LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2753, 24 April 1916, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

THE CRIERSON INQUIRY.

inf D J ountlun was said to' be in labour after long expectation and manv conjectures, out popped a mouse. A Royal Commission has sat ami Tia«+ M. mi scope pf the inquiry. Wt b 0 tl a as it tact that- Lieut. Grierson offered liie services to his country, when the major ?> lar 6 e < * failed, I should have thought that the rather Vague impute! tion summed m the phrase, "Foolish i«i,f'' ffl Ti ri f Ug +1 0f his S T™ wledge, fell to the ground also—that if we could trust him as an officer in the S s army we could put the more eenerous interpretation upon reports of rr~ivate conversations. Of this "air" the Commissioner himself had no direct evi. dence before him, only the opinions of several witnesses. It is admitted that no words made use of by Lieut. GriefBon were in themselves offensive: the ottence lay in tho manner of their ut. teruice. Now I happen to know Mr. JJighton though not so well as I know Lieut. Grierson. We three were fellow; passengors on the Taiivui. I have kept up the latter acquaintance, though' I havo dropped tho former. I have met both Probyns and Dightons in ihe Old Country, and I never can enough regret the decrease of such ancient honourable stocks, but I have no hesitation in saywig that of my two ■ shipmates, Mr, Grierson, though tho younger, was oj the more intellectual bent. Now. ther< is one virtue, rare even amongst intel< lectuals, and yet essential to true cul< ture, the possession of which renders a man peculiarly liable to be misunderstood and exposes him to the most cruel injustice. At such a time as this, when passions are inflamed and judgment is unbalanced, disinterestedness may well pass with many for disloyalty. 'To be ready to accept the truth even-when it is most unfavourable to ourselves is at alw ?w°T°" Tirtuo: to declare such truth to-day is to risk the resent, inent of those no longer under the re. stramt of morality. What Lieut. Grierson said, whethei boastfully or otherinso, needs to be said again and yet again, until the nation has courage enough to look truth un tha iace, and no longer fears a spy in every follow citizen. AVe should not too highly appraise those actions tliat a man might I ,y> remembering that 1 'as religion is' imitated and mocked by hypocrisy, se public duty is parodied by patriotism." . glance at the map of Europe showj that Germany's future lies in the pos. session of Holland and Belgium: for these she must venture her life. Fortunately for us, as a great' German has Eaitl, .''it, is not the good caußO which sanctifieth even war, But the good war which sanctifieth every cause." ' Might not those tones in Lieut. Grierson s voice, which! to his hearers sounded so like exultation over our enemy's preparedness, have been rather of de. spair at the thought that his countrymen were about to commit again tho folly of under-valuing their opponent, for which they have paid so often anq so dearly in the past?—l am, etc., W. WOOLVERTON. Kohatu, Nelson, April 17, 1916.