MARQUIS CURZON DEAD

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12093, 21 March 1925, Page 5

MARQUIS CURZON DEAD

BRITISH ELDER STATESMAN DEATH FOLLOWS SEVERE OPERATION TEN DAYS AGO. LAST SPEECH ON SINGAPORE. By Telegra-ph.—Preen Assn. — Reuter's Telegram. (Received March 20, 8.45 p.m.) LONDON, March 20. Marquis Curzon of Kedleston, who was Leader of the House of Lords, and Lord President ot the Council, is dead. He was seized with a sudden indisposition at the University of Cambridge on March 4th, when dressing for a dinner at which he intended to deliver an address dealing with uni-• versity faculties all over the world. On ' March 9th he underwent a severe operation, from which he was recovering when lung trouble intervened, and caused his death. Earlier in the day on which he collapsed Mnrquis Curzon spoke in the House of Lords in a debate on the Singapore Base. He emphasised Britain’s obligation to protect Ceylon,. Singapore, and Hongkong in the event of a war which would expose the dominions to attack. He was 66 years of age. A DISTINGUISHED ADMINISTRA-) TOR. j Ever since the bright, hut impertin-i ent schoolboy wrote . the doggered,! “George Nathaniel Curzon, a most superior person,” Marquis Curzon ot Kedleston has retained the distinction; of superiority over his fellows. Ai benevolent fairy presided at his birthl 65 years ago. He began with a rare j equipment for a brilliant career in i public life. Seldom he failed as a / youthful scholar to eclipse all his rivals j in the race for honours. He was chiefly interested in political subjects,, and his contemporaries 6aid he carried himself as if conscious of the fact that he would one day do Prime Minister. After a distinguished college career he entered the House of Commons in 1885, as member for South Derbyshire. He immediately became assistant private secretary to Lord Salisbury, during a brief administration of less than a year. In Salisbury’s later Ministries, the brilliant young man, although handicapped by lack of robust health, secured many administrative appointments, such as Under-Secretary for India. 1891-92; and Under-Secre-tary for Foreign ’ Affairs, 1895-1898. ' VICEROY OF INDIA. ' Then Lord Salisbury tempted him with the glittering bait of the Viceroy of India. Salisbury was a very shrewd i judge of human nature, and few of j the appointments he made turned out / badly. “He has written about the | East-,” he said, in speaking of Curzon, j with his usual affectation of inditfer. I ence to the subject Be was discussing, “so he may know something about the people.” It was a position of pomp and power, and Curzon was lured from; the House of Commons to India. His , term of the office of Viceroy was marked by several ’ interesting incidents, the ipost serious of which was his famous quarrel with the late Lord Kitchener, which led to the Viceroy returning to England and to English public life. There are some who declare that his vice-royalty was a failnre, but if so it was due to personality rather than policy. Certainly, the natives were impressed by bis fondness for ceremony and the dignity with which he carried himself as the representative of his Sovereign. It was a case of the West and the East meeting, and if the twain did not become as one' it can be said that Lord Cnrzon’s effort was the nearest approach, to success that lias ever been known. ] FOREIGN SECRETARY. j Three years after his return to Eng-/ land in 1905 Lord Curzon took bis seat in the House of Lords as an Irish representative peer. Deprived of the possibility of political office during the long Liberal ascendancy, be came again into prominence when Mr Asquith formed the first Coalition Government, in May, 1915. Lord Curzon became laird Privy Seal, and oui the resignation of Mr Asquith in De- 1 cember, 1916, he became Lord PresiV dent of the Council, Leader of th{ House of Lords, and a member of th< Imperial War Cabinet. He was apt pointed Acting Secrotary of State for Foreign Affairs in January, 1919, ani in the following October, exchanging the office of Lo/d President of th* Council with M i Balfour v he became Foreign Secretary, attending in that capacity the various Allied ronferen-’ ces. When Mr Lloyd George feltfrom power it seemed that Lord Curzon might realise his ambition and become Prime Minister. He had supporters, but the Conservative Party, influenced no doubt by public feeling on the point, dared not risk the consequences of the appointment of one) who had no sent in the House of Com- j noons. Air Bonar Law was appointed I leader, and when he formed bis Minis-; try Lord Curzon retained the offices of Foreign Secretary and Leader of the House of Lords. We continued in these offices in Mr Baldwin's first' Ministrv. but tlie nrerarious state of, his health prevented him from resuming tlie Foreign Secrctarvship when ; the Labour Government fell. J

MANY DISTINCTIONS. \ The late Marquis Curzon described ; tlie office of Viceroy of India as “the dream of my childhood, tho fulfilled ambition of mv manhood, and my highest conception of duty to th? . State.” But he was distinguished in other walks of life. He wrote a number of standard works on Eastern affairs. such as “Persia and the Persian Question” and “Problems of the Far East.” He was. too. a great traveller, an educationist of note, a minor poet, and a writer of distinction. HIS HEIRS.

The late Marquis Curzon of Kedleston was also Viscount Scarsdale and Baron Ravensdalo. The heir to the viscountcy is Mr Richard X. Curzon, a nephew, and to the barony Lady Mary Irene Curzon. Bis eldest daughter. There is no heir to ! the marquisate, which was conferred on him in 1921.