LORD HALIFAX AND HIS CAREER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 61, 4 December 1937, Page 3

LORD HALIFAX AND HIS CAREER

Firmly-Rooted Englishman and Diplomat "GOD'S GOOD MAN" ln cammenting on the visit of Lord Halifax to Germany in his article in the Allegineine Zeitung, ' ' From Haldane to Halifax, ' ' Dr. Silex appears to have quoted Lord Haldane 's saying: ' ' Germany is my spiritual honie," adding: "It seems partieularly useful that in Lord Halifax a firmly-rooted Englishnian is eoming, and one who has his spiritual home in his own country " (writes the Ven. W. Ashley-Brown, Archdeacon of Bombay, in the Sydney Morning Herald.) Lord Halifax is a Yorkshire squira who loves that very soil of England which has produced his kind. When aa Vieeroy of India (1926-1931), he filled with honour the most responsible and the most glittering post under tlie Grown, foreign visitors to his Court at Delhi were amazed that Lord Irwin (aa he then was) was looking forward to his return to his county so that he might take over the mastership of the fox-hounds. Sueh is the Englisnness of Lord Halifax! In a little book, "TL.u Great Opportunity," which he as Major, the JtLon. Edward "Wood, M.B., published with Captain George Lloyd (no*» Lord Lloyd) at the end of tne war we read; "The outbreak of the war resfcored to its rigktful place the forgotten doctrine of national unity and securtty . . . . no appeai couid really expect to win permanent results that was not the outcome of a passionate belier in a coherent faith." Here we have the secret of the power of Lord Halifax. His invincible patritism is wedded to a passionate beliof in a coherent faith. Mr Gandhi described him as "that long, lean Christian." Lord Halifax is a deeply spiritual man. In India, where the most scathing axpression of contempt is "A man without a religion," the sincerity and earnestness of their Vieeroy 's religiun went deep to the hearts of 300,000,000 people. Lord Irwin'e ship was due to land him in Bombay on Good Friday, 1926. Great preparations were being made to give him a great public welcome, foilowed by a ceremonial progress throngh the streets of the city. But India wavt thrilled to learn that the new Vicerov preferred to land quietly and attend "the three hours' service" of Good Friday in Bombay Cathedral. Of coursa its effect on the people of India was the last thing he would think of. But it gave the new Vieeroy a splendid start as ruler over a people of whom the things of the spirit mean most of all, and who have never been unduly impressed by either the power or the materialism of the West. In course of time Mahatma Gandhi himself was won by the sincerity, spirituality and charui of the great Vieeroy. With these gifts added to his strength and wisdom Lord Halifax, just at that difficult period of Indian political development, succeeded where, most of our best statesmen have failed. He was known in his ofiicial entourage as "God's good man. Like his fath'er Lord Halifax is a high Churchman. The late Lord Halifax was the famous oetogenarian lay-leader ■ of the Anglo-Catholic school of thought, who met Cardinal Mercier in the Matnes conversations. In his early manhiod he was chosen to be a member of the household of Edward VHj bnt he gave up his public career in the State to serve the Chureh in the difficult years of development after the Oxford move>ment began to grow. We are fortunate in having as a representative just returned from Germany this former pro-Consul of Empiro, country gentleman, patriot, statesmar, and sportsman.