LOCARNO-MAKER PASSES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 52, 17 March 1937, Page 5

LOCARNO-MAKER PASSES

Presa Assn.— Copyright. )

Sir Austen Chamberlain Dies in London DIST1NGU1SHED CAREER A

(By Telegrraph—

(Beceive.a xt, a.i.4o a.m.; LONDON, March 16. The death has occurred of Sir Austen Chamberlain. Sir Austen 's death was entirely unexpected. It is only now learned that he had been confined to his London residence for a few days with lumbago that was not regarded as serious. jSe seemed better to-day and started at aboiit six p.m. to go downstairs to the library, when he had a heart attack and died in a few. minutes without regaining constJiousness. The news of his death was received with grief by members of the House of Commons and attendants, among all of whom he was most popular. Mr. Lloyd George, when told the news, said: "Sir Austen was the most upright, most straightforward man I have ever met." Major Attlee said: "We have lost a great parliamentarian and a very great gentleman.,, Sir Austen Chamberlain was bora in 1863, and was educated at Bugby and Cambridge. He had from early boyhood enjoyed the confidence of his famous father, and on coming> down from Cambridge "was sent for 'a prolonged tour of the capitals of Europe to study international affairs through the Chancellery windows. In 1892 he entered the House of Commons as member for East Worcestershire, a seat he retained until his father 's death, when he beeame member for the paternal constituency ih Birmmingham. The young politicians maiden speech drew a glowijig and friendly compliment fropi.Mr. Gladstone, and it was felt that whatever he might owe to his father he had high qualities of his own. In 1895 be became Civil Lord of the Admiralty, and in 1900 Einancial Secretary to the Treasury. In 1902 he was promoted to the- Postmaster-General-ship/ The following year he was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, a post which he held until the Unionist debacle in 1906. In 1913 Sir Austen presided over the Commission on Indian Currency and Finance, ahd on the far-

mation of the first Coalition he became Secretary of State for India, but retired on account of the Mesopotamia report. He was Lord Privy Seal and Leader oi the House of Commons in 1922, and became Foreign, Secretary on the death oi the Marquis Curzon in 1924, retaining the post till 1929. During his period of office the intricate problem of reparations was settled and it was he whc originated and signed the Locarno Pact for which he received his knighthood He was First Lord of the Admiralty in the National Government formed ir 1931, but later went iuto semi-retire ment. Personally, Sir Austen was a man oi simple' tastes and charming disposition His tall figure, his pale, rather angulai face, his light-coloured eyes, which hac a trick of appearing to be always un usually wide open, the somewhat -colc fcones of-his vbice,. his almost meticuloui caxe about detail that most men woulc brush aside or skim over, and the swift uess with which he sometimea f ell intc a mood of iey severity helped to builc up around him a legend of aloofness which was entirely false. He was a re markably shy man, but onCe that ehy aeSs was bxoken down one found i warm-hearted, genial being with ^ : sunny disposition, an attractive smile a gift of enjoyable conversation, and i penerating but toleraut insight int( human nature. Twice he missed the Premiershii owing to party difficulties, and the mis sing must have hurt him fearfully, bui be merely screwed his monocle mbr firmly in and awaited the next oppor tunity of helping his country and' his party.