume his post in the war cabinet, and
that he suddenly went of to Paris TO
consult the allied Socialists on the pro-
posed Stockholm peace conference, ana
took Ramsay Macdonald with him.
His rupture with Lloyd George was
complate His tone changed. The war
was alI wrong and Lloyd George was
more wrong than the wa.
Made Home Secretary.
How far in this volte-face he was
actuated by personal feeling and now
far by party considerations is a ques-
ton. In 1926 he was not an advocate
Of the general strike. But he stood in
and was co-opted with Macdonald on
the strike council which challenged con-
stitutional government in England. It
would have done no good to stand out.
Events dominated him and the other
moderates. They were pulled into the
vortex. II any leader had stayed out he
would have been branded traitor, and
Labor would never have tolerated him in
its movement again.
Macdonald made Henderson home
secretary in his first Labor ministry. Of
1924 wanting the portfolio OF foreign
affairs for himself But premier can
not combine two jobs without risking a
breakdown Macdonald, who Is not a
long-distance mamie quickly tires, but
quickly recuperates-soon found this
out. When he was cabinet making this
last time, therefore, he cast the massive
and benevolently impressive Uncle Ar
thur for the role, well knowing that
Henderson shared all his fundamental
ideas about the policies Of promoting
information peace, and in large affairs
would not jealousy object to the intru-
sion Of his chief,
Henderson has thus taken all the
weight Of the routine work of foreign
policy of MacDona!dis shoulders: All
the same, Macdonald has been in on
every big move for he is an information
aiist, and foreign policy Is his life.
Henderson has no command OF Ian
euages but this is not considered a
drawback in a British foreign secretary.
Earl Grey. AsQuith's foreign secretary,
in charge of the foreign Office in the
Knomentous years leading up 70 the Great
War. knew only English and was not
even a Travelled man, while Austen
Chamberlain. Henderson's predecessor
speaks only a stiff Anglicized French
which would not get tourist through
Paris.
AS against this lack, Henderson has
the advantage Of an extensive knowl-
edge Of Europe Useful contacts and
experience have come to him as British
representative Of any number Of inter.
national labor conferences abroad He
knows the British dominioEs too. has
toured $4,000 miles in Australia and WIS.,
tied the United States tand been pro-
hibited from lecturing to Connecticut
luncheon club.
Russia and disarmament have beer
his chief prescriptions at the for
eign ONCE. ThankleSs and awkward
Jobs. both. British Labor viewed thu
throwing out of the SoVietS diplomatic