SIR H. CAMPBELL BANNERMAN

Hokitika Guardian, 7 December 1923, Page 4

SIR H. CAMPBELL BANNERMAN

A (.HA l NT TALE OF is IN:; EDWARD. LONDON, Oct. -W My .1. A. Spender’s "Life of the ID. lion Sir Henry Campbell-diniiiiernian is important for those who arc interested in the internal conflicts which proceeded in the Liberal Party between IS and I'.'))*’. As Prime .Minister Sir Henry only held office for a little over two years, and left no very permanent mark mi the history of his country oilier than ],js grant of self-government to 1 he liner States and his decision Lo support France in HKUi. which may he said (n have led directly up to the Great War. Ihii he is remembered by those who knew him a> a kindly, sincere, hone-t man with a fund ol ■■pnwl;\ humour, lie had no ixacc.m at ted idea of hi - own virtues; he was indeed Angularly humble in mind. ( >n hi-, dentll-hed he said In an oh! friend: “If people should -ay ol me that I tric'd to go straight there is perhaps no credit to me ill that. It may have ho ml lucre indolent e. I he straight road lias always seemed to me the easiest.” ills father and his hrntinr uviv str eg Ceil t at iiv, v h r. bo always I,aul to the Radical side. II” was chosen l":a!cr of the I dimal Party in I lie House ol Ciuniuc : 1 - in I ■! 1) as i hr m-nil of an amusing p isicard eomp. tii i:m in Tim Daily Mail- a fact which Air Snendcr does not notice ficiaose h ■ uie- rich, ho.- pi tali!*', moderate. and pels.ui.illy popular. I hei•• wo’ * no ' better dinner • o, kin lor host and ho-dc-ss than at fb Gro v. nm'-jd iee (where he lived for many year. . ; hi poluical life). Bur his own (.Hit- v• re carefully ahsi,.minus, ami la- used in that his mineral water bill east him far more than all ti.e wine he drank in the year. lie proved himself a inosl competent mlminislr \tnr ia middle I'jy: I le positively e mill'd I lie repili at iote! being belnM the average , j front'. I" Poll intelligence, and u-e 1 In 'ell v it h a chuckle how. one : I ternn: ii in G e Lobby, he found himseli in a group el three men who were di-eii-'ing ill" mv Chief Secretar.x (for Ireland, an "Hi. • which he had just accepted), and " In !•( v ho la; pp. lie.! not to kimw V • . !.,. : 1“ ills), d ol (he sub.iei i ■l.v in.-. ■ V Hi o’ eot ■ ev. rybed." ••• in ■ agrmd lh,n m . * ■ uflicigm :v doll in mi.” AII-V or crille do. lan d "that lie Was trying to govern Ireland with Scot eh .idle s.” He was really no dullard : he had received the be-i «■< I ( i< ill ihul Scotland and England e nd • gice; and. unlike iiiosi slate ' l ll < ii oi his pe riod, he had t ravelled widely ami spoke several 1 11 reigij languages will; ease. lie had a curious and Intiiaa’ • knowledge oi lmeij.il csiiintric- which made him iu eMcr days one of the utosl European ol Hriiish public nu n. ■M ove all. in hi' early youth lie had in lu.s ow n words i ocmne "em hauled with !■'ranee." There is a cnriou- story oi' the fxK.'iis.., whom (,)i!eeii Vi'-ieiia in I'Pd. when Sir Henry was Secretarv for Mar, made limiorary < 'oloiiel-iu-t hit i oi the Ist Roved Dragoons, without waiting for Sir Henry's advice: Flu' Emperor was givallv delighted and telegraphed a> once to llie regime nt which i ill then had I'c arcl notiiing ol the distinguished honour tihouf to he ceiltc’iTi cl on it. . . . The affuir had its s-equei in August of the following year when iho Emperor (-ame (e, risii the (,»:i«’t‘ ll at Osborne and foiinn

to liis disappointment that the regiment was not there io greet him. . . .

The sad truth (which hail to be concealed) was that everybody had forgotten about the Colonel-in-Chief. The fact is also disclosed that William I! had desired m he Colonel of a Highland regiment. . . The comment of a distinguished Scotsman was: "The idea of William as a Highland Coloic! i,~i siillioiontly comic in itself, hut it is rendered inexpressibly so by the tact that he has forbidden the kilt to appear at his Court'halls as an improper costume.

He was a great lover of good stories, hill those which -Mr Spender gives are very few indeed. There is one of a discussion at Marienbad, between himself and King ivhvard, whose intimate trend he was. told by Mr Higgs, one of i»js secret lil ies ; I showed him an illustrated paper with a sketih id King Kdtvnrd talking very earnestly and striking hi-, hand in hi- palm while C. 15. listened grave lv. The picture bore the title. "Is it iVaec or War;"" and a note explained that Austrian nublie opinion believed the r;iiestion under discussion was whether llrit.iin and llnlgaria would join hands in the next llalkan war. He looked at the paper ipii/./.iugly, and said solemnly. "Would you like to know what the King was saying to me)" ! said I should. "He wanted to have my opinion whether halibui is better baked or hoik d:" One of Sir Henry's few sayings noted concerns chess: ••('lie:... my dear lelloW." he said, "is not a o:m • bin a di-ca.e! When ! -■■■.• pcojik- with I hell- eyes 'draining foi I up miiiiife.s together, staring at a board with every symptom of acute mental disires-. I can only pity them.’’ That so much of the book should be roiiceriied with political controversies which have 10-i their interest i- the misfortune ol ihe siilijei i . not thcTaiilt of 1 lie author. I’m Mr Spender does not bring out clearlv enough two mill n k y result, of Sir Henry’s speeches and policy. Ilis insistence upon di - armament caused friction with Her many and was among I lie deeper can.es of the Croat War. His pahey in Ireland substituted nmuviiy and regress for order and rapid progress.