BRITAIN'S PRIME MINISTER.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15268, 3 May 1915, Page 10

BRITAIN'S PRIME MINISTER.

f SIR JOHN FRENCH AT WALMER. CASTLE.

The vitality and unvaried good health of tho Prime Minister are the admiration and, in friendly manner, the onvy of his colleagues in the Cabinet (writes Sir Henry Lucy in tho "Sydney Morning Herald")- Under the stupendous pressure of work and anxiety conserjuent on the outbreak of war his hair, which it' pleases him te wear at unusual length, has distinctly whitened. Otherwise Time treats him tenderly. One secret of his sustained good health is his habit of spending his week-ends in tho country. Working day and night for six days a, week, ho makes a point of leaving town on Saturday afternoon, returning in time for the inevitable Cabinet meeting on Monday, followed at short intervals by the necessity of his appearing in tho House of Commons. Last year he was accus- ! tomed to make holiday at the house of his brother-in-law, crested on a hill at Lympno, in Kent, overlooking Romney Marsh and the English Channel. This session he has made closer acquaintance .with the sea, spending the week-end at Walmer Castle, the official homo of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, an ancient office for ever associated with the names of Wellington and Palmerston. When Lord J3rassey resigned the Lord Wardenship and tenancy of the Ca-stlo, the Premier bestowed them upon Lord Beauchanip. He confesses that having made fuller acquaintance with the charms of the marine residence, he almost wishes ho had kept it far himself. But it is a costly place to keep up, and, like some of his predecessors in tho Premiership, Mr Asquith is not a wealtfy- man. Tho position .oF Walmer Castle is unique. At high water it stands sheer up from the sea, like the bulwarks of a mighty ship riding at anchor. The water is so deep that oceans _ liners hound for the Far East or starting on a voyage across the Atlantic pass the ramparts at such short distance that one walking upon them could throw v biscuit on board. Day after day an endless line of merchant ships passes by, homeward or outward bound. A| pretty strikingly significant incident happened the other day. The Prime Minister desiring to see the Commander of tho British Forces in "Flanders on a matter of business summoned him to. Walmer Castle. Pacing tho ramparts on Sunday morning there was spread beforo them this marvellous sight of British merchantmen going about their business as usual, just as if the greatest v. ar known to history were not raging ■ over the way almost within earshot of I the guns, the enemy being a naval Power second only to Great Britain. Struck afresh by the familiar scene., the Premier remarked to Sir John French, "This doesn't look like as if wo were at war, does it?' . Of all men in tho world Sir John French has good reason to know that we are at war. But. regarding the moving spectacle spread before his eyes, he was bound to admit the singularity.