Baldwin's modesty
From Mr J.B. Paul Sir: Peter Porter's review of Michael Davie's Anglo-Australian Attitudes (Books, 1 July) is bound to encourage a spirited reaction in some of your Australian read- ers. I shall confine myself to one detail.
Porter dismissed Sir Leslie Wilson, gov- ernor of Queensland (1932-46), as a `superannuated English army officer'. Wil- son's reputation before his arrival in Aus- tralia amounted to much more than his dis- tinguished service in South Africa, Gallipoli and France. He had already served as gov- ernor of Bombay (1923-28) and, before his appointment to that job, had played an influential role in British politics.
From the beginning of April 1921 until 25 July 1923, Sir Leslie had been the Con- servative chief whip. In September 1922 he had openly challenged Austen Chamber- lain, the Conservative leader in the House of Commons and Chancellor of the Exche- quer, when he reported to him his acquies- cence in a Cabinet decision that the Con- servatives fight the forthcoming election as part of the Lloyd George coalition. Wilson warned Chamberlain that up to 184 Con- servative constituency parties were pre- pared to run independent non-coalitionist candidates.
This issue proved in the following month to be Chamberlain's downfall. At a special- ly convened meeting at the Carlton Club, an overwhelming majority of Conservative MPs (185 to 88), whipped in by Wilson, voted against remaining in the coalition. This brought Andrew Bonar Law back to the Conservative leadership and to his appointment as Prime Minister, and paved the way for Stanley Baldwin, his Chancellor of the Exchequer, to succeed him in both positions in May 1923.
Curiously enough, in May 1920 Bonar Law had sounded out Baldwin, then finan-
LETTERS
cial secretary to the Treasury, about being appointed first as governor-general of South Africa 'and then as governor-general of Australia. Baldwin declined both posi- tions, which were filled respectively by HRH Prince Arthur of Connaught and by Lord Forster, until then a Conservative MP. Although complimented by these offers, Baldwin regarded both as being 'not in my line'. How becomingly modest! And how providential!
J.B. Paul
Sydney, Australia
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