1937-02-02 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 2, 1937.

One Briton Who

S Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Neville Chamberlain shocked the Britain into realisation of what rearmament means by rais- ing the income tax in his budget for this year. He might easily have met the increased expenditure by loans, as many expected he would do. But it was characteristic of

Uses Logic

Mr. Neville Chamberlain Not Only Believes

In Facts But Dares To Apply Them

him to refuse to conceal the cost in country. One might also say he was hope that they will somehow oblig- that way and to state bluntly that loved for his limitations.

armament expenses would go up and stay for the years. And he has re- peated his warning in no uncertain terms in the last few days.

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ingly vanish. It took them a long time to face the fact that the pound could not be kept on

the fact that gold,

Mussolini meant business in Ethiopia, and the fact of German rearmament.

Mr. Chamberlain positively en-

Neville Chamberlain, on the other hand, is that strange and rare crea His reputation as head of the ture, an Englishman, who believes Treasury has steadily grown since in logic and takes it for his guide. he took that office in 1931 and He has a veritably Latin apprecia- joys looking the ugliest and most piloted the country out of depres- tion of the beauty of a syllogism or recalcitrant fact full in the face sion. It is assumed by many that an equation. He has the audacity and boldly taking the measure of he will be the next Prime Minister; to apply logic in politics, hazardous its significance. Indeed, he makes that Mr. Baldwin, after the Coro- as it is to do so. He even carries a specialty of running down annoy- nation, will retire in the Chancel- logic into the House of Commons, ing and disturbing facts so that his lor's favour.

and probably into Cabinet meetings, fellow-countrymen will not stumble and actually employs it in lectur- upon them unaware some dark night ing the British public on economic and get hurt. Along the financial questions and in lecturing the highway Britain follows he has American Government on war debts. placed large signs reading: "Slow some $12,000 which had been ap-

down: dangerous fact ahead.”-

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**

Although both came into politics

Facts

from busmess and may be said to represent the outlook of the busi- ness man, Mr. Neville Chamberlain offers a striking contrast in tem- Before Fiction perament to Mr. Baldwin. Mr. Bald- win has described himself as a plain

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He once cut out of the budget

propriated to help local authorities provide milk for needy mothers. He was reminded that this would cause a bad impression and make trouble

Not only his ruthless realism, but for the government, but he thought Mill and Bentham used to write even his complexion-surprisingly it such a small sum, for the whole Englishman-seems country, that the effect of its can- man; he is noted for his mental as though they thought that politi- dark for an laziness, he is guided by his emo- cal and economic problems could be Latin.

His hair, black as any cellation must be negligible. That tions, by his instinctive sense of solved by the application of Frenchman's, is now streaked with was true, but it did not prevent what is "right,” rather than by his reason; that intellect; his speeches

once it had been gray, though his mustache is still critics of the government from mak- are charac demonstrated that, a given policy dark. But from beneath more than ing good use of the incident in local terised by a warmth of tone and contributed to the greatest good ample eyebrows blue eyes look criti- elections. sentiment which impresses British of the greatest number, the cally at an illogical world. listeners far more than sheer bril- public would accept it and

liance.

Mind Over Emotion

than

Balancé

that would be the end of the matter. Poise And Mr. Chamberlain doubtless is too logical to hold any such naive faith in the efficacy of logic. But he be- lieves logic to be important and useful. He has the air of saying: There is no looseness or slouchiness

Here are the facts; here is the con- about his appearance any

Mr. Chamberlain is trim, severe.

By Harold Callender

more

clusion to which they inevitably than there is in his manner of think lead; probably you dislike it, but ing and speaking. His clothes are as that doesn't matter."

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Parliamentary Blunder

One of his worst blunders was *made in 1932 when, speaking in the House of the war debts owed to the United States, he said "When we come to enter upon discussions we shall be able to put before them ar- guments which may not appeal to the Middle West, but which I think will appeal to more informed and responsible section of opinion in the United States." To cast this reflec- tion upon the intelligence of the American West, in a Parliamentary speech and at a moment when the debt question had aroused some feeling, was considered by many ob- servers as showing lack of tact.

Neville Chamberlain, tall and slender and sharp of feature and concise in utterance, is anything but a plain man; his emotions are so dominated by his mind that he seems cold and without sentiment; his sense of what is right proceeds less from his from logic; when

speaks

neatly and precisely shaped as his it is to present facts and

sentences. In his person he has all

a arguments with kind of re-

the poise and balance of one of his lentless realism which may arouse

nicely adjusted budgets. He conveys admiration but can hardly stir en-

He is acknowledged to be a skill- the impression of calm assurance, thusiasm.

ful debater, which means that logic of confidence some say of Senor de Madariaga said that the counts for something, even in Eng-placency. English think with their instincts land, for his voice has none of the Hardly a trace of emotion appears it may have been this tempera- rather than with their brains; and richness or the emotional appeal of in his speeches, either in the House mental aversion to the pretences Sir Austen Chamberlain (Neville's Baldwin's. His personality is not

or upon public platforms; speeches half brother), commenting upon one that captivates either the House. which usually deal, in a coldly sta. and subterfuges of politics which this observation, agreed that it was or the public by its magnetism; his tistical manner, with tariffs, the his father by showing at first no accurate. An English representa- speeches are not animated by im- balance of trade, the currency, the inclination toward a public career. tive at Geneva, replying to a care- aginative flights or emphasised by budget. He is known chiefly as the He wanted to go into business, and fully constructed French argument, gestures or theatricality; his argu- man who has framed the last five said: "Don't talk to us of logic; we ments are not advanced with a budgets and thus told the British this he did. don't believe in logic" Whereupon subtle sense of psychology, he rare people each year how much of their

of God. It may be, but it is a gift that ought not to be abused.”

com-

led. Mr. Chamberlain to disappoint

When it was suggested in 4914 that he stand for Parliament, he

a French observer remarked to Sir ly makes, a joke or a witty remark incomes they would be permitted to Town Planning Norman Angell: "I think you Eng Mr Chamberlain sometimes call their own. When budget day ap Interests lish believe your stupidity is a-gift speaks like a company chairman proaches everybody holds his breath making his annual report, sometimes and the stock market pauses until like a teacher addressing a class, al- the Chancellor of the Exchequer has

announced his verdict ways as one confident of his case and rather pitying, any one incap- able of recognising the irrefutable logic of it, never as a demagogue placing himself upon the level of Not Keen On

Loved For

His Limitations

The intuitive and emotional Mr. his least intelligent hearers. He

Baldwin corresponds to this tradi- would be a complete failure as an Politics Of Finance

tional conception of the illogical or

agitator, for his coldly logical dis- courses are designed to appeal to

anti-logical Englishman, a concep- the intellect. tion which is generally accepted by Englishmen themselves as not flattering, and, at least until recent months, Mr

trusted

(though

largely

-

een @a liked leader inspiring one).

plainness and Hand, not too

He was

Not A "Glosser"

ometimes said-

Lace up to

was reluctant to do so, and not un- til 1918, at the age of 49, did he enter Parliament Meanwhile he had been in the Birmingham City Council, had become interested in town planning and had been made. "Lord Mayor. He was chieffy re- eponsible for the establishment of The Chancellorship of the Exxche- Birmingham's manicipal bank. quer has seemed an appropriate of- Nobody can deny that Mr. Cham- fice for Mr. Chamberlain. Not that berlain has done a great deal for the framing of a budget does not his country. Nobody questions his call for a good deal of imagination, devoted service to the State. This

much political ast

a dash of demago

be, in this sense)

that well as a job.

ter to gloss over them, Britain budge hide them in a mist of sentimen- financial and on his talism, or ignore them in the fical

ss-and

ven strangely logical Englishman, with his habit of blurting out facts even as when he offends by doing so, may

ded as

But in be

ervant even he is not a good

efficient public

an. But

litician For that

her logic nor devotion suffices.