Show Farm Boy Is Prime I Story Minister Story of Ramsay MacDonald BY MILTON BRONNER NEA Service Staff Correspondent T KT f To T- T 1 the L r i I L- L LCT CT L LONDON ONDON To be first Socialist Labor prime min min- mister inister of Great Britain would of itself be enough to give James Ramsay Macdonald a sure place in the his his- history history history tory of his country But he has other th r things too t that IA ss yr I Im m i v ii L i MACDONALD make him mm unique unique in in the thelong thelong thelong long line of British pre pre- premiers premiers premiers miers He is the first chief of- of officer of officer of the crown sprung from a family of humble farm laborers He is the poorest man who has ever held the of- of office office of office fice I He is the first teetotaler er- er r r who wh d the office oHice He has traveled to and studied on the spot more portions of the British Empire than any prime minister in history So it will be gathered that a very interesting very human figure has suddenly emerged mert d Into the tho th full tull blaze of ot publicity and attentIon over here her Macdonald's career I Is something som like that of ot our own presidents He had no royal road to prefer preter- preferment preferment ment His HI parents parent had to work hard for tor or a Ih living and the th boy had to take tak hi his share shar of ot the th hardships hardship At 12 he h knew what It was to labor on the th poor tony stony tony soil soli ot of ota ofa ofa a Scotch farm tarm But he h had all the Intense desire desir of ot the th Scot for tor learning and the th Intense Intene firm will willot ot of the th Scot to obtain It It He H got cot out of ot the th tree free fr schools ot of where he h was born fT 61 years yar ago aro all the book knowledge available a to him bins He burned d the th candle at night De- De Detore Before B for tore fore ho he h attained his hi majority he blossomed bloomed out as a a typical young Scotch school teacher Re He H had left the th plough and ond the th cythe be- be behind be behind hind him and placed his foot toot on the first runG rune of ot the th ladder ladd r that led THEN HE lIE ENTERS POLITICS He H fell fall under the th notice of ot Tom Lough a well known Liberal member ot of o Parliament and wee wa appointed his hi secretary As Aa such he CAme cam Into touch with lifo lito and anti began ban to study national questions The Th more mor he herad red read the th more mor he h became cam con con- conI convinced con vinced d the th two old ld political parties I carried no message messac of ot hope hop and advancement to the workman ot of Great Britain He H Joined the th La- La Labor Labor La-i La bor party and became a a con con- convinced con convinced vinced 1 Socialist In 1900 HOO he h was wa made mad secretary of f the th Labor party a position he hold held for tor 11 years yar In the th moan mean m an time also an organization known as S the th Independent Labor party party In British politics as a the th I L P wae P wai formed and Macdonald Mcdonald was wa made mad Its It chair chair- chairman chairman chairman man from 1906 1806 to 1909 1 09 inclusive lve Ho He was made mad the th leAder I adr of ot the Labor party from 1111 1911 to 1914 At Atthe Atthe the same am time tim his hi life had been full tull In other ways way An able writer a student of ot economics he h had written a regu- regu regular regular ru-lar ru lar library of ot books boks on socialism among others other being Socialism and SocIety Labor and a d th EmpIre Bin Bm- pits pIre lr Socialism and Govern Govern- Government Government ment The Th l Movement He also alo wrote two twi books on In- In Indie In India dilL die and Its It problems lie He H WILl was elected to Parliament from the city of ot LeIcester In 1906 1904 and represented It for 12 11 1 years year Just Tun before the th treat great war broke broko out he h showed the th stuff of f which he was wa made mad when he h took his political life lit In his hll hi hands hand and op- op opposed opposed p posed the th currents curr nt which were rapidly taking his country Into Inti the th war He H championed cham peace pace p c by tie tie- n STOOD FAST FACT DURING WAn WAIt Howled at In some som public meet meet- Ini logs denounced nunc l In some of ot the newspaper vituperated by hy dem- dem dem mk- mk he h held serenely to t his course It was ti to to cost him his hi seat at t end and netted him blew two defeat feats the th word having been ben pinned to him lIe H broke brok the th hoodoo about a year ago aro when he h was wa elected from a Wish Welsh constituency and aid trl tri tri- 0 Continued l p Paro Pae Two ci MACDONALD WAS POOR BOY Continued From One re-elected re on Doc S G last Upon his reappearance In Parliament about e a a 5 ear e r ago hewa he wa was malle macia the leader lealler of hi his party which made him the formal load lead loader er Cr of His His M Majesty's jesty Opposition A great event vent In the of this man was sac his hie marriage to Mar Mar- Margaret Mar Margaret garet Ethel Gladstone daughter of Dr J 3 H K Gladstone and a 11 kins kinswoman woman of the famous prIm prime min minister ister Iter A cultured woman of ot the tho orld a student of men and event she he too wrote books bools about the labor mo ement a as asit asIt It applied to women Tho Theirs was wasa wasa a 0 lovo love romance broken oft off only In 1911 1511 when hen she died The Tho be- be berea rea bo-rea teased rea ed cd husband wrote a e 1 beautiful and moving biography of hits hia wife MACDONALD HAS RAS LIITLE In hiI his busy life Macdonald has hs had neither time nor opportunity to make mako much mone money He lie ti t the kin kind of man who really t care for It Neither Lloyd George nor H II II Asquith are ore rich mono men monbut but they are comfortably well bell off compared to him and ox r and the late lionar Bonor Law were wre rich by comparison Macdonald lives In e a plain little home out In the sec eec sec section tion Uon of London He lie also aloo owns a small emall farmhouse type of home homo at athis athis athis his birthplace Scot Scot- Scotland Scotland land Iii Ills Ule aia a e of almott spartan simplicity He Tie dOMn docen doe n t drink liquori liquor st It i all 11 Ii He I Is o D smoker non cy ey ept pt In time times timo of great cut tet at strum reo when o h he Is 10 sometimes seen n to putt at a cige et et lie He i lu Is no a gourmand nd Pla Pia n Sc tore faro In Is to bo be found on oa his tabie His Ills favorite amusements are golf olf 11 as one would expect of a aScot aScot Scot and walking Accompanied by one of Isis his sons ons h he love loves lovu to take long tramp tramps His Mis iii Indoor amusement Is reading Ito Ho HoIs HoIs Is surrounded by book They lire are a y hero In the hotrie hou e He lie th 1 reads and Preach and anil 1 eo en knows the best of two or He Ho I Is harming and anil 1 in conversation aM be Is 18 a clean talker because he lie Is a clean e think think- cr LIKE IN Lt WAYS For some years year bo lie made mado a 0 living b reviewing now new books From t nt lt he be got a trick that that had had that of ot getting all aD the best bost bosto t B 1 read read- pl rapid o Out ut of a book bool In a very r Ing tag by knowing how to skip the tho une thoI I One of ot his hll old friends told mil me mihe he also 0 had lad a Napoleonic gift The famous emperor had devoted friends In ln every company In irs every of regiment ot of his hIe armies his marvelous memory for tor names and faces facos He to would step tep up to toa toa II a line of grenadiers and pat some man on the shoulder ly reminding him of o Borne some deed lie ho had done that bad fallen alien under his emperors emperor's eye ye So Macdonald hlll the tho trick of remembering good political work that simple ato members of the party organization organization or- or have don done Supplementing his rending reading ho he hoh h has also aleo traveled widely He Us has been to India Au Australia New Zealand Zea- Zea Zea Zealand land South Africa and e as nell ell as almost every VT country In Europe He has haa never been on American soil eoll At No 10 Downing Street the famous old house houe Inhabited hy by British premiers the hostess ho a ho will preside over whatever social functions are given will be his el old old- eld eldest 1 est daughter loti Miss He lIe has two other daughters and two eons so that No 10 have havo IMro oung folks living In It than ha hao hac c ben been there since olnee the tho moved moved ed out o 00 |