Evening star., 1943-03-21

he hopes TO return to private life.
Moreover, as soldier he feels frankly
awed by the magnitude of the problems
of the peace. 1t is his opinion that it
will be far harder to arrive at anything
like an equitable settlement than it was
In 1919 Perhaps he recalls the fate of
Lloyd George, who stayed on as Prime
Minister to become one of the unhappy
architects of Versailles. The postwar
disillusion that followed undermined the
greatness of the reputation that the
little Welshman had brought out of the
war. Churchill, it should be noted, has
strong historical sense.
The burden of the peace, then, falls on
Eden. More than any other British
leader he is identified with collective
security and world organization for
better order. He was the great cham
pion of the League of Nations through
the tragic years leading up to the Mu-
Mich muddle.
Friendly Toward Russia.
Recent history, too. has prepared him
for the role of peacemaker. More than
any conservative Britisher, he is identi-
fed with collaboration with Russia. He
was the first statesman from the West
to sit down with Stain and talk as man
to man. In Britain today, where there
Is widespread realization Of what Rus
sian resistance has meant, this is po-
litical asset of the first order an asset
which may we'll mean residence in No.
10 Downing street.
It is a curious destiny that has brought
Eden thus far. His background could
scarcely have been more conventional
upper class. He was the second son of
Sir William Eden, seventh inheritor OF
baronetcy created in 1872 The father
was in the great tradition of English
eccentricity. While he farmed efficiently
the 4Oc0 acres long held by the family
in England's North Country he INDUCED
a taste Tor velvet evening trousers and
Jackets made of bright-colored silk hand
kerchiefs. The slightest noise, of dog
barking or whistle in the street, would
send him into an uncomfortable rage.
This may be one reason for his second
sons scrupulous conventionality-a de-
termination not to repeat the paternal
pattern. Then, too, he was sent to the
most orthodox schools. At the age of 9
he went to Sandroyd Preparatory School
near Gotham. Two years later he en-
tered Eton, where the young of the
British upper class have for generations
been disciplined to rule and RESPONSE
bility, wearing the black Eton suit and
the silk hat of the embryo gentleman.
Went to War at II.
Out of Eton in 1915 Eden went into the
war, Seventeen years old, he joined the
Kings Royal Rife Corps as lieutenant
and served until the armistice. He was
awarded the Military Cross for conspic-
uous bravery, one instance being the
rescue under heavy fire of one of his
men who lay wounded outside the trench
OF old Sir Williams four sons, two were
killed in the war, the eldest, John, in
October 1914, on the western front and
the youngest, Nicholas, at the age of l6,
while serving as naval cadet in the
Battle of Jutland. Anthony was badly
eassed at Ypres.
But the war had not shaken his de-
termination to go to oxford. There he
exercised his conspicuous talent for for
eign languages, going in for Eastern
languages, especially Persian and Turk
tsh. Today he is one of those rare Brit
ishers who speaks French without trace
of an accent. In Turkey, in 1910, he
startled Turkish troops he was reviewing
by promising, in Turkish, to send Hitler
to hell
AS young men of good family IN Brit
ain do, he decided on leaving oxford,
with flrst-clasS honors in Oriental lam
guages, to 90 in for politics His initial
venture was not happy one. He was
sounoly trounced in a contest in the
Spennymoor division of Durham follow
ing campaign in which he announced
that he had been born Conservative
and would die Conservative. Recogniz-
ing his capacities. the Conservative party
in the next election found safer district
for Eden TO run in and he entered the
House of Commons.
From the beginning his career was
marked by politicians caution COM
hined with basic integrity which was
increasingly recognized as the Eden hall
mark. These were the Qua lities which
were to take him through the difficult
years ahead and leave him with both a
career and a good name. Few could say