HALIFAX, EDWARD FREDERICK LINDLEY WOOD, 3RD VISCOUNT (1881- ), British statesman, was born Apr. 16, 188 i . The only surviving son of the 2nd Viscount Halifax, he was educated at Eton and at Christ Church, Oxford, being elected fellow of All Souls college in 1903. In Jan. 1910 he was returned to parliament as Conservative member for the Ripon division of Yorkshire, and retained his seat until 1925. During the World War he served in France (1915-17) with the Yorkshire Dragoons, in which he held the rank of major, being mentioned in dispatches, and was an assistant secretary to the minister of national service, 1916-18. In Apr. 1921 he was ap pointed under-secretary of State for the colonies. In this capacity he made a tour of the West Indian colonies, and published his conclusions on the administrative and economic problems which he encountered in a report issued in June 1922. From Oct. 1922 to Jan. 1924 he was president of the Board of Education. In Nov. 1924 he became minister of agriculture and fisheries in Mr. Baldwin's second Government.
In Oct. 1925 he was appointed governor-general of India in suc cession to the marquess (then earl) of Reading, being raised to the peerage as Baron Irwin of Kirkby Underdale two months later. Arriving in India in Apr. 1926 he sought eagerly to stay the rapid development of old antagonisms between Hindus and Moham medans, leading to embittered and widespread inter-communal disorder. His offer in Aug. 1927, to convene a conference of lead ers with the object of frankly facing the causes of these miserable differences did not meet with an adequate response, but it en couraged efforts to bring about agreement by mutual compact. One cause of friction was the approach of the time prescribed in the Government of India Act, 1919, for examination of the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms. The date was accelerated by two years and a parliamentary commission under the chairmanship of Sir John Simon was appointed in Nov. 1927. Though hampered by the strength and obstructiveness of the Swarajist element in the Legislative Assembly, Lord Irwin showed remarkable patience and perseverance in his efforts to overcome the boycott which the Swarajist and Liberal politicians sought to impose on the ground of the non-inclusion of Indians in the commission. Indian partici pation on equal terms was secured by means of committees of the central and provincial legislatures sitting with the commission. The great bulk of the Muslims, the depressed Hindu classes and other important minorities gave their co-operation. Lord Irwin came into exceptionally friendly contact with the Indian princes and a committee under Sir Harcourt Butler examined the relations between the Paramount Power and the States. (F. H. BR.) His viceroyalty ended in 1931, and he became 3rd Viscount Halifax in 1934. He was president of the Board of Education again in 5 , war secretary (June to Nov. 1935), lord privy seal 7) , and lord president of the council (193 On Feb. 25, 1938 he succeeded Anthony Eden as foreign secretary and served in this post during the troubled times that preceded and followed the Pact of Munich.