ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 12964, 29 May 1908, Page 1

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

[Fbom Oub Own Coerespokdsni.] LONDON, April 16. THE ARMY'S GRAND OLD MAN. General Booth entered his eightieth year this week, and the occasion was celebrated by a great gathering of Salvationists and other friends in the Queen's Hall. The " General" was received with tremendous enthusiasm, and he spoke for more than an hour and a-half without flagging. Hef'said tliat he felt as young as he did ten years ago, and he was able to do as much work or a little more. As for his soul, it was still on the old foundation. After referring warmly to the quality of his officers and soldiers, the "General" went on to illustrate their work by statistics of the past week. In those seven days they had preached salvation in thirty-two languages in fifty-two countries, liad held 46,000 meetings in their own halls aud 30,000 outdoors, with a total attendance of about 3.400,000; and had reached other 500,000 people by visiting. I,i seven davs about 5,600 people had knelt at the me'rev seat, including a hundred drunkards. The Salvation Army's night marches aud other methods were now bein>' imitated up- and down the world, aud lie would rejoice, if they were followed hy the tramc glorious results. After describing the social ajid rescue operations, and saying they would continue the Christian-like work of feeding the hungry in London streots, despite the objections of some :n high places, the " General" said that he had made up his mind to live as long as he could, but the same telegram that announced his death would proclaim his successor. He believed the Salvation Army would last as long as the sun and moon endured. It wits learning all the the time, and it believed in self-improvement. It was always crippled —that was, prevented from extending as it ought—by lack of money; and ho was against going into debt. "The members of the Army gave largely out of their poverty, but they must have a little assistance if they were to l>e the mighty, aggressive force they ought to lie. He was said to have received £IOO.OOO for small holdings; but it was only a loan, and he had to pay it back. The training institutions alone cost £20,000 a year. They wanted help also for the work in the 6hims, and among the multitude's of famine-stricken districts in India, um> He appeared not onlv to outsiders, but to Salvationists themselves, and not only for support of that kind, but for the more red-hot religion, to rill the world with a knowledge of the wonderful salvation of God. ,\ T EW BLOOD AT DOWNING STREET. The "promotion of Lord Crewe to the Secretaryship of the Colonies, vice Lord iilgin, who finds no place in Mr Asquith's list Cabinet, has occasioned no surprise in political circles here, and on all hands it seems to be agreed that the appointment is an excellent one. No member of Sir Henry Canipbell-Bannennan's Government has done better than he in either House. The powers he displayed in his conduct of Mr Bin-ell's Education Bill through the House of Lords astonished most men. His ability as a speaker is only equalled by his uniform tact and his unfailing courtesy. Lord Rosebery, his father-in-law, well described one of the characteristics of his oratory when he likened it to "the airy grace of a butterfly," and at the same time drew attention to the difficulties of the position he has occasionally occupied as spokesman of a Liberal Government in a Conservative House .when he added " but a butterfly with a pin through it." Whether Lord Crewe's administrative powers equal his skill in debate time will show. Lord Crewe shares with his father, Monckton Milnes. the first Lord Houghton, the rare distinction of being both a poet and a politician. But while the father, was best known as a man of letters, in the son the author is overshadowed by the political leader. Load Crewe's rise as a politician has not been so rapid. Mr Gladstone recognised his abilities by appointing him in 1892 to the Lord Lieutenancy of Ireland. He was rewarded for his services with an earldom. But so little were his parliamentary; gifts appreciated that when he became Lord President of the. Council in Sir Henry Camp-bell-Bannerman's Government the appointment was hotly resented bv some of the Radical and Labor members. They denounced the office as a sinecure, and an attempt was made in the House of Commons early in 1906 to strike Lord Crewe's salary off the Estimates. JTot long afterwards he was able to show hovr foolish and illlnformed had been his detractors by the skill with which, almost single-handed he defended Mr Birrell's Education Bill during the long contest in the Lords against the attacks of some of the ablest debaters of the day. Lord Crewe has since been a frequent speaker both in Parliament and on the public platform, showing often a lively sense of humor and a. gift of repartee which loses little of its effect, even though his delivery is somewhat slow and hesitating There is about many of his utterances the pleasing literary flavor that might be; expected of the author of.'Stray Verses,' arid the personal friend of Tennyson aud Browning. Lord Crewe's fh-st wife, who was a daughter of Sir Frederick Graham and a granddaughter of the twelfth Duke of Somerset, died in 1887. In 1899 he married Ladv Margaret Primrose, youngest daughter of Lord Rosebery. He is in his fifty-first year. LyjdCtevres henchman, and Mr WinstonLhurchid s successor in the Under-Secre-taryship, is a very young politician. Wher

Colonel Seely -was first, elected to Parliament he was captaining a troop of Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa. This was in May, 1900, on Sir Richard Webster's elevation to the Peerage. The constituency that selected him in his absence was. the Isle of Wight, of which lie -was a well-known resident. One of his claims to popularity was that lie was a the Brooke lifeboat crew. As such he received a gold medal from the French Governnwot in 1891 for taking part in the rescue of a shipwrecked French crew. When, he came home from the war with the rank of major and the D.S.O. he found himself out of harmorjy with the Unionist party on one point after another. He finally broke with it on the fiscal question, and' crossed the floor of the House at about the same time as Mr Winston Churchill. He resigned his seat for the Isle of Wight, but, standing again, was re-elected unopposed, it being understood at the time that he would seek a constituency elsewhere at the General Election. He found' one in the Abercromby Division of Liverpool, where he defeated the former Unionist member by 199 votes. In the present Parliament he lias been insistent in his demand for the cutting down of the Army, and (this should gain him some sympathy in the colonies) has also shown the strongest objection to the retention of the Chinese coolies in South Africa. He long ago convinced the House of the sincerity of the political convictions that brought about his change of side. Some of his friends think him at times a little too outspoken and fearless in his utterances, especially when they are unfavorable to his leader. Colonel Seely is the youngest son of Sir Charles Seely,'formerly* member for Nottingham, and is not yet fortv. He went to Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge, and Das been called to the Bar. Mrs Seely, who was largely instrumental in securing the election of her husband for the Isle of Wight during Ids absence at the front, is a daughter of Colonel the Hon. H. G. L. Crichton.