A speech by Lord Curzon at the Junior Imperial League
last Saturday and an -article by Lord Birkenhead in the Sunday Times were both occupied to a large extent with the subject of -Unionist reunion. Lord Birkenhead pointedly distiliguibhes between the Con- servative Party and the present 'Government. There is, as it were, a suggestion that the -Government is like Hamlet without the Hamlet. For the rest, his article is a somewhat-rhetorical arraignment of the Government. The loss of Ministers' seats, the -housing policies, the disloyalty to Disraeli, the ingenuity of -a 'foreign policy which exasperates the French. and. encourages the Germans, and. the " mephitic atmosphere " inherited from. Lord Younger—each of these themes is dwelt upon. The impression left by this- outburst is that it is caused by feelings of au acutely personal description. Lord Curzon was, on the other hand, more dignified. He saw no cause for this. disparagement. Whilst realizing that such. criticisms were an amiable idiosyncrasy to which many persons were prone, he- considered it regret- table that they should occur. He maintained throughout an attitude of detached unconcern.
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