Part 20 (1/2)

LORD SALISBURY (pointing to his waistcoat): ”My figure is not adapted for the narrow seats in your peers' gallery, but I can assure you you are doing me an injustice I was one of the first to predict, both in private and in public, that Mr Asquith would have a very great future I see no one of his generation, or even aratify h's speaking?”

I was luckily able to say that h Cecil the best speaker in the House of Commons and indeed anywhere, at which Lord Salisbury remarked:

”Do you think he would say so if he heard him speak on subjects other than the Church?”

I assured him that he had heard him on Free Trade and ed He thought that, if they could unknot theround, both he and his brother, Bob Cecil, had great futures

I asked Lord Salisbury if he had ever heard Chamberlain speak (Chamberlain was Secretary of State for the Colonies at the time)

LORD SALISBURY: ”It is curious you should ask me this I heard him for the first time this afternoon”

MARGOT: ”Where did you hear hi about?”

LORD SALISBURY: ”I heard hi about?(reflectively) Australian washer- wo ”

MARGOT: ”What did you think of it?”

LORD SALISBURY: ”He seeood, business-like speaker”

MARGOT: ”I suppose at this moment Mr Chamberlain is as much hated as Gladstone ever was?”

LORD SALISBURY: ”There is a difference Mr Gladstone was hated, but he was very much loved Does any one love Mr Chamberlain?”

One day after this conversation he caraph of himself We of the Liberal Party were much exercised over the shadow of Protection which had been presented to us by Mr Ritchie, the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, putting a tax upon corn; and the Conservative Party, with Mr Balfour as its Pri well We opened the conversation upon his nephew and the fiscal question

I was shocked by his apparent detachment and said:

”But do you land beco Protectionist?”

LORD SALISBURY (with a sweet shtest! There will always be a certain number of foolish people ill be Protectionists, but they will easily be overpowered by the wise ones Have you ever known a man of first-rate intellect in this country as a Protectionist?”

MARGOT: ”I never thought of it, but Lord Milner is the only one I can think of for the reed with me and said:

”No, you need not be anxious Free Trade will alin against Protection in this country This will not be the trouble of the future”

MARGOT: ”Then ill be?”

LORD SALISBURY: ”The House of Lords is the difficulty that I foresee”

I was surprised and incredulous and said quietly: