The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1910. THE INDIA OFFICE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 255, 4 November 1910, Page 4

The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1910. THE INDIA OFFICE.

— . I So far there is no confirmation of i the report that Lord Morley of Black- ' burn is to retire from the India Office, and that he will be succeeded by Lord Crewe; but where there is smoke there is generally fire. Lord Morley has ; had a: long and honorable public! career, and has served his fellow-counti-ymeri in many and various positions. A brilliant journalist—his editing of the Pall Mall Gazette was I particularly noteworthy—he was also ran author of considerable reputation before he chose to leave the comparatively calm and peaceful field of literature for the stormy world of politics. When he entered politics many were the predictions of failure, for it was held, quite erroneously as it has been proved, that he was altogether too theoretical in his views and didactic in his speeches to make any., signal and lasting success at West- • minster. These pessimistic anticipations have, however, been fully falsified by time. He took upon himself, in 1905, when the Campbell-Bannei-- . man Ministry assumed office, the i onerous duties of Secretary of State ' for India. Tory journals scoffed at the appointment, and pi'edicted that, . being so deeply imbued with j humanitarian ideas^ he would speedily ; be in trouble. But Lord Morley rose ; to the occasion, and his career at the India Office has been one long series . of personal triumphs in the House. The humanitarian proved on more than one famous occasion that he was possessed of a very strong will,^ and although some of his old friends amongst the Radical doctrinaires grieved over certain of his actions with regard to the suppression of Indian disloyalty and sedition, recent events have proved that, so far from being too harsh, the Minister erred, if anything, in quite another direction. Lord Morley is three years over . the allotted three score years and ten, and no doubt finds the work attached to his position too trying for a man of his age. If the rumor of his coming retirement be confirmed the Asquith

| Government will sustain a very severe loss. Lord Crevve, who, it is stated, is to succeed Lord Morley at the India j Office, is a • son of the" first Lord Houghton. His wife is the youngest daughter of Lord Rosebery. Lord Crewe, who was born in 1863, has had a long experience of political and official life, but the India Office demands special qualifications which some people may consider are hardly possessed by the Peer in question. However, it is always possible that, like Lord Morley, he may acquit himself more ably in the position than was expected. It is to be hoped that this may prove to be the case, for there was probably never a time since i India first came under British rule ; when a firm and able administrator was more required at the India Office. ' '