Evening star., 1933-06-11

world revolving around his home island
and its empire much as an old Roman
Senator saw the world he knew only
as outlying territory whose vicissitudes
had interest only in so far as they
affected the fortunes of the central
Roman state. England. for Baldwin.
is another but finer Rome, and one
Of the characteristics which differen-
tiate him from man like Hailsham
Is his Imaginative ability, developed
through much reading of history, to
glimpse England shrinking and dying
like an abandoned Roman province,
and the mighty British Empire. its
course magnificently run at last, going
the way of old Rome (but in the mean
time he sees its course as far from run
and will fight tenaciously and patiently
for its survival and progress).
Tough Customer.
His old English conception of honor
makes Baldwin a tough customer at
such conference as is opening tomor-
row. Macdonald or Lloyd George
will see an end, and will not worry
about method, but Baldwin is bull
doggish and particular about means.
He negotiated the funding Of the Brit
ish war debt to America with an eye
on British honor first. and calcula-
tions about her economic position del
egated to the far back of his mind, and
virulent Nationalist -Imperialist like
Lord Beaverbrook never allowed either
him or the British public to forget It,
There were many men eminent in
Great Britain's public and economic
and financial life who wanted England
to default as France did on her last
debt payment, who still want this.
There was division of opinion in the
British cabinet up to the last this past
December, but Baldwin and Chamber
lain with their argument of Britain's
honor and Macdonald with his good
will argument, carried the day for pay
ment
If some proposition crops up at the
conference which strikes Baldwin as
inconsistent with his conception of
the honor q state should cherish above
everything, he will make a stand
though the heavens fall and though
advocates of policy of opportunism
raised upon lower commercial moral
ity denounce him in every newspaper
For that is the sort of man Baldwin
is. and that is half the secret of the
leadership he has retained so long in
spite of incessant and powerful criti-
cism and even revolt within his party.
Orderly Mind.
Neville Chamberlain has the orderly
mind of a second generation man who
until he was nearly so devoted himsellf
to municipal affairs. He only emerged
into the national arena after the war.
He is dour and clear-headed, with
tenacity and profound conviction that
his orthodox ways are best. He ridi-
cules the monetary ideas OF men like
Keynes and is at heart-like Montagu
Norman. whose advice he takes-a de-
flationist
Runciman is the high priest of trade
pacts. but as this shipping man, with
one foot in international banking and
insurance, has been making pacts with
states, he has recently reused the ire
of every good nationalist and protec-
zionist in England Lord Beaverbrook
who would like to ban the banana Or
der and give British agriculturists a
chance to raise them in hothouses. de-
nounced Runciman's last three trade
pacts as licked" All of which means
that Runciman has much the same
view OF trade pacts as has President
Roosevelt. and, since the state Of the
world makes them necessary, he makes
bargains designed, first, to help the
flow of international trade and, sec
ond. to aid national industries op
Grating behind tariff walls and in the
domestic market.
3 Flexible Negotiator.
Jim Thomas is a flexible negotiator
with large fund Of common sense and
no roots In tariff movements. despite
that endless oratorical refrain of his
about this grrrrand old country and
is speculative minded He likes his
fling at the Stock Exchange and on
the race track; he is ready for any
thing. He does not like tariffs and
is acutely aware that the chief bene-
ficiary Of any expansion of interna-
tional trade would be his own beloved
state, which has been SO good to him
a son OF the people who started as an
engine greaser and worked his way up
by way. of the trade union and labor
movement into national politics.
Lord Hailsham is lawyer politician
who at times bears a faint resemblance
to Poincare. He Is right wing Tory
with pro-French orientation and a
temper. His most recent manifestation
of the latter occurred during the re-
CClb VI LoASs WiACAi AiC liAadc
his famous speech in the House of
Lords which provoked the retort from
Won Papen extolling the glories Of war
and exhorting German mothers to pro-
duce more children to be used up as
cannon fodder.
Disarmament Strings.
The economic conference has dis
armament strings tied to it, and Hail
sham regards himself as sort of de-
fense counsel for the fighting services
and the national armament suppliers
and Is regarded as holding brief for
the nation and imperial defense in
terests.
An opening speech by any Of these
typical Britishers coming over the air
from the conference hall in London
would not fall sweetly on the listening
ears Of the other countries. None Is
STEAMSHIPS.