A VICTIM OF UTERALNESS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 143, 11 March 1908, Page 6

A VICTIM OF UTERALNESS.

Most people, on ;p'erifsing tlie correspondence, <wliich we pub- • lisli;in. aiiother; column, of a speech delivered by the. Premier;-on; September-23 last, t will probably' end witli the reflection that'itlie Premier deserves' a,' littlei : sympathy;;;',v When, addressing: the. Navy League a ; few days; before; v t-lie' : proclamation':' of- the. , Dominion,ilie.tlirew. out the suggestion that if application wOre properly' madeNew Zealand co\ild,secure' a' discarded warship < ,'fpi;. ..training■; 'budding 1 ' .Jack Tars, lie;-wks not to know that anybody;, would be\ pb rashly literal as to take him' at his word. On such an occasion a politician is. generally :given a.'kind of. after-dinner, license, and lie should ■ not be treated' as - a i persori on oath. in a witness-boxi: The Navy League,.however, i is; a' : serious 'body,; with a- serious • purpose, riccustomed to take things seriously,- • and s.unused to ./rules governing'-,-" occasional" oratory., On. , the occasion in 'question, it • gave the ! Preniier 'no.'license at all, and enthusiasticallyregarded '.his ■ tropes a§ deeply-pondered 'statements of policy. Accordingly, months after his speech.,,'; the.:Preiiiier must have been ; surprised,;' and perhaps a little. saddened', to' ffnd,- ' that liei is considered committed, to; ab-' .; tion by; liis unwary indulgence; in l ' apV ! propriate,;-* sentiment. When one reflects updn 'his., situation, one 1 must mit ; that he recovered hisVbalance'Vqry.' ue'atly. .If everybody persisted in pin- ■ ning Premiers, to everything they say.,: what would ibecome of ' oratory ?-. Nohumane man expects a Premier,' called upon' to say something appropriate and; , impressive: on every 1 kind of .subject,- . often upon subjects upon which) with- , out bein'g"- any: the' worse for it, he • knows nothing, to speak as if whatever :'he ; said "woiild be. used in evidence against him. , That would bo cruel to the-man,; and 1 destructive to the art-,of ; graceful talk. 'It iis to be hoped that* the Navy League is not- 1 harbouring, i bitter-thoughts Against the Premier. It is, not 1 his 1 fault that,'•. his; peroration ,was mistaljen for. a pledge'.;,: If; -as 'aj)t . ■pears to bertlie' case,- :the. Premier in ,his;, office.; disapproves of the suggestion,; made':, by; the Premier at the Navy • League function, he ;is ,;to be; commended. .While'we admire tlie enthu"siasm of the local branch-of the.Navy League,'it will-be quite time-enough to,borrow a battleship?when,the Amo-/ I'kura experiment lias been thoroughly | tested. 'But- the Premier will 'doubtless be most .careful -in future when he is • .-addressing ; members- of. .patriotic ', leagues. -Perhaps lie will i not. addrestf ' them at all, or will at: any.,rate insist . upon prefacing his. speech with a: warn-ing'-that* what' he is about- to-'say is to be understood as said in a Pickwickian sense; '■ ■V"- 3 :.::'