The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1915. THE GREAT PROBLEM.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 225, 21 September 1915, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1915. THE GREAT PROBLEM.

• —s For the cause f/mf lacks assistance, For the wrong that nosdj rtristanoe, For the future in the distance, And the good thaf tee cvtiv do.

One o( Mr. 1.i0y.l Oeprj-rt most a.lmirabli- charat termini is that he has i Ihe course of hie ronvirtiohi. Xi S hi or wrong, he i s [)r,.;,ar,-,| to say what ho lh,iiN>. an i I i^,■ ihe oonxv|urni-cg; 1:1,1 {■•!» hi- hai j.rnwM on many n.-rnsions KiritM-, i.., t:.,. hciaht of the .'trtotic r-\cifri!cnt oior Uif R..or war, he ri-k.> 1 !»"• p"hti al f-ositioii .111! hit prn*p'-ct{ ju> puaii,- life hy telliti? the people ol . t-nglan.l (: inU* an.l couragrojelv that lir t.-li. it ! thi-i ,vrrc in ttio uruni:. To , in Mr Lloyd r.earge stan ', kirtuallj *' ■ ■•>• r ''l of ih,. Government in reIJird to iua person*) influrnor ami authority, and the »c...!,t of t'.e ••• _ ll.it In- i» fcttli prfp.ircl tv »->rai, h.M .:...-;.;. α-ithon: ff.ir ,ir (jn.uf. and he ..1.1 |:j>t a»urr.«3 the nal:on that when >.c ■'■«< aa.Jf up h;, :.:.!;.! .1 «it the raurso tU.it ii,i.'Mt to Lv- lu!iuai-0 to >■(■, .-■■ m, o'!t thi- :-:i-t r. .-.ir.i f..r his o \n po!i j Ural f.irtuncs. 1.: ihe Dioal!* of rouie ir- .'. t>:< !-ccm jl:i pmpty oetrnti'l is: .>f puhlir virtu*. U.Jt oven Lh.-«c [ »io <l>. not ag.ee »;th .Sir Uovd >i 5 nici noii>, • n.i« :hat he 1 ill nil hcjitato to dc- ( ran< «a.tt )." U:..m,-i, to b.' liie truth j :ilicn tk<* appropnali- nwrnrnt romca. anl that no rousidcration <>'• pergonal ir.iercst, or even of aafetv, will ii«':<-r bun (rom »> hat !.c regards ia hU duty Am to the fo.-m ;n which i!r. Lloyd 1 <>eorg« piiUi In* cane to the nation, it serine lo Uβ altogether judK-ioiia md :i-!:niraMc The qti?9t.oH at t>»uo i> whether lUe Mate eoiUinue tv ia\ upon voluntaryi4m. or .rlull have recourse to Rome *ort of compuleion. MoM peopie *ili agrco that i/ th* jfreat objrcU foi wh«-h w« are fightsnjr can be eccured by 1 voluntary rfTort, there a liUle to g*.D i ! and mjch to t>»t- by rsuir.g a controvprsy at "'J ,,I, a or;tlca.l maiocnt Hut the <lecwion of the Imperial (iovorntnent nn this aioojfntou-i question ia not to (h< I baee>i on sent.mont or prcjuakt-. It * ! entirely a question of lurU anl fl<nir«i which >Uuiatfr» arc now engaged in txamining. Wβ have Mr. Uoyd j [>lcd?c vhat if the fart* shoe.- that tbr voluntary system will not five v* th? r<"4ult.i Shat are indi»pei*»l)te (or vjccow, then he will support compulsion: and wr have also his coßMcnt a**unvnce thnt the (*fte actually anu undeniably point in tliw direction lie Aeci net believe tliat anybody will bo found to act himself deliberately »?»:nit tin* intor-r-t* of the nation an' , , the Empire by ' contesting the rijjht of (Jovernment to •make t!:<' rhanjje. But in any i-u-p. the bitter wrangling that lia* al rendv bren po painfully in evidence in this connection can only have the c!T<vt of embarrassing Ministers anj con fusing t'.ieir judgment, and »c hope pinrerelv tliat the country will act upon Air. Lloyd tii'orge'n recommendation, and I allow tioverninent to come to it* .le ciaion on the merits of the case w'ithuut further interference. No one who !um followed the newspaper oontroMTßies that have grown up re cently at Home round certain important a»pect« of the war is likely to that Mr. Lloyd (.it-orge'e appeal has been made before it was nivcesary. L'nfor tfinatply it lias boen found extremely ! difficult to preserve even the semblance 'of a political truce, in spite of tho fact 1 that a Coalition Ministry now holdi) office A* far as can be judged, the members of the Cabinet are working together in perfect harmony. But the Liberal Press for the nio*t part fiercely resented the criticism of the administration of 'the war. which led up to the acceptance of the Coalition; and the imputation of evil motives tc which iMr. Lloyd George refers haj been carried on both sitles to a mo»t regrettable excess. Kvervbody must Ryrupathise with Mr. Lloyd George's protest against the journalists and politicians who demand II monopoly of virtue for themselves, while arguing that "tho.-e daring to differ are animated by the barest personal aime." More particularly docs this apply to the furious attacks made W certain sections of the Radical Press on everybody who lias advocated the aban domnent of the voluntary system in favour of compufriory organisation for industrial and military purposes. It says tt great deal for Mr. Lloyd George's fairness and openne.sa of mind that h« has been able in these respects to dissociate himself entirely from the extremiets of his own party, and to distinguish" so dearly between political and national issuca at th» gravest crisis that Britain and her Empfre have over had '-0 face.