MR. RAMSAY MACDONALD

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 61, 15 March 1924, Page 13

MR. RAMSAY MACDONALD

TO IDE EDITOR. Sir, —I have read with interest Mr. Davidson's letter appearing in your issue of the 11th inst., but surely it were scarcely necessary that lie should demonstrate to a well-informed community like oui-s that Mr. Bamsay Mac Donald is a pacifist and an anti-conscription-ist, and that he refused to believe that the late war was either necessary or inevitable. As a matter of fact," Mr. Mac Donald proved the mettle 'he was made of as far back as 1906, when he made a noble protest in the House of Commons against the butchery of fourteen unfortunate blacks by drumhead court-martial in Natal. During the late war he was subjected to the persecution usual when a whole people go more or less insane, and I have no doubt that bad he been in this country lie would have sewed a term of imprisonment. Not merely was he expelled from tho golf club in his native village, but he was refused a passport to Europe, and lie earned scathing denunciation at the bands of sucli sturdy Imperialists as Mr. Horatio Bottomley. Lord Northcliffe, and bis brother. Lord Rothermere. Mr. lk-ltomley lampooned him in "John Bull" as a pacifist, a defoatest. and n traitor, and his onslaught was approved by Lord liothe;niore, who. in fact, carried on a campaign through bis unperg to hijve Mr. Ruttouiley made a 1 Idiiu&tcr.! Times have thimged fwitr

what, however, and so it has come to pass that Mr. Bottomley is now serving a well-earned term of penal servitude, while Mr. "Eamsay Mac Donald is Prime ■Minister of Great Britain. Nevertheless; I have no doubt that were Mr. MacDonald to pay us a visit he would be refused a civic reception by his Worship the Mayor.—l am, "etc., P.-J. O'BEGAN. 13th March. .