A POLITICAL VENDETTA.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 306, 23 December 1912, Page 4

A POLITICAL VENDETTA.

The attack which Lord Charles Beres-1 ford has just made upon Mr. Winston. Churchill should not be considered simply in regard to the resignation of Sir •Francis Bridgeman or the administration of naral affairs. For in this instance, as often before, the Admiral is merely the mouthpiece of an influential section of ] the Unionists who regard Mr. Churchill ; as a political renegade, and have spared! no pains to damage his personal and pub- 1 lie reputation, and to make his position j intolerable. The Conservative wing of the unionist party has never forgiven ' Mr. Churchill for changing sides, and his I enemies have exhausted all the resources | of political and journalistic warfare to j make him appear ridiculous and con- ! temptible. All this is, in a sense, very I complimentary to Mr. Churchill, for it ! is a genuine tribute to his ability and the influence that he exercises in the Cabinet and at the Admiralty. If he were weak or inefficient his enemies could afford to treat him as a negligible quan-1 tity. But unfortunately for the Unionr ists Mr. Churchill has inherited a large j share of the political and intellec- j tual powers which once made Lord Randolph Churchill so dangerous an antagonist, and he has exhibited an amount of courage, energy, and resourcefulness in meeting the attacks of liis adversaries that have greatly enhanced hie own prestige. It is noteworthy tiuat within the past two years, the remarkable ability and force of character that ilr. Churchill has displayed have produced a very distinct impression on some of his detractors,, and the "Times" and the "Daily Mail" have Lately dissociated themselves altogether from the coterie of Unionists who can see nothing .but evil in the First Lord of the Admiralty and all his worke. As to the particular subject raised for discussion by Lord Charles Beresford, it is well known that Sir Francis Bridganuan's retirement from the pest of First Sea Lord has bften the subject of vehement controversy in official and. political circles at Home. But it' is sufficient fee our purpose to point out that in the opinion of several leading Unionist newspapers Mr. Churchill has completely cleared away the suspicions and misconceptions that the attacks of his enemies had aroused. Th • " Daily Mail " and the '* Times " mantain that Lord Charles Beresford's insinuations were based on prejudice and error, and we may fairly conclude tint Mr Churchill's reply was sufficiently clear and forcible to satisfy the mrst exacting of his critics. It is unfortunate that Mr Churchill's political antecedents expose him to vindictive onslaughts of this kind. For no unprejudiced person can have followed his recent public career and noted more especially the vigorous and courageous in-inner in which he has dealt with Sir Edward Carson and Mr Bonar Law on Home Rule without feeling that in him the Liberal cau=e hi* a champion endowed with unusual versatility, energy, and force of character, and the assurance that the "Times " and the "Daily Mail" have just given oi their unshaken faith in him -may help to strengthen the confidence that the people of England ought to feel in- the -head of the gTeat department to which the de: ! fence of the country and the -Empire is j mainly committed.