My Life

My Life - Oswald Mosleyintroduction of a bright and beautiful lady. Fate aided me in this way on more thanone occasion and I met Mr. Balfour through a lady in whom he had a purelyintellectual interest, and the reader will naturally conclude that at twenty-odd Ifollowed reverently the statesman-philosopher's example. Strangely enough, we cametogether for the purpose of playing tennis at Queen's Club; Mr. Balfour's years werebalanced by the leg-irons which I had to wear on leaving hospital and for some yearsafterwards. He brought another lady to make a fourth, whose name I forget. Mypartner in the intervals of playing tennis enhanced my impression of her mental andaesthetic qualities by observing: 'You have a precocious and unnatural facility in thecombination of words'. This seemed to me at the time entirely just, as she was quotingsomething said of the younger Pitt. They were happy days in life-restoring contrast tothe recent war experiences.Mr. Balfour during my few meetings with him in this cursory fashion was aninteresting study for a young man. He had great charm, and the appearance at least ofabsorbed interest in any companion of the moment, which is more often the attributeof successful hostesses than of distinguished politicians. Like so many famous men,he appeared to be proud of anything except his acknowledged accomplishments. Attennis his performance had a clear priority over his reputation for statesmanship andfor an erudition in philosophy rare in politics. He had in reality or posture a completedetachment and indifference to all mundane things. He was clearly pleased when alittle later in some slight clash in the House of Commons I described his conduct withthe quotation, he 'handles all things mortal with cold immortal hands'.The contrast between his languid demeanour and the steely resolution of his action asIrish Secretary is well known. Some sections of the bourgeois world were deceived bythe gentleness of his manners. They misunderstand good manners, because they havenone, and make the grave error of mistaking gentleness for weakness. H. G. Wells, forinstance, called Balfour that 'damp Madonna Lily' (and Lenin called Mr. Wells 'thatdreadful little bourgeois'). It would have been grimly entertaining to see the softrotundity of H.G. summoning resolution to face the Irish gunmen with the calm ofA.J.B. only five years after they had shot dead a predecessor in the broad daylight ofPhoenix Park. Before he had been Irish Secretary for a few months the welkin of theLeft was ringing with 'bloody Balfour'. His placid, almost drooping manner masked atough and ruthless character; the same affectation often conceals outstanding capacityfor action in the professional officer class of various armies.Less well known than his Irish record is the account given by some of Mr. Balfour'scontemporaries of the complete change in his Parliamentary method after theConservative disaster in 1906, when he was elected as Leader of the Opposition to avery different House of Commons and with only a small minority behind him. It is amark of the highest talent, particularly late in life, when a man can adapt his techniquerapidly to a completely new situation. It appears that Mr. Balfour changed his makeupas dramatically as a wise women of advancing years will modify her appearancefor the variations of sunshine and evening light. This capacity is a strength when thebasic character remains firm. Which of the Scandinavians wrote: 'the future belongs tohim who can assume as many shapes as Proteus'?I was reminded again of this capacity in outstanding men to change their method asthe situation requires when General de Gaulle found himself in ballotage during the82 of 424