GREAT STATESMAN PASSES.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17974, 20 March 1930, Page 5

GREAT STATESMAN PASSES.

MATH Of THE EARL OF BALFOUR.

LAST OF QUEEN VICTORIA’S MINISTERS.

WORLD-WIDE TRIBUTES TO HIS WORTH AND WORK

(United Press Association. —Electric Telegram.—Copyright.)

LONDON, March 19. The death has occurred of the Earl of Balfour, formerly Prime Minister of Britain and leader of the Conservative Party. Tile famous statesman, who had been living in retirement lor some lime, was in his 82nd year.

f GLOWING TRIBUTES. TO LATE EARL’S WORTH. WORLD-WIDE CONDOLENCE.

GREAT GRIEF IN PALESTINE. (Omcial Wireless.) (Received March 20, 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, 'March 19. j Tributes to the deceased Conserva- | live statesman from leading men of all parties are published in the pressAmong the Conservatives, Sir Austen Chamberlain declares that in 1 Lord Balfour the nation has lost the | finest mind that has been given to I politics in our generation. I Mr Winston •Churchill says Lord ! Balfour was the greatest member of j the House of Commons since Mr ) Gladstone. The earlier part of his i political work was intermingled with I party controversy, but his principal actions were natural and commanded tire gratitude of all Liberal and Labour members. Speaking of Lord Balfour’s charming personality, which endeared him even to the bitter Opposition, Mr J. R. Clyncs, Home Secretary, says: “I do not think Lord Balfour lias left a single enemy. He had the restraints of a philosophic mind, and, though subtle, was sincere in a higher degree than oilier men. He combined power with charm, and had an ability of mind rarely surpassed in the House of Commons.” .Messages have been received from a number of foreign Governments, conveying condolences. From Jerusalem it is staled grief over Lord Balfour’s death is perhaps nowhere more widespread and genuine Ilian in Palestine among the Jews, for whom the memory of Iho British statesman who signed his name to Hie British War Cabinet’s declaration, favouring a Jewish national home, will for ever remain green, no mailer how practical aspects of Zionism work out. The Jewish Agency and the Jewish National Council met to find a suitable form in which to express their sense of loss of Jewish people. ' Earl Balfour will be buried on his estate at Whittingharn in Scotland on Saturday, when a memorial service will also be held in Westminster Abbey. There now remain only two exPrime Ministers, Mr Lloyd George and Mr Stanley Baldwin.

Arthur James Balfour, first Earl was a grandson of Die second Marquess of Salisbury. Born in Scotland in 1818, lie was educated at Eton and Cambridge and entered Parliament at tlie age of 26 and was private secretary lo his uncle. Hie late Lord Salisbury. About 1880 lie became a member of what was known as Hie “ Fourth Parly,” hut it was not until Lord Salisbury became Pi’imc Minister in 1885 and made Me Balfour president of tlie Local Government Board,, that lie came to lie regarded as a serious politician. His rcpulalion was firmly established as Chief secretary for Ireland between 1887 and 1891. In J 892 Mr Balfour assumed the leadership of the Unionist Party in ihc House of Commons in 1892 and succeeded flic lale Lord Salisbury in Hie premiership in 1902, holding the post until (lie close of 1905. Mr Balfour did not. take any definite line in the Tariff Reform dispute in 1904-6. He lost bis seat at Manchester in- the 1900 election but represented the City of London for 16 years—from J9OG to 1922. Ho resigned from the leadership of the Unionist Party in November, 1911. On the formation in 1915 of a Coalition Government, Mr Balfour joined Hie Cabinet as First Lord of the Admiralty and on the formation of the, new ministry in December, 1916, he succeeded Lord Grey as foreign secretary. in the spring of 1917 he visited the United States to consult with the President and Government on steps of war co-operation and addresed Congress. His important work in the direction of Peace at the Washington Conference added still further to his reputation as a great statesman in 1922. He received a knighthood with the Order of the Garter in March, 1922 and was created an earl in April. The Order of Merit was conferred on him in June, 1916. Among the late Earl’s published works are “ A Defence of Philosophic Doubt,” 1879; “The Foundations of Belief," 1895 and at Cambridge in 1908 he delivered a much-discussed lecture on "Decadence.” “Opinions and Arguments ” was published in 1927. As Gifford Lecturer Lord Balfour spoke at Glasgow and Cambridge. He was Chancellor of Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities.

EARL’S LAST MOMENTS

ROYALTIES’ SYMPATHY. FAREWELL TO HIS VALET. Ur.itPrt Vrp<sr, Assr..—FTler. Tel.—‘'•oryrtzlil (Received (March 20, 9.5 a.m.) LONDON, March 19. Numerous tributes to the late Lord Balfour include the King’s message to his brother Gerald. “ Lord Balfour’s death will evoke throughout the Empire and from many parts of the world deep sorrow in which the Queen and myself fully share. It is a national loss of a great Statesman, the last of Queen Victoria’s Ministers. I shall treasure his memory as a lifelong friend, a great- charming personality and a wise and trusted counsellor.” Lord Balfour died at his brother’s residence, Woking, in a room overlooking the garden where he spent many happy hours. Before his death he ordered that the blinds should not be pulled down. He asked for his valet, James Coleman, with whom be shook hands says “ Good-bye, James, thank you very much for all you have done for me.” Mr Gerald Balfour succeeds to title by special remainder.

Balfour Declaration. The “ Balfour Declaration,” by which the British Government undertook to provide a “ national home ” for the Jews in Palestine was issued in November. After acting os second British plenipotentiary at the Paris Peace Conference lie handed over the Foreign Office to Curzon and became Lord President of the Council. In 1925 he visited Palestine, where he was warmly received, hut in Syria he met with hostility from the Arabs. His work for the Jews in Palestine was commemorated by the planting there of the “ Balfour Forest ” at a cost of £70,0000. At the age of 79 Balfour renounced his lifelong pastime of golf but still played tennis. He assumed the duties of the Dominion Office in addition to his other work during Mr L. S. Amery’s tour throughout Hie Empire. On his SOlh birthday over 300 members of all British political parties in Parliament presented him with a motor-car as a mark of esteem. The late Earl, who was a bachelor, is succeeded by his brother, Mr Gerald William Balfour, who married Betty, daughter of the first Earl of Lytton.

LATER.

PARLIAMENT ADJOURNS, PRIME MINISTER’S TRIBUTE. (Official Wireless.) (Received March 20, 11.30 a.m-) RUGBY, March 19. Both Houses of Parliament adjourned to-day as a mark of esteem for Earl Balfour’s memory, no business being done. In the House of Commons the Prime Minister said: "I am sure the whole House will grieve to know that Lord Balfour died this morning, and I feel perfectly certain LhaL the House would wisli to pay its respects to himself and to do homage to his memory by adjourning at once.”

He moved the adjournment, adding that to-morrow he would take steps so that expression might bo given to the tributes that all sides of the House would like to pay.

The Conservative Leader, Mr Stanley Baldwin, said ho was convinced that Lite Prime Minister had moved a resolution which would be in accord with the sympathy and sentiments of illo whole House. Sir Herbert Samuel, for the Liberals, associated himself with the motion.

The motion was put, and the House ■signified its assent by rising.