In 1901 appeared his first book, The Working Constitution of the United Kingdom, and in 1904 The Diary of a Churchgoer was published anonymously. His old zeal for proportional representation also revived, and he made many converts.
After the liberal victory of 1906 Courtney accepted a peerage and became Baron Courtney, of Penwith. During the last twelve years of his life he spoke often in the House of Lords. He had agreed to the principle of Home Rule, and opposed everywhere the spirit of domination. After the death of Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman (1908) his distrust of Sir Edward Grey’s foreign policy grew apace. He repeatedly urged a reduction in armaments, and demanded that the understanding with France should not be exclusive, but should be followed by a similar understanding with Germany. The European War confirmed his fears, and he criticized the British government for the failure of its diplomacy, agreeing in this with his old friend, Lord Morley. As the fearful conflict progressed, he opposed all measures which seemed likely to prolong it. At home he pleaded for freedom of speech and freedom of conscience. He explored all avenues that might lead to peace, and would have closed no door to negotiations, however unpromising. Only a few days before his death he wrote to the Manchester Guardian, arguing that neither side could be overwhelmed and that reconciliation should be tried. Courtney died in London 11 May 1918. He had married in 1883 Catherine (Kate), daughter of Richard Potter, at one time chairman of the Great Western Railway. They had no children.
Courtney was perhaps the greatest British statesman, since Cobden, of those who have never held Cabinet office. He was a genial host, fond of society, in argument dogmatic and sometimes pragmatical, stiff in opinions, and always ready to sacrifice his career to his convictions. To a mathematical mind and a strong logical sense, which insisted on arguing out every question, he united a very warm and emotional disposition.
There is a portrait of Courtney by Alphonse Legros in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
[G. P. Gooch, Life of Lord Courtney, 1920; personal knowledge.]
COWANS, Sir JOHN STEVEN (1862-1921), general, was born 11 March 1862 at Carlisle, the eldest son of John Cowans, civil engineer, of Woodbank, Carlisle, by his wife, Jeannie, elder daughter of Samuel Steven, of St. John, New Brunswick. He was educated for the navy, at Dr. Burney’s academy at Gosport, but did not pass the examination. In 1878 he went to Sandhurst, and in 1881 joined the Rifle Brigade in India, where he served as aide-de-camp to Sir John Ross [q.v.], commanding the Poona division of the Bombay army. In 1891 he passed the Staff College with distinction, and after holding several staff appointments he became deputy assistant quartermaster-general in the movements branch of the War Office to supervise the transport of troops to Egypt. He was promoted major in 1898 and lieutenant-colonel in 1900. So well did Cowans perform his duties that he was retained at the War Office through the South African War in spite of his efforts to be employed on active service. He was gazetted colonel in 1908, and then served at Aldershot (1903-1906) and subsequently in India, where he held the posts of director of military education (1906-1907) and director of staff duties (1907-1908), and later commanded the Bengal Presidency brigade (1908-1910). In 1910 he returned to the War Office as director-general of the Territorial Force. Here he organized the horse census, which contributed greatly to the efficiency of the army in 1914. In 1912 he became quartermaster-general, the member of the Army Council responsible for the provision of the accommodation, food, transport, horses, clothing, and equipment, of the army, and for its movement by land and sea to the scene of operations. He was created K.C.B. in 1913.
Thus the critical moment of the outbreak of war in 1914 found Sir John Cowans in the position of supreme administrator of the most vitally important services of the army; and before many weeks had passed it was seen that a strain was to be placed upon those services to an extent not only unapproached hitherto in British military history, but hardly even dreamed of by those responsible for the military policy of the country. Fortunately, contemporary opinion recognized from the outset that in Cowans the country possessed an administrative genius, with the foresight and ability to grasp and solve the problems—of extraordinary complexity and magnitude—which faced his department. Statistics will furnish the best evidence of the success with which Cowans and his staff carried out, practically without a hitch during more than four years of war, the
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