MR. BALFOUR

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1334, 11 January 1912, Page 3

MR. BALFOUR

AN INTIMATE PERSONAL VIEW. I'n Hie "Nineteenth Century and After' , -Mr. .Alfred Lyltelloii, M.1 , ., contributes iMiiost interesting article on Jlr. Halfoiir. This nppi'Pi'intion of :\n old chief liy a Political colleague is no laboured eulogy; il Ims Ihc chnrin of the spimluneous and sincere praise of a discerning friend. On Mr. Dnlfoiir's courage. tho writer insists first :- "At. tho IjoUom of their hearts \juost Jjnglijlnncn place courage iu (ho very fori'fnint of n statesman's virtues. .Mr. Hniioiir's administration in Ireland proved to the world how pre-eminently that virtue was his. Jlravc men before him had faced the daily peril of assassination, which told even upon the nerve of Cromwell, with fortitude; but Mr. Baltour, partly perhaps from the detachment due to a disciplined mind and a strong will, faced the peril not only with fortitude, but with a serene indifference. 1 remember driving with him, I think in IHSS—a dangerous moment in Dublin-in his brougham, when our coachman, confronted with an unexpected obstacle, was compelled to relax speed. Almost imniedialely a tremendous blow was delivered on the back panel of tho brougham, halfstumiing me and scattering broken fiQi'uer and glass throughout the carriage. I was thoroughly startled and a good deal discomposed, believing that a shot had been fired, but Mr. Balfour was entirely unmoved und greatly amused at my disconiGturo and at the discovery that the accident was due, not to tho bullet of an assassin, but to the zeal of his detectives, who, following us too closely, had driven the polo of their car through the back of our brougham." As a Speaker. Regarding Mr. Balfour's methods of speaking, Air. Lyttelton has much that is interesting to say. "Tho stimulus of tlie vigour of an opponent's speech, except in very rare instances, is absolutely necessary to call forth Mr. lialfour's full powers. . . . Platform speeches, or introductory speeches in the House expounding large subjects, and designed to brace men's minds to a new policy, really demand, when possible, careful preparation, not only of tho thought, but of the form. This preparation Mr. Ualfour rarely gives. To think aloud before 5000 people for an hour or an hour and a haif is an amazing 'cat, and it is one that ho has often successfully performed. But it must bo admitted that such speeches, though going to the very/ heart of the subject and always awakening .deep interest, have not, with large audiences, the unhindered force of cho.sen words. Nor, again, does Mr. Ballour get the stimulus which some unstudied speakers derive from their hearers, lie has not what may be termed a faculty of oratorical reciprocity, the attractive though dangerous gift of giving out in vapour and taking back in flood, from his audience, which belongs to unprepared speakers of passionate awl emotional nature. For him the passions are too common, and the emotions too intimate, for public use. Compensation for tho defects referred-, to, if defects they be, is found in Mr. Ealfour's astonishing readiness of resource and reply. "Great caution and wariness are not often associated with unequalled quickness of apprehension, but both are admitted to bo part of Mr. Balfour's equipment. I have seen him on occasions wfi«n a subject which, had not been discussed, and involved difficulty, go all round'it in debate, touching it very lightly, now here, and now there, anxious when his own mind was not fully made up to feel the pulse of his audience, and, by thiilkiiig aloud, get time to arrive at a decision. Once whe.i a very important matter, which had previously been acrimoniously debated, came up again for discussion, he was disposed to use an argument which two able men had .already employed. A friend pointed out that this argument had been received on both those ocin.sons with marked disapproval by the Uouse. "Will you trust me to use it?" was his reply, "to which, of course, asssnt was made. Tho speech was given in his very best style, produced a great effect, and, when his hearers were in a good mood to receive it, ho hazarded once again the dangerous contention. It was listened to in icy silence even by his supporters, in an' instant the topic was abandoned, nnd tho speaker, before his audience had appreciated the situathn, was vigorously expounding another and safer defence. Again, whet? questions of fact and detail are concerned, as to which ho always professes tho infirmity of his memory, close observers recognise how wary ho is in committing himself, even though he may have obtained informaiou from the most accurate source." Mr. ■ Balfour's Industry. Mr. Lyttelton holds that Mr. Balfour was one of the most industrious of politicians: By universal admission, no leader has been more assiduous in attendance at tho House of Commons than Mr. balfour, and I think I may add that no one has spoken inoro constantly in debates embracing every kind of subject. Again, platform speeches are a very heavy labour to all who have any sense of responsibility for what they say; but this labour is greatly increased in the case of the leader of a party, who, like Mr. Balfour, is always reported in the first person, nnd is expected to cover a wide field. In addition to tho constant strain of speaking in the House of Commons ho delivered, in 190!), before his illness in December, twenty-iive platform speeches; in 1910, which included two general elections, thirryiseyen; in 1911, till the time of his resignation, twenty-five." But this industry in politics did not prevent Mr. Balfour from being a charming personality, or from having a sympathy with arts and amusements. "Throughout all theso laborious years Mr. Balfour has never lost that graciousness of character and manner which has invested his personality -with an indc» scribable charm. . . . Mr. Balfour's charm certainly does not consist in anything approaching to indiscriminate geniality, or iu any conscious efforts to attract others (0 him. 'The circle of friends whom he admits to his confidence is not large, though his 'intellectual hospitality' is unstinted and is extended to all genuine inquirers. His colleagues and comrades obtain' from' him not merely the most chivalrous ' support in public but, a far rarer thing, the intimate loyalty of his th'ought. For them his acuto mind holds a general retainer for the defence. In tho heaviest stress of i work Mr. Balfour finds in music, even of the severer schools, rest to mind and body. He is an independent judge and patron of art. In times when personal frictions aud worries are quite unavoidable, he is wont to keep them in their true perspective with the universe by writing metaphysical treatises, from the study of wliMi he absolves foine, at any rate, of his friends. Ho is at all times enamoured of mechanical inventions aud skill. This led him to a somewhat painful struggle .with the early bicycle, and its successive developments, tin: free-wheel and tho motor cycle, and has given him a sympathetic association with his chauffeur in diagnosis of the mysteries of motor breakdowns. His friends are a liitle surprised that an aeroplane is not yet in his garage at Whittinghame, but much may lie hoped from his leisure. In earlier days lie was an excellent shot with the rifle and very active 'on tho hill. No better comrade in gaincs lives; his style tit tennis is perfection, and he is a good golfer in the full meaning of that often rashly used term. Like other humar beings, ho has been known to'make bad strokes, but a roally critical situation on the links, as in other greater games, never fails to call forth tho height of his powers. He is deeply interested in the human comedy, loves tho company of young people, easily wins, and greatly respects, their confidence. IJo is amused and pleased by a certain kind of dainty gossip, and by tho lesser competitions of. life. Of tho deoper resources of his friendship and sympathy this is no place to speak."