BRITISH GENERAL ELECTION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 88, 8 January 1919, Page 6

BRITISH GENERAL ELECTION

Sir,—Permit me through the medium of your columns to offer mv congratulations to "Lower Hutt" on the feiitimpnts expressed in his. recent letter. Unfortunately we nro not blosspd with a very considerable number of citizens with n libeml,. vision ns fur as the affairs of the Empire are concerned. The method adopted in removing Mr. Asrjuith 'fmm office in 1916 does not redmind to the credit of Mr. IW! Gporee, although nercliance the Emnirp hns been the gainer as fnr as the_ morn vigorous nroseeution of the war is rmmtM-npd. The supine attitude nf the T.ioyrl Oportre. Government in rognrd to Home Kule fnr Ireland jnd Irish conscrintinn (one weakness ho-ret-tin>? the other) has not helned the Allied cause, however, flip man-power asnect being seriously affected, nnd Sinn Fe.inism has been wontoted nt the expense 'nf th* loyal ex-Tipdmonditfts. Some nnlilical "chickens" have ucqui"pd Hip habit of "coming home' to roost"!—I am, etc.. A.C.TT. T>.R.—The "John o' Groat ' Journal" n;ninnisr\ Wiclt. Rcotlpnd. affords an illumi"atin» incident of Cnolition t""ties. Sir. Robert JFunrn, K.C., J[.P.. and Secretary for 'Scotland, had to mnVe way for Sir R. L. Hirmeworth, M.P..' ns the I candidate for the new constituency of I Caithness and Sutherland, althcucb. the

latter uiembar had no greater qualified- '< tion for preference than the fact that he is a brother of-Lord Nortliclift'e! Sir • ' Robert Munro, who is a Highlander through and through, had,' with much regret, to accept a'neat elsewhere.—A.C.H, ; Sir,—lt is noteworthy that Mr. Asquithi did not set up any opposition to the "return of Air. Lloyd George, noria number I of other notable statesmen, but the great' ; veteran was driven from his last refuge \ —East Fife, a seat he has. represented since 1886—by Colonel Sprott, a Coalition representative. Contrast ifr. Asquith's loyalty to Sir Henry Campbell-Bannor-man when approached to replace his i leader and later to ehelve him, even although strongly opposed to the latter's , ; sympathetic attitude to the Boers—a sympathy shared by Mr. Lloyd George—mid ' later loyalty to his first lieutenant (Mr. Lloyd George) when the Budget campaign- i was proposed, with recent happenings! Truly a. mighty prince in the councils of our Empire hath fallen—one highly worthy of not merely, a linmble, but & i great place in the affairs of State.— : I am, etc., . ■ ■• • ■ < A. Z. HOLMS. i Fcatherston, January C, 1919. ' .•'