A TREACHEROUS MEMORY

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 620, 24 September 1909, Page 4

A TREACHEROUS MEMORY

|. ■ ..';. ■■■'■.'.],•, , .":'" ■ : 9...\ : y':■■ ■, ''\'.' • ';'.'.' I ; Sin Joseph mbraory was apparently subject to. occasional .lapses during his visit to England. In the' course ■of an interview with'.a representative.of tV Manchester, Guardian. ho .was .'asked, whether tho support given here to tho-Dread-nought offer may not,have been "aided by; tho' temporary..'.. excitement ■ produced ■ by the naval'scare'that was raised at tho time," and ho made the following reply:—. ;': ;';. ':VV ;.-■- ■: V ';'■'> /'■ ■' /, V;: ■ There was no sonsationalism in New •■ What .was,'the'n.spoken!of'-. . as a crisis was ■not'in any.sense.one of,' -,;. cjanger as.' far as I am', aware. .' . ; Now,; there is not a single .person -in this 1 country 'who. does not ■ rernqmbcr V very well that. Sin' Joseph \YAR.p-ahd his colleagues,, did their best, to- excite the! pub■lic into '.believing that the;.: crisis '. was , dangerous--in.'a .yery rcal^cjiso.. Did not, Sir. Josepe Bpeak/.at,Upper...Htitt on .April 2 of '"the'nationalperil''j- /But:in. order that/our .readers,may-'appreciate' v the full significance 'of;'tho 'astounding statement winch 'the Prime -Minister'had ■tin boldriess'.to'jmako'to tho ' 'Manc'hest'er .Guardian's'';tcx>rct.<inia.tir.O) : it is' quite .sufficient to; qubtoffrom;tho co.nndenti.al. ■ telegram with : which' 'lib : thc'; bulk : of. tho -press of tho -.country-into'! misleading the piiblic.'as -to tho Urgency ..of th'c :situation! s :Ih;,thafc'tologramilio; said,;^/-vi ■; Tho-; situation'- -is .■'Mocir'anAvEit GENEnA.t,i,y;bowosed or.haff(been^"publiihea, , and the' offqr ■ .tjmi; jQpvofJim.qnt "' mailb is ono;jvl)ich' : wo. KUOiv.-.ffill/grcatiy help Great Britain in !the>'present virtuo of tho, moral offecti'.hnd as : i illustrating r -to Germanj';. that 'iheV BHtish ■ | Donimioris • Vill rally.round the Mother Country in TOB'iiME 01 , . IMMINENT. , BAKOEIi,'- AS'' IS , . APPAKENT.: AT PKEBENT IN suon A, siinXiioS.;: -.'■ I\hayo .felt that, narrow' consideration , 'of'. : pqundv'; linga and ■'pence;, should, yield: to our '• plaia duty ~to/:Groat Britain'.'where j?AiiONAIiEX-, 'tSTENCE.ISTiniEATENEI). •-,'.'. .'" " "■ '~;.' :.' -.:/?■."

■And..tho' ; politician;whp thus -influcriced 'the public press cynically admits,• accordring -to the. interview• preferred'. .• to, thit ,'thero ,was no danger, and assures' the British public that no danger was 'suspected, ,ro far as he .'is aware! Our'readers will not bo surprised, after" this; to learn that Sin Joseph, with the object of indicating his shrewdness as a statesman, actually indicated,-to..the;interviewer ;that the Government took great risks in, making the offer! , "All my,colleague's,", he : 6aid)' "knew that in making the offer they were virtually:'doing sjoj."- with.\ the-risk that it might not; bo ..maintained!.when Parliament met," and he added rather cleverly that "New Zoaland is nbt :, :a sentimeritaL community; in the ordinary sense."-' Tho Peime Minister-'know .quite well ■ that ' Parliament could do nothing but..ratify; ■ the pffer, evbn-if it objected to -it.^ , . : Na-' tional- pride and. loyalty. madb- that,inevitable. ; There could, hardly be anything' mere paltry than': %m 'Joseph's -attempt to take'hredit' for having ■ been nobly courageous in throwing himself upon the country's loyalty.'.;Wp/cannqt'.help'. won"-;' "during '-if these are fair l sampie's of the things' he has been telling the :■'•'. British public about his Government': and • our .-country. ■■.'-.''',-.,;', : '-. v)'...-',;...... j: .'•'.. .•'•■ ';.-..'■