BOOKS OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 110, 26 January 1918, Page 11

BOOKS OF THE DAY

THE LIFE OR SIR CHARLES DILKE. ". •:-' I. ■ •■ . - - The long-awaited "Life of Sir Charles Dilko," begun by Stephen Gwynn,. M.P., and completed and edited by Miss G. M. Tuckwell,' whoso aunt, Mrs. Mark Pattison, was Dilko's second wife, has now been published in two volumes by Mr. John Murray (Wellington, Whitcombe and Tombs).; As Was to- be expected,' it is a biography of far more than- -usual interest. Dilko was "for many years one- of the most prominent .men.in British politics.' 'the," grandson of the.founder of tho Athenaeum, the son of a gentleman -who possessed great intellectual'ability, Sir Charles Dilko had an-hereditary inclination -id' advanced Liberalism, and may be said to have been specially educated and trained for a Parliamentary career. Early in life he developed a grave distrust of tho official Liberal Party, with which ho was associated, and although a- member of a- Glad- ] stonian Ministry, "was heart and soul ' with. Chamberlain (in'. Chamberlain's earlier and ultra-Radical days) in proposing swooping measures-of reform,] which the "Whig element in tho party held almost as much obnoxiously dangerous as did the Tories. He travelled much on the Continent as.a young man and went further afield, to. the United States, thence extending his tour to that "Greater Britain" which supplied the title for a book in which; for the first time, the importance of the brer-, sea possessions, to the Motherland was forcibly and logically stated. As Foreign Tinder-Secretary- he rapidly mado a name for himself as one . of the shrewdest and most able authorities on Continental and Imperial affairs, and quite lived down-the bad impression he had at one time left on the public mind by thV crudity- with which he had expressed the republican, views of his youth, which' 1 had frightened tho staider sort of Parliamentarian: Ho seemed destined to become leader if not of the old Liberal or Whig Party, of an advanced or progressive party, when suddenly, as a boltfrom the blue, he became involved in a peculiarly scandalous divorce case. Whether ho was guilty or innocent, whether Mrs. Virginia Crawford's so-called confession -was true or merely the villainous concoction of a "scorned woman" is still ai matter of doubt. At the first trial, Dilko was declared innocent. A malignant personal campaign against him _ continued, "good man Stead" playing a prominent part therein, and Dilko was ill-advised enough to request the intervention of the Queen's Proctor. The second trial resulted in what was practically a verdict of "Not Proven," and politically Dilke was ruined.: He • married to his second wife, the widow of 'Professor Mark Pattison, soon after divorce proceedings had been commenced by Mr. Crawford. The, whole matter is dealt with in this biography with laudablo brevity. Miss TuckVell contents herself with saying that '.'those nearest to him never believed in the truth of the :charges brought, finding it almost inconceivable they should '~ have : . been, made." As for herself and those who were closely associated with Dilko she expresses an absolute- belief in him, "which was a cardinal fact of our work ' andiife." Chamberlain told Sir John Gorst, "I assure you as a man of honour I don't believe the charges made against him. If you had been in and out of his house at all times, as I have been, you would see they were impossible." But the trial undoubtedly lv,id much to do with his rejection at the general election of 1886, when London went solidly against Home Rule. He returned .to Parliament in 1892, when ,he was- elected for tho Forest of Dean, his election being greeted by an" address of congiatulation signed'by 11,000 of his old constituents at Chelsea. For nine years he remained in tho House, dividing .his'attention between foreign af-fairs-and labour questions. He died on January 26, 1911. .„ Despite his Radicalism, Dilkc was never a "Little Englauder." These volumes prove' that he saw the folly of handing over Heligoland to Germany, and that he warmly approved of the annexation-of- New Guinea. He regarded Lord. Salisbury's policy .with regard to Zanzibar and German activity in Damanland and in Africa generally'as "displaying a deplorable : absence of decision.' 7 On the- ■Samoaji question he was equally outspoken... On January 7, 1885, he writes :— - Chamberlain and, I had a conference about Samoa, in which I pointed out that if wo quarrelled with France about Egypt slieiwould have all Europe behind her, whereas in our dealings with Ger-many-about Samoa, Zanzibar, and other matters Germany would stand alone.

There can be little doubt that the tragedy 'which brought about Dilke;a political'downfall and- made it .impossible'for him to be again 'a Minister of- the Crown .robbed Great Britain' of the services of oue of the ablest and most far-seomg Englishmen, a 'man specially fitted to bo Minister- of Foreign Affairs. He was sound on the question of a strong Itfavy, and although opposed on principle to'compulsory service ho favoured a large territorial army, and for a time at least looked-upon the increasing military, estimates with' distrust, fearing that .the expenditure would imperil the Navy votes. But ho foresaw tho necessity for being prepared for Continental complications, and-was one of the first; to formulate, proposals for the" organisation of : an expeditionary force of substantial .strength. Headers of-these.'volumes cannot fail to bo struck.by the keen grip Dilko always kept on Continental politics. He recognised" -the Balkans as a ( storm centre and "favoured the creation of Balkan republics. Austria's, policy of tyranny over her Slav subjocts and Germany's ever-increasing-, ambitions ho never tired of denouncing.' .' " : . Dilke's youthful attacks on Royalty, which in'lnter yeara ho.described as ".scatterbrained," did not prevent his having a high opinion of Queen victoria's political shrewdness and foresight. I prefer, however, to select for quotation some of the many rei'oremes in these volumes to King Edward the Seventh, when Prince of Wales. Meating tho Prince at dinner in 1880, Dilko writes:—"The Princo laid himself out to be pleasant, and talked to me nearly all tho evening—chiefly .about French politics and the Greek question." When the Prince returned from cue of his visits to Berlin, he told Dilke that at tho German court Sir Charles was looked upon as "a most dangerous man," and as "a French »py." "But," added H.H.:H., "they say tho same of me!" That tho Prince' was a very good judge of a difficult position is shown by some advice no gavo Dilke, when, after the murder of Sir Frederick Cavendish, thoro was some talk of Sic Charles accepting the Irish Secretaryship: If you had accepted the post without a seat in tho Cabinet, your position, especially at the present moment, would bo a Very unsatisfactory .one.' If tho policy, whatever it is, prove a success,

I doubt whether you would have obtained much credit for it; and if it turned out a failure you- may'be quite ewe'.that a great deal of tho blame would fall upon you without your having"booh.'.responsible for the initiation of tho- steps that, were adopted. •.• ■ ■ ■ : ; -■"

Later on, in 1882, Dilke'gave tho following pen portrait of tho .'future monarch-: ..- ■

The Prince is, of course; a strong Conservative, arid a still stronger Jingo, really agreeing in the Queen's politics, and wanting to take everything everywhere _in the world and to keep everything if possible, but a, good deal under the influence of. the last.person who talks to him, so that he would sometimes reflect the.Queon.attd soinetimes'iefleet hie or Chamberlain or some .other--Literal who- had been shaking -his head at him. He has .'more -sense nli.d more, usage of modern 'world than his', mother,- whose long retirement his out hep off froni that world, but less.'real brain power..' lie is very-sharp in a, wfiy, 'the Queen not sharp at all; bub, she carries he.ayy'jnctal, for her. obstinacy, constitutes power'of a kind. . :.'■.- v : - :.. ,

•In view of what has. happened since 1914, it.is interesting to.note some' : of DilkeY opinions. oh Germany's foreign policy am! her relations with GreatBritain! Wiien the" Francq-Prussnn War broke out Dilke, who profoundly distrusted and personally disliked Louis Napoleon, was at first' strongly. t.'VOGerman in his sympathies. He went to .Germany and attached himself, to. ambulance corps :with tho Crown Prince's army, and was present at somo of the .bloodiest battles qf tho war. Long before the Prussians bad readied Paris a complete change was > manifested in his letters. He had seen tho Prussian .at. close quarters, and learnt to loathe- his arrogance,-.his violence, his even in those days cynically-exliibit-ed cruelty.'-;, When'in'lß7s Germany showed a disposition to renew attack on France,-.Dilke, in. a. recess speech, said that "Germany insisted, in defiance of a'l modern political ideas, in, tearing provinces from a v great country against their will. France • bas since that time set an exampleof moderation of tone, yet Germany cries out that sho will fight again, and crush be." enemy, to tho dust." He quoted from the speech of an Alsatian deputy in tlie German . Parliament,, which contained tlie following ' Sentence: • . • .

Had you spared us you would havo won the admiration of the world, and war would have been impossible between us. As it is, you go on arming, and you force all Europe to armftoo. Instead of opening an age of peace, you have inaugurated an era pf war, and now you await fresh campaigns, fresh lists of Wiled and wounded, containing the names of your brothers and your eon.;. Dilke's comment on this was: The view of this Alsatian Deputy is my view.. 1 do not believe lluit might makes right. ... For our owiTsakes as , well ns hers, I trust that France may not be crushed, Franco is not merely ono of tho nations. The place of Franco is not greater than 'the place of England, but it is different. The place,of France is one which no othor nation can quite hold.