"Delane of "The Times'."

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15513, 14 February 1916, Page 6

"Delane of "The Times'."

It i.s highly significant of tho part that journalism has played in tho evolution of modern England that the first volume of Constable's new series of "Makers of tho Nineteenth Cen- " tury" should be devoted to, the man who holds a placc apart in tho memory of England as perpetual dean of the craft of editors. But that is by no means the chief reason which will make readers turn eagerly to Sir Edward Cook's now volume of biography. Under t'n' sway of Delane, which lasted from IS4I, when at the age of 23 he succeeded Thomas Barnes as editor, to 1577, when worn out with the strenuous labour' of his crowded years of editorial life, he retired to enjoy a too brief space of unaccustomed leisure, "The Times" claimed, and claimed with reason, to bo the voice of England. Those were years full of incident, and thick with controversy, and probably no man then living contributed more to shaping events, or was the object of more unmeasured praise and blame than Delano. It was inevitable that it should be so. For the characteristic noto of the man, who ill liis Oxford days

•• rode harder than lie read," was boldness. Prompt decision and vigorous action with liim went hand in hand, and, holding always in view what lie took to bo the best interests of the nation as a whole, oncc lie had made up his mind what was the right course ill given circumstances to pursue, he pursued it through thick and thin without fear or favour. In the early days of his control of the great newspaper, he came in collision with the French Government over the Eastern mail service. His couriers from Marseilles were unduly delayed. "Without hesitation Le cut the knot of the difficulty by organising a spccial service from Suez to Trieste, and bv beatft iug the regular mail by no less than 14 days forced the French authorities to terms. That was a coup tKat cost money, but Delane could rely on loyal backing from the Mr Walter of the day, who had the wit to know a good man when lie saw him, and the will and the 'wherewithal to see hini through. But not only was he fortu-

nate in receiving loyal support, and gifted with the knack of happy improvisation ; ho had a talent, amounting to cenius, for getting early and ex-

ciusn o knowledge of the great movements of the hour. Everyone knows how !k> startled the world by anticipating Perl's announcement of his Corn j Law Repeal policy. But it was reI served for Sir Edward Cooke to tell us that lie gained bis information, not through the doubtful channel suggested in "Diana of tbe C'rosswr.ys," but direct from l.ord -Aberdeen. Hi.- hid, toe, a metis providn futuri. that gift of intelligent prescience essential to great statesmanship. This was nowhere more clearly manifested than in his attitude to Prussia. As far back as 1860 ''The Time>" laid down in the frankest terms the unassailable position .that "tbe ways o? ''Prussia are not our ways, and we "will not follow an inch on the '■ road of despotism." The denunciation of arrogant divine right claims advanced by the heir to tho Prussian throno in tho following year was prompt, and explicit. It was indeed j so explicit tha.t it caused a flutter in tho diplomatic and Ministerial dovecot-., :md oven led to the indirect intervention of the Queen. For the Powers that were in the early sixties, thanks in pant to the influence being exercised by the Prince Consort, were a.s meticulously careful of Prussian susceptibilities as was Lord Haldane, for example, a.s lately as two years ago, and it took a man of courage and independent mind to think along other and less fashionable lines. It is true, unfortunately, -that when Prussia began her ominous course of aggression in the Danish "War of 1864, Delano, after unwonted hesitation, supported the policy of non-intervention—a policy held by many to be largely responsible for the calamities wo are enduring today. But there were wheels within wheels, and tho interesting suggestion is made by Dean AA'ace. one of Delane's most famous leader-writers, in a recent exhaustive review of Sir Edward Cook's monograph, that he was mainlv influenced in the course ho took by the knowledge that England was totally unprepared for war. AYe have reserved for the close of this article the episode in Delano's life of most immediate interest in the circumstances of to-day. AA'e refer, of course, to tho part played by "The "Times" in the Crimean crisis, a part which presents many close analogies to the nmcli-debated activities of the same journal in tho present war. Headers of Kinglake will recall the eloquent passages in which he discusses newspaper ethics in relation to the war correspondence of tho great I)r. Russell, and the energy with which he presses home tho charge that by the wide publicity ho gave to famous letters, Delane embarrassed Ministers and Commander-in-Chief alike, and by imparting military secrets to the enemy gravely imperilled the safety of the scanty British forces maintaining a precarious hold on the Peninsula. As presented by Kinglake, the indictment is utterly damning. But there are two sides to every question, and while it would bo folly to contend that the course talc'en by Delane was wholly justifiable, Sir Edward Cook lias little difficulty in making out a very strong case for tho defence. He is able to call on behalf ot the value of Delane's services tho reasoned and exnert testimony of so high an authority as Sir Evelvn "Wood, and he makes it clear that the appeal to' the nation, if at times expressed in exaggerated terms, and with regrettable lack of consideration for individuals, was made after, and not before, his appeal both public and private to ithe Ministry had failed in effect. Nor was Delane ever merely critical. " Ho was a pioneer in the journalism "which docs things as well as says " things," writes Sir Edward in a passage so cogent that wo quote it in cxtenso. " 'The Times' organised a " fund for providing comforts i'cr the "sick and wounded. Mr Macdonald, '• a, member of 'The Times' staff, was "sent out to superintend its distribu- " tion, ai.d Lord Sydney God'olphin. " Osborne volunteered h'is services in " the same "cause. How greatly " Delaue's fund contributed to tho " success of Miss Nightingale's work " has been told elsewhere"—in Sir Edward Cook's exhaustive biography of J that great lady. "According to the "official view, 'nothing was needed,' " and Lord Stratford suggested that " 'The Times' should devoto its fund "to an English church at Per a. In " fact, it was soon found to be needed, I

" for the supply of linen, utensils,. " clothing, and various hospital com- " forts. There was a liko miscalcula- " tion at the War Office." Readers of. Ivinglake will remember the lack of co-ordination in the departments of that then chaotic institution, and the singular suppression of General Airey's numerous requisitions for things essential to the well-being of the army in the field. "The Ihikc of Newcastle " listened to Delano's private representations. but heeded them not. ■ " When Delano spoke out, he sjxjko "not as a mere journalist catering for "curious appetites, but as a ' public ' man more than ever convinced that " the best, perhaps the only, cure for •' incompetence and mismanagement wij "publicity. To apply a remedy, to " form a sound judgment, it was "necessary, iie hold, to let the facts "be generally known. Ho acted rc- " morselessly, and sometimes unwisely, "on this prescription. The. Crimean " war belongs to the period of the " Whig oligarchy, when the govern- " ing class required a good deal of "battering to move them. Delano's "diatribes were at any rate aimed at " definite, attainable objects, and they " were attained. He wanted to see " greater vigour infused into the eom- •• mand at the front. He held that

•' defects in organisation and resource "which the earlier stages of the war " had disclosed, could best be remedied " by some change oi the personnel at " home. . Russell's letters, with the '• conclusions Delano drew from them, did in fact destroy a Ministry, and

"thereby impart n---.v vigour to the "conduct of a war.''