Irish Jaunt

Hilarious Irish students at the University of Belfast made much of a rotund, distinguished and almost equally hilarious visitor. They presented him with a "puddy hat," and he clapped it on his head. They called his attention to a clay pipe stuck in the brim, and he cried that he accepted it as a tribute to his chief, that inveterate pipe smoker, Premier Baldwin. They gave their puddy-hatted guest a shillalah. And while he brandished it, they drew him about the campus in an Irish "jaunting car."* Finally, in Ulster Hall, he received the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. He was Winston Spencer Churchill, idolized as "Winnie," respectfully deferred to as Chancellor of the British Exchequer, once (1911-15) First Sea Lord of the British Admiralty.

As Mr. Churchill rested at Belfast, the guest of Premier Sir James Craig of Ulster, he may well have recalled the day 14 years ago when Ulstermen rioted against the militant First Sea Lord whom they acclaimed in his peaceful guise of Chancellor last week.

In 1912, First Sea Lord Churchill used to drive gouty Admirals to distraction, by asking them suddenly, now and then: "What would you do if war were declared tomorrow?" He used to gaze nervously each morning at a chart on which the exact position of every major ship of every navy in the world was shown. And he used to make extremely hot-headed speeches advocating his "Home Rule" Irish policy.

He went to Belfast in 1912 to make such a speech. Ulster Unionists got wind of it and almost overturned the motor in which he and his wife were riding. They made it necessary for him to speak to Ulster Nationalists in an open field, heavily guarded by police. They barred him from the very hall in which he was cheered last week, as he uttered felicitous words: "I cherish the hope that some day all Ireland will be loyal, united within itself, and united to the Empire. . . . You may believe that this is only a dream, but it is my belief that the Irish question has entered a stable phase and that the suspense, apprehension and dread of disturbance have passed away."**

*A light two-wheeled carriage for a single horse, typically seating four persons, back to back. "Jaunt" originally referred to the prancing or "jaunting" of the horse, which makes a two-wheeled car jolt and tilt somewhat rakishly. By association the verb "to jaunt" came to mean the taking of a short pleasure ride.

**Referring to the recent highly amicable Irish boundary settlement (TIME, Dec. 21).