Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-11

perhaps best known for his work a
Chancellor of the EXchequer, ant
when Stanley Baldwin retired a
Prime Minister in 1887 he was re
garded as his logical successor.
Mr.. Chamberlain took over tn
responsibilities at a time when wa
talk was prevalent in Europe; whel
undeclared war ragged between japan
and China. Spain was torn will
bitter civil war in which Germany
and italy had interviewed in behal
of the FaScistS.
Delicate diplomatic incidents, in.
volving Britain and her ally, France
rose on several fronts. He stead
tasty pursued his policy of appease.
ment, sought by every means tt
win the friendship of Germany ano
Italy. AS result, Mr.. Eden, his
Foreign Secretary, resigned.
Lord Halifax took over his port
folio, but Mr.. Chamberlain in effect
became the acting Foreign Min
ister
Situation Came to Head.
In the midst of growing tension
Germany annexed Austria and Hit
Ter continued to scrap the treaty
of Versailles. The Sudeten Ger
mans in Czecho-S lovakia brought
the situation to a head in Septem-
Der, 1888, with their demands for
self-determination. Danger signals
flew. The German Army was poised;
the Czech Army was ready.
At this juncture, when the world
held its breath, Mr.. Chamberlain
dramatically made three trips by
airplane-he had never flown be-
fore-to meet Hitler face to face.
The Munich pact of September 30,
1888, was the outcome. Czecho-
Slovakia was called upon to meet
the Sudeten demands: Germany and
Britain agreed not to war against
each other.
RepercusSionS were immediate
Criticism came from England and
neutral countries that the Czechs
had been betrayed But war had
been averted.
Hailed for Personal Triumph.
Mr.. Chamberlain received a ire
mendous popular welcome when he
returned to London King George
VI thanked him. His appeasement
policy was called personal triumph.
His name was on every ones lips
The cartoonists had a field day
The tall, somberly dressed states
man, carrying his present UNI
brella, was pictured in the press OF
the world. His umbrella became at
once symbol of peace and the OBJ
ject of jibeS by news commentators
But the rejoicing in England had
scarcely died doWn-amid some
misgivings-when the picture be-
gan to change. Hitler's troops were
on the march; Czecho-Slovakia was
dissolved and brought under Ger
many's wing
Hitler's action was a rude blow
to Mr.. Chamberlain. But. with
French backing, he launched a
peace 'front.' against aggression
Guarantees of protection against
attack were extended
to Poland, Turkey, Rumania and
Greece.
Soviet-Nazi Pact Rocked World.
Then, just when efforts by Eng
land and France to WOO Soviet Rus
STA into a treaty seemed bright, the
world was astonished when the
Soviet-German pact was an
nounced. Germany's invasion of
Poland followed soon thereafter
and another European war, less
than year after the Munich pact.
Mr.. Chamberlain was the second
successive British steel magnate to
occupy the post of prime minister
and the third of his immediate
family to play leading role in con-
temporary British history. He was
a hard-headed businessman who
was nearly so years old before he
became a national figure.
Despite this, and despite the
overshadowing brilliance of his
father Joseph Chamberlain, and
his half-brother, Sir ]. Austen
Chamberlain. he went higher than
either of them. 1t fell to his lot, in
fact, to carry through the project
that was dearest to the heart of
his father when, in 1882, as chan
cellor of the exchequer, he intro
duced an empire-preference tariff
schedule in his budget. This re-
versed the century-old British
policy of free imports, project for
which his father had fought vainly
from 1903 until his death in 1914
HOnOred His Father.
With Austen Chamberlain among
his parliamentary auditors, the son
said:
Il believe he would have found
consolation for the bitterness of his
disappointment if he could have
foreseen that these proposals, which
are the direct and legitimate descen-
dantS of his own conception, would
be laid before the House of Com
mons by the lips of one and in the
presence of the other OF the two i'm
mediate successors of his name and
blood"
Speaking on July 8, 1886, the CEN
tenary of his fathers birth, Neville
said tariffs had brought prosperity
to the country and that Joseph
Chamberlain prophecies had been
Educated at Rugby.
MI. Chamberlain was born March
b. 1869, second son of Joseph
Chamberlain. He was christened
Arthur Neville but early dropped
the first name. His education was
gained at Rugby and at Mason Col
lege, Birmingham.
After a few years in the business
of manufacturing screws and other
steel products in Birmingham, he