Evening star., 1934-07-22


-H HE official Life of Lord Curzon," in
three volumes, by Lord Ronaldshay,
appeared in 1928. Mr.. Nicolson has
drawn on that extensively, though
his purpose in this volume is limited
to study of Lord Curzon'S work as
British minister of foreign affairs following the
World War, when the allies, after the long
strain of pulling together, broke up into self
seeking groups and Europe drifted into con-
fusion instead of being able to work out any
clear-cut policy. Mr.. Nicolson is admirably
fitted to make such a study He was for many
years connected with the British foreign office.
both at home and in foreign countries, and
was a member of the British delegation to the
Peace Conference. His book, "Peacemaking,
records his "reminiscences of the Peace Con-
ference and the unhealthy and unhappy
atmosphere which prevailed there
Lord Curzon. after his service as governor
general of India Q899-1 19o5), which was ended
when he differed radically from the COM
mander in chief of the British forces in india
Lord Kitchener. and was not supported by
che home government, was politically inactive
for some years and gave much OF his time to
bis duties as chancellor of the University Of
Oxford. During the years just preceding the
World War he was Lord Lansdowne's chief
lieutenant in the House of Lords. In 1915,
he was q member os Asquith's coalition cabi-
net. After the Peace Conference he took
over the foreign Office from Balfour Mr..
Nicoson's study begins with the assembling
of the House of Lords November 1s. 1918, "to
celebrate the victory of the allied powers and
to congratulate the crown upon the surrender
OF the German Empire, the Austro- Hungarian
Empire, the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom
of Bulgaria" In view of the tangled web of
affairs since 1918, those stately phrases
have a hollow sound. On that occasion Lord
Curzon was spokesman of the second coalition
government and moved the address
Lord Curzons knowledge of foreign politics
and his f1rst-hand experience with Asiatic prob
lens made him the outstanding choice for the
foreign office but he was not notable for getting
along well with people and had reputation
for pomposty which Lord Ridden in his
Intimate Diary" quotes him as attributing
to the stif brace he always wore on account
of curvature of the spine. The Countess of
oxford CMargot Asquith). an intimate friend
during their youth but afterward estranged,
relates number of episodes in her reminis-
cences which seem to show that his grand
manner more deep-seated, and his egotism
almost unbounded. Mr.. NicolSon takes q gentler
view, but he had no personal sights to cause
rancor. He says: The impression left upon
the memory of those who were closest to him
during the last year of his life not the
impression OF an unhappy or embittered man.
1t was an impression of genial humor triumph
ing over personal modification and physical
suffering" Curzon had hoped when Bonar
Law resigned prime minister in 1928 to
succeed him, but the King sent for Stanley
Baldwin 1t was the bitterest disappointment
of Cur5on,s life "The dream of his lifetime
lay shattered at his feet. . . In an agony
of modification he collapsed into a chair.
Lady Curzon tried to console him. He wept
like child He had forgotten Baldwin. No
body had ever thought of Baldwin. Not even
a public figure. sobbed Curzon. A man of no
experiences And of the utmost insignifcance.'
f,trth hum liof Tod
when Baldwin formed his second cabinet in
1924 and instead of returning Curzon to the
foreign office appointed Austen Chamberlain.
CurzonS chief diplomatic services in the
postwar years were in adjusting British re-
Iations with the Nationalist Turks. dealing
with Russian anti British propaganda, and
attempting to save Germany from collapse
by opposing Poincare's Ruhr and reparations
policy. In the preparation of this book. Mr..
Ncolson has made use of parliamentary papers
and blue books, Lord Curzon's private papers
information from Lord CurZon's friends and
collaborators, and his own memory, fortified
by diaries and papers" His style combines
that of the scholar and the novelist and makes
it impossible for him to write merely as an
analyst. Interesting characteristics Of all the
men who played a part in those difhcult years
enliven the book.
A CONQUEST OF TIBET. By Sven HedIn.
New York; E. P. Dutton & Co.
TIBET has the fascination OF the distant the
unusual, the forbidden that is for most of
us. For Sven Hedin, experienced Swedish ex-
plorer. it is probable that nothing now seems
very unusual and that he accepts nothing as
forbidden. He has already trailed the mysteries
of the Eastern desert and Manchuria and
written Across the Cobb Desert" and "Jehol'
and now he tells the story of his dangerous and
exciting penetration into the center of wild
Tibet. The inhabitants of Tibet have not
needed to follow the example of the Chinese