Evening star., 1938-10-02

have been subjected to prosecutions far
worse than anything they have encountered
as yet. Did he betray civilization? Not II
betrayal meant survival.
1t required courage Of perhaps 4 higher
order than any Of which the world has
chanted the praises in the past. In two
stormy September weeks the Prime Min
lister Of Great Britain invited for himself
.crucifxion upon the double cross" for the
sake Of mankind
Gamble Was Successful
Events turned out, temporarily at least,
better than he had hoped or had reason
to hope. He emerged from the torturing
two weeks not a scapegoat but hero-the
man who had saved the peace of the world,
who had at least delayed indefinitely the
crucinxion Of civilization. Neville Cham
berlain had dared to act contrary to one
of the dearest traditions of mankind and
the gamble had been successful.
He had been far from colorful to the
world at large before. Few less glamorous
figures, even In the eyes Of his own country
men, ever had held the reins of power in
Great Britain. Lloyd George once had
referred to him contemptuously as "glori-
fled town clerk" Supposedly he was cold,
unimaginative, Unconditional, dull, prosaic.
The son. Of great English statesman of
another generation his older brother, not
himself, had been intended and educated
to follow in the fathers footsteps. Not for
Neville Chamberlain was planned q career
OF political glory and q place among the
mighty Of the earth. Rather he had been
trained to carry on the family business,
screw manufacturing in the prosaic In
dustrial town Of Birmingham
Fate ruled otherwise He mixed business
with local politics. Through his forties
his craftsmanship was concerned with such
weighty affairs as paving city streets-hrst
as an alderman and then as Lord Mayor
of Birmingham. This was the position he
held through a large part Of the World
War He saw the war not from the view-
points of world statesman. He saw it
in the form Of poor relief, of food shortage,
of the tears Of mothers and widows, Of
the sons of his neighbors limping home
without legs or arms, with faces horribly
distorted from shrapnel wounds. War be-
came for him, as he said 50 graphically
the other day to listening world, "a night
mare" There was no glory in it. There
was no profit to be had Of it.
After the war he entered Parliament.
With the coming into power of the national
government he entered the cabinet of
Stanley Baldwin as chancellor of the ex-
chequer. 1t was prosaic, unpopular job
"a Job Of assessing taxes, Of keeping ac-
counts, Of collecting taxes. Chamberlain
was business man, trained in business
methods His Job called for business ef-
iciency. There was no glamour about 1t.
Made Supreme Deviation.
There was no emotion about it. Cham
berlain was popularly reputed to be = hu-
man icicle. His appearance was common
place and stern. He displayed no wit, no
eloquence. In his mind government was
businessEthe management of the British
Empire no different in principle from the
management Of Birmingham metal
works. He never seemed to deviate from
the ways Of tradition, until conscience
called upon him for a supreme deviation.
Through all the past the world has lived
according to a war formula. War has been
the inevitable sequence of certain condi-
tions, man has held. For some reason or
other a nation cannot accept = rebuff.
When Neville Chamberlain succeeded STAN
ley Baldwin he inherited As foreign secre-
tary man bred to this formula, colorful
figure who appealed to the Imagination Of
the world, the idealistic Anthony Eden, to
whom no cost was too great for the uphold
hg ce 1neaaAd's honor. Chamberlain and