31 DECEMBER 1937, Page 3

Mr. Chamberlain is the antithesis of his predecessor. He is

a first-class administrator, the ideal head of almost any department, but so far he has never reached the first flight as a Parliament man. In debate he never fails to say just as much as the occasion demands and no more. There are no loose ends and no digressions. A speech from him is always admirably calculated to serve its immediate purpose. But on the other hand, it leaves no lasting impression. Lord Baldwin's utterances, both in Parliament and outside, were strewn with unforgettable phrases and aphorisms. " Peace in our time." " Defiling the earth from the air." " Dic- tatorship is like a great beech tree—very splendid to look at but nothing grows under it." It is difficult to recollect an occasion when anything so memorable has fallen from Mr. Chamberlain. Nor is it likely to. He is cast in another mould.

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