THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1932. A STUDY IN CONTRASTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21544, 16 January 1932, Page 10

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1932. A STUDY IN CONTRASTS.

When statesmen become reminiscent they not infrequently become agreeably, human and interesting. From the lives of distinguished men there is usually to be drawn some admirable moral, for the benefit particularly of the young. From log cabin to White House, in its many variations, is an old story. But it is one that never quite loses its savour. To think of the Lord Mayor of London is to recall the adventures of Dick Whittington. Many have recently read how the late Sir Thomas Lipton triumphed over youthful adversities and handicaps. The career of Mr Ramsay MacDonald provides purposeful material for those who would say to the young man, “ Go thou and do likewise.” The man who occupies the undisputed leadership of the great National Party in England to-day has been described, perhaps not with entirely complimentary intention, as being something of a mystic. It is not the British habit to make personal confessions in public, and lift the veil of a traditional national reserve. There are moments, however, when it is both appropriate and looked for that a man should indulge in a little self-revela-tion. One of these confronted Mr Ramsay MacDonald at the birthday dinner given in his honour in London a few weeks ago. Then it was that, looking back over the gulf of years, he confessed that he would be far more than human if, while he sat there, he did not feel that the past was his most intimate and immediate companion, sitting by him at that moment in openeyed wonder at what had happened. As everybody is aware, the story of Mr Ramsay MacDonald’s career is that of a struggle. This, in his own words, is one of his most-lasting memories: “It is a very hard, frosty morning. We have got up while it is still dark, and we have trudged a mile or two along a frost-bound road. We get into a potato field. I am leaning on a basket into which the potatoes are being gathered, and find it difficult to keep the tears out of my eyes on account of my frost-bitten hands. Somebody who is overseer of us all comes and gives me a slap on my frost-bitten ear.” The reader may almost feel that slap himself. Certainly, whatever his politics and prejudices, he cannot but share the episode sympathetically with Mr MacDonald when he adds: —“The very thought of it at this moment makes me cringe with pain. \nd, sitting sometimes on the Front Benches and allowing my thoughts to wander, that incident comes back

to me, and I rub my sorely injured, frost-bitten ear.” Another memory revealed at this birthday dinner was that of a young fellow wandering in London, walking up and down the streets, and rejoicing to come upon a baker’s shop at which he could buy cheap and delicious buns. Mr Ramsay MacDonald has been very useful, of course, to the biographers. Already three times he has been the subject of a volume. Anybody who so desires can no doubt have access to these mines of information. One further extract may be culled from the birthday speech. “My friends,” said the Prime Minister, “there is really a great advantage in coming up through life not on the broad, smooth highway, but by the unmade, sometimes rather muddy, byways where you get human comedy and human tragedy unrehearsed, where you meet the ups and downs, the loves and hates, the sacrifices, the kindnesses, the humanities of life without any rehearsals, without any staged preparation, but just the essential facts of life, humanity itself.” None can gainsay that as a study in contrasts the variegated career of the man who has experienced these sentiments is rich in instruction. jfor those who, beginning life without any advantages, must needs rely the more entirely upon their own force of character, their own abilities, and their own perseverance to make substantial progress towards the goal of their ambitions, it should be full of encouragement. Among the manly virtues self-reliance and industry take high places. Of the younger generation, to-day it is sometimes said that it is ttfo much acquainted with “ spoon-feeding.” Those of its members who aspire to get on in the world may do worse than think sometimes of Mr Ramsay MacDonald’s muddy byways, cheap buns, and frost-bitten ear.