Saturday, July 26, 2008

Train of Thought

From The
Evening Post,
Wellington,
New Zealand,
June 2, 1913:



In Political Circles

It is well known that Messrs. Asquith and Bonar Law, the rival leaders in British politics, are excellent chess players.
But it is not so widely known that Mr. A. Fisher, Prime Minister of Australia, is also a chess expert. He and Mr. Josiah Thomas (Minister for External Affairs) are both very fond of chess, and many a long railway journey has been shortened by its means. Lately Mr. Fisher has been successfully exploiting the Jerome Gambit.

From George Cockerill's Scribblers and Statesman (1943),

Mr. Fisher and [Cockerill] discussed the terms of the Protectionist declaration over several keen games of chess [aboard the train]. Finally,[Cockerill] wrote this section of the speech and Mr. Fisher adhered to it consistently thoughout the campaign.

Further information on the Jerome Gambit career of Prime Minister Fisher is sought from Down Under and Elsewhere.

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