LORD BIRKENHEAD.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 5 March 1927, Page 11

LORD BIRKENHEAD.

As. a barrister Lord Birkenhead often used ins wits to good advantage in an emergency. The story is told « his appearing ior an omnibus company, against whom damages were claimed for a youth, whose arm was said to be permanently disabled by an accident. •‘How high can you lilt your aim. Lord Birkenhead (then -Mr. .Smith) asked* the lad. With a show or gieat pain the lad raised hi.s arm to tne revel or his snoulcler •‘And how high could you raise it be.ore the accident:” T..e incautious claimant thrust his arm high up into the air, and lost his case. This is one or a number of interesting and amusing side-lights tlnown on tne life and character or irend Birkeneead, ex-B<>rd chancellor and now .secretary lor Altai a, in a new boo k, •’Lord xyirivenhead,” by Ephesian (published by Messrs Mil.s anu Loon, 10s 6u>. It is a clever study of a man whom its auti.or much admires. A wordy warfare once took place between r.ord Birkenhead ana Judge Willis. The judge was furious about some remaric made by Lord Birkennead. “Mr. Smith,” he said, ‘‘you remind me of a saving by Bacon, the gteat oacon; that .‘youth and discretion are ill-wedded companions.’ ” “You remind me,” replied Lord Birkenhead, ‘‘of u saying by Bacon, the great Bacon, that 'a mudi-talning Judge is line an iil-tuned cymbal.’ ” “You are otiensive, sir, cried the Judge. “v\e both are,” the counsel replied; “the difference is that I'm trying to be, and you can’t help it.” \Vnile at Oxford, J.ord Birkenhead had an experience at which he still chuckles, m order to help to pay his way he was in the habit of looking round for something to do during tne vacations. Tutoring was a means of .snpp.ementing his funds, and on one occasion he inserted an advertisement in a Scottish newspaper offering his services in this capacity. A week later he received a telegram addressed to “Smith, Watliiam College, Oxford,” ottering him a three weeks’ engagement- in the Isle of Skye, and requesting him to bring a suit of evening clothes. He was asked to telegraph his reply; In doing so the undergraduate accepted the engagement, agreed to bring dress clotnes, and ventured to inquire what the terms would be. The cryptic rep.y came-. “Usual teuns.” 'Lie fa.e to Scotland was a considerable item, but the future Lord Chancellor borrowed the money and arrived at the address. He was surprised to And it an hotel,’ the proprietor of which was his correspondent. The innkeeper asked him what experience he had had m waiting. Then the mystery was explained. The original telegram had been sent, not in reply to his advertisement, but to a college servant of the same name, who was accustomed to supplement his •wages ny acting -as a waiter at seaside hotels in the summer.

“The undergraduate,” says the author, “made the best of a bad. job, and spent three weeks in philosophic fishing.” In a. 914 Mr. F. E. Smith was earning £3O,C€O at the Bar. it is a pity that the brilliance and pugnacity of the Earl of Birkenhead hu e tended to afreet public appreciation of his greatness as a lawyer and a patriot. His work as AttorneyGeneral during the war was of inta.culable serv ice to the nation. His Law of Property Art. 1922, is one of the most brilliant pieces of codification e.er peiformed. And the shrewdest leral judges, not always friendly towards him as a politician, have declared him to be one of the greatest Lords Chancellor in English history. And all this at fifty-four! Who will say that the boy who rode the first ;icycle to be seen in the streets of Cairo has not the capacity to astonish us still more? Lord Birkenhead’s gieat-granclfather vvas a working miner and a boxing champion, his grandfather was a rend uent, and his father was a private in cho armv who rose to the rank of sergeant-major, and eventually became \ barrister.