| OCR Text |
Show Switching Prtmiri FRANCE and other emotional tate ihould note the utter placidity marking political transition of the ulmoal importance a practiced In England. Contemplating the European aitua-tlon aitua-tlon In general and the delicate laauea ariaing out of putative rebel bombing of British (hipping Incident to the Spanish trouble, changing premier In nreaent circumstance amount to nothing lea than changing horse In midstream. So, the retirement of Stanley Baldwin and tha oncoming assumption of the responsibility nf prim minister by Neville Chamberlain fail to disturb the empire which ha Just crowned a new monarch. Baldwin, after leaving school, entered the great Iron work of hia father and remained In total obscurity until hi father' death In 1908. The younger Baldwin ucceeded to hi fthera eat In parliament, at age 41, and wa In eeml-ebecurity eeml-ebecurity there until In UK Bonar Law mada him hia parliamentary private aecretary. The naxt vrar he waa mada financial aecretary of the treasury, the door leading to a cabinet post. Four year later he wa president nf the board of trade, gaining cabinet rank. A the Lloyd George coalition coali-tion wa breaking up a year later, Baldwin polished If off In hia first political speech of malor importance of record. In the following conservative cabinet he waa named a chancellor of the exchequer, waa sent to America to negotiate war debt ettlement Ever ttnee he haa felt tha (ting of hla defeat in effectuating it because of his unshskshle conviction convic-tion that "a Briton alway pay hi debt." To Americana, viewing hi long list of statesmanlike statesman-like achievement, thst he ha not been able to carve out a settlement plan beyond the "token payment" even that now abandoned remains aomething of a mystery. But In England ha ha been mystery to msny. "1 Mr. Baldwin the luckiest of Incompetent Incom-petent politiciane or the subtlest of competent statesmen?" wrote Wtckham Steed, but, with greater penetration. Professor Laskl observed that "Mr. Baldwin haa the Englishman' genlua for appearing an amateur in a gam In which. In fact, he is a superb professional." John Gunther, a foremost Journalist and political observer, saw the possibility 'that In time Baldwin would be looked back upon (J another Gladstone. And In the turbulent European Euro-pean acene the premier' adroit headship of the I government since succeeding Ramsay MacDonald f in 1933 abundantly establish that Gunther 1 ' true prophet Baldwin had been prima minister i twelve year before for a brief year, again between be-tween 182 and 1928. Solid, abber, ponderous, he succeeded because at all time the people reposed In him absolute trust Alway he ha seemed to plod to success, one of tho shrewdest of living politicians. Aa he retiree, possibly to become an earl, wherever he will be found ha. will remain 1 powerful force In British affair, even though I It be in the background. Of Neville Chamberlain, eon of tha great Joseph and brother of Austen, Gunther write: Hi qualification for tha job of chancellor of the exchequer era perfect He command the complete confidence of the plutocracy in tha j city; he ia aa orthodox j a bishop; ba abhor tha grandiose; he provide a facade of respectability ! for sluggish reaction; bo distrust idealism." ! With his recent succeu with hia mountainous i rearmament budget imposing a crushing tax burden, hia conviction that only powerful Britain can command European peace and with the respect and affection of a tremendous following, follow-ing, changing hone In midstream ahould hold no peril for the empire. Chamberlain ha been brought up In the tradition of muddling through. |
