PERSONALITIES MET.

Waikato Times, Volume 109, Issue 18342, 30 May 1931, Page 10

PERSONALITIES MET.

LORD BEAVERBROOK. CRITICISM AND OBLOQUY.

(By T.C.L.)

In recent years few men have been more in the public eye than Lord Beaverbrook. Few have brought down upon themselves more hostile criticism and obloquy. Few also have cared less for political conventions and prejudices. Lord Beaverbrook’s career Is a romance. His father was a clergyman who emigrated from Scotland to New Brunswick, Canada. The boy Max Aitken had little education, for times were hard, but he had plenty of energy and Initiative, which he turned to good account, and in a surprisingly short period he blossomed out as a company promoter. He was successful, and with his profits he speculated.All that he touched turned to gold. Then he set about merging big Industries, and whilst still a young man found himself a millionaire. Canada was too -small for one so ambitious, and he went over to England. He knew Mr Bonar Law, himself a Canadian, and largely as a result of his influence entered Parliament in 1910. Aitken ,was only thirty-one years of age then. He felt his way carefully, and his real chance came when the war occurred. “Tie was most active in making arrangements for the Canadian troops that poured into England, and went across with them to France as “Eye-Witness,” and subsequently acted as representative of the Canadian Government at the Front. Elevated to the Peerage. • Two years later this energetic young man was elevated to the Peerage, and Lloyd George gave him a seat in the Government as Minister of Information. it was then that his attention was turned to newspapers. The Daily Express Was in the market. Its owner (Sir Arthur Pearson) had been stricken by blindness, and the paper had been a losing proposition for years. He saw in the possession of a daily paper a means of increasing his political power, possibly of his finances. The Daily Express had been established In opposition to the Dally Mail, which Is resembled in many ways, but it had not caught the pubho fancy.

'But Beaverbroolc felt that where' others had failed he could succeed. He had succeeded all his life. He laid careful plans, got around him a clever and resourceful staff, and developed new features. In three years he put the business on a paying basis. The cost was heavy—nearly a million sterling, it'is reported—but from that time the paper continued to make progress and profits and to-day is within striking distance of the Daily Mail’s great circulation of nearly two million copies daily. Beaverbrook also took over the Sunday Express, now one of the most prosperous of London’s Sunday papers and the Evening Standard, to-day one of the leading evening papers. These media give Lord Beaverbrook the opportunity of conveying his views to millions ,of people throughout the land, for the Daily Express is published in the North, and in Ireland, as well as in London, and circulates throughout the Kingdom. But he has not to rely upon his own newspapers alone. The other great Press magnate, Lord Rothermere, who succeeded his brother (Lord Northoliffe) as head of the Daily Mail string of papers, works hand in glove with him, and goes to astonishing lengths to assist him in his political crusades. Empire Trade Crusade. Lord Beaverbrook’s name is bound up with the Empire Free Trade crusade. He set the movement going. He threw himself completely into the work, and in pushing it spent money like water. Not content with the super-charged propaganda in a Press that reached nearly three-quarters of the people of England and Scotland, he arranged for lecturers to roam the country and convert the unbelieving, lie nominated and financed candidates at the by-elections, and turned the batteries of his Press on to Baldwin and his Old Guards. At first Beaverbrook’s Empire Free Trade crusade was not taken seriously by the public, particularly by the staid and ; sturdy Conservatives. It all seemed so extravagant, so impractical,, so unreal. “ Give him sufficient rope and he will hang himself,’’ was the official Conservative view. But if you tell a story often enough, . if you hammer away on a theme long enough, if you denounce a political party and a leader each night and morning by an enormously powerful Press orchestra, something Is bound to happen. And that something was happening at the time we were in England. The Conservative Party was in danger of disintegration. Great bodies were swinging away from it. More than one- seat had been lost to the Party at the by-elections. Adherents were beginning to doubt the ability and judgment of their leaders. Beaverbrook was being acclaimed as the man of the hour, the man who could deliver them from political bondage and lead them unto the promised land. It, appeared as if the Conservative Party had been split in twain, and that were an election precipitated by the Liberal party the undivided Labour Party would go back with an absolute majority. Then the Conservative leaders, who had pursued a policy of “ wait and see,” began to take notice-. Mr Baldwin turned to his foes within the fold, and smote them hip and thigh. Conservative Convention. A big Conservative Party Convention was held at which the malcontents were to produce a new leader (nominated, of course, by Beaverbrook and Rothermere). Baldwin tendered his resignation as leader. The meeting would not entertain it. Almost unanimously it carried a vote of confidence in him. and pledged the Party to support him (Continued in next column.)

There was some plain speaking -and strong criticism of the Crusaders for attempting to drive a wedge between the Party elements. “ Government by the Press ” was denounced as inimical to the Interests of the nation, and the Party resolutely set Its face against allowing any domination of the Party or of any Government by the Press barons. Ever since Baldwin has maintained the fight against Beaverbrook and Rothermere, and there are not lacking signs that the Crusaders have spent their force, and when an election comes around that they will be found fighting in the ranks of the Conservatives. Lord Beaverbrook may at least claim that his long and vigorous campaign has had the good effect of shaking up the dry bones of the Conservatives and making the party a virile and energetic force instead of a passive agent in the land. This may have been his real purpose. His methods are questioned by many, but his intimat.e friends do not doubt his motives or liis sincerity. They say his whole desire is to help Britain and the Empire, to which he is passionately attached, and that he has no personal axe to grind. He has no need for further money: already he has more than he can spend. He envisages a British Empire greater and more prosperous, the dominant force In the world of the future, and he is intolerant of the slowness of the realisation of his Imperial dream. Bui the placid, complacent Englishman does not like being pushed; he resents anything that is calculated to put him out of his stride—even by.an energetic and influential gentleman from Canada.