EARL BALFOUR

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 626, 1 April 1929, Page 14

EARL BALFOUR

“AN EXTRAORDINARY MAN”

AMBASSADOR'S APPRECIATION

One of the happiest of all Viscount D'Aberuon’s sketches of great men in the World War, in the famous ambassador’s diary, is this appreciation of Earl Balfour, the veteran British statesman and philosopher: “His general theory of life appeared to be that happiness is close to us, in freedom from bondage to imagined good, and in emancipation from the things, of sense. No one less than he sought happiness in regions where happiness is not to be found. The completeness of his original survey was such that no argument produced by an opponent could impress by its novelty. As regards an alleged want of conviction, the reality of belief was much stronger than the superficial appearance. There were profound convictions on a limited number of subjects, and these were proof against the assaults of time or argument. Admittedly, fundamental convictions were few in number, but even outside these Balfour Svas tenacious rather than chargeable. With such rapidity of mind, this was unexpected. While he might admit the force of arguments against his own view, he did not change his opinion, partly because he vras never at a loss for counter-arguments to strengthen his original position. In discussion, one was Indeed constantly reminded of a fort surrounded hy barbed wire—a fort, moreover, where reserve troops were always ready to succour any threatened point in the defence. Ingenious Argument “For many of his contemporaries the problem about Balfour was to discover the inside man. What did he really think? What did he really feel? Was his judgment as sound as his arguments were ingenious? Was he himself convinced by his owd arguments? Was there an instinctive subconscious mind which reached conclusions independently of dialectic or ratiocination? Was the extreme delicacy of his apparent attitude really a reflection of his inner being, or merely a superficial cloak which covered a more robust or coarser self? All these are problems which have remained insoluble during his life, and will probably remain Insoluble for posterity. For even his most intimate diary—if such exists —will only extend and strengthen tile defence against indiscreet prying into the soul’s sanctuary.

“The picture I have draw*n of this extraordinary man will be incomplete and erroneous if it has not suggested a mind of the highest quality, an attitude toward life attained only by the truly philosophic, a charm, both for men of taste and women of refinement, which has rarely been equalled or approached. Like Dion Chrysostom, he held that detachment of spirit can be attained without withdrawing from the mundane arena and the clatter of political life. And his whole career proves that what he held as a philosopher he could practise as a politician.”