Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-04-26

NTHONY EDEN, member OF Parliament,
n privy councillor, secretary OF state
II for foreign affairs to the King Of
\ England member of the cabinet: he is
one of the half dozen most important men in
Europe today He is foreign minister of
the British Empire; he has the confidence OF the
still powerful Stanley Baldwin prime minister;
and-until recently, at any rate-has had the
support of very large section OF British public
opinion He spoke and may yet speak, for those
vast masses who desire a new world order end
an end to secret diplomacy, military alliances,
power politics and war. At the age OF 81 he IS
the Youngest foreign minister in British politics
for more than 100 years.
After the premiership, the post Of foreign
minister is the most priced in British govern
ment. Actually it ranks in seniority only sixth
in the cabinet; but it has been reserved hitherto
for an elder statesman at the end of his career
rather than at the beginning.
| What manner of man is this? How did he
reach this exalted position in so short time?
And will he be a success or failure?
First as to Eden's background. He comes
of an old North-of- land family. seated in
Durham. His father was Sir William Eden,
seventh baronet Baronets in Great Britain
are not mobiles, but they are members of tho
aristocracy.
They are hereditary knights without legislative
duties or privileges, in the case OF peers. The
Eden family are moderately wealthy landowners
|
ROYALTIES and living in handsome marsion in
large private park Mrs. Anthony Eden is
member of rich family.
| AS a younger son. Eden was destined for
| the diplomatic service He was sent to Elton.
almost the most exclusive of the English
public schools But his career was interrupted
by the Great War. and in 1915, at the age OF
| IT, he was given commission in fashion,
able regiment. the Kings Royal Rifle Corps
and went to France where he won the Military
Cross. He was sufferer in one of the early
gas attacks in the Ypres salient; but he served
till the armistice either with his regiment in
the trenches or the general staff He
became a captain and served as brigade major
During the war his eldest brother, the heir
to the baronetcy was killed in battle in France;
and his youngest brother, l6 years old and
a midshipman, was killed at the Battle of
Jutland There are reasons enough, therefore,
for Eden's anti-war fervour.
The war over Eden went to Christ Church
College, Oxford University to continue his
education There he specialized in Oriental
languages particularly Persian, still with view
to the diplomatic service; and he obtained his
bachelor of arts degree with frSt-class honors.
His father having died in the meantime, he
received younger sons portion and found him.
self in favorable conditions financially; then he
suddenly decided to enter politics.
This was the turning point in his career.
Eden had taken no interest in party politics
at Oxford not even joining the political union.
as do most would-be politicians. However, his
entry into politics orthodox. The family is
conservative by tradition He had influential
relatives and friends, and word to the central
head Office of the Conservative party brought
him the nomination for hopeless constituency.
from the conservative point of view, but in his
own locality of Durham.
in ha e1antino nf
young Eden fought the forlorn hope of
Spennymoor as Conservative candidate-being,
of course, soundly beaten by his Labor
opponent. This contest, however, won him his
spurs and automatically he became entitled to
better constituency. In the next election-n
December 1923-he was nominated as Conserva-
tive candidate for bennington, won it with ease
and can hold it so long as he to run
I had already been five years member of
the House Of Commons when young Eden entered
it, and I sat with him in four Parliaments
He made one or two carefully thought out and
pleasantly delivered speeches as an apparently
insignificant but promising back-bencher but
he soon attracted the attention of the leader
of the opposition. as he was at this time
Mr.. Stanley Baldwin. And to Stanley Baldwin
he owed his first promotion.
Baldwin has a liking for young men of his
oWH type, prOuuctS OF Tie EIisliSu puplC SCHooiS
and older universities and members OF the
well-to-do middle or upper classes His only son,
Oliver, has broken adrift from the Baldwin family
in politics, and this has driven Stanley Baldwin
to exercise his parental instincts by helping
promising young men of his own way of thinking.
Sir Samuel Hoare. Eden's predecessor at the
foreign office. one Of these; there are several
others who have attained high office and who
probably would never have been heard of but for
this political patronage.
Edens first job was unpaid parliamentary
private secretary to the minister of home affairs
Such secretaries are, in reality messenger boys
for their chiefs. They are seen but not heard:
but they are brought into contact with the men
who matter, and many successful career has
begun in such position As soon as there was
vacancy, he became parliamentary private
secretary to the foreign minister then Sir Austen
Chamberlain.