THE SWETTENHAM INCIDENT.

Evening Star, Issue 12640, 19 April 1907, Page 1

THE SWETTENHAM INCIDENT.

The Jamaica ‘ Daily Telegraph’ of January 22, in its first issue after the Kingston earthquake, commented editorially on the Swettenham incident as follows; — We should not be faithful to onr duty as exponents of public opinion if wo fail to call attention to the extraordinary conduct of His Excellency the Governor at the present crisis. Wo gladly and willingly Dear testimony to his energy and to the goodness of his Intentions. But his general behaviour in a moment of great peril and difficulty has not been worthy of a responsible British official, or even of a cultured English' gentleman. . His letter to Rearadmiral Davis is a production of which he ought to be ashamed, and is certainly a production of which the intelligent people of Jamaica will bo ashamed. It may bo quite true that, complying with the request of the American Vice-Consul to land armed parties of marines or sailors, the Admiral committed a technical mistake. But the United States is a friendly nation ; its people are, bone of British bone and flesh of British flesh; and nobody but a blinded bigot will refuse to admit that the landed parties from the warships did magnificent work in removing debris and recovering bodies of unfortunate victims from the ruins ; and the naval surgeons did equally splendid work in performing amputations and other operations with consummate self-sacrifice and skill. Why, under such circumstances, exaggerate the importance of a technical blunder, and adopt an insulting attitude to the American Admiral, in a communication which is also brimful of insults to the most prominent men in Kingston? The Governor's conduct is absolutely reprehensible, and as inexplicable as it is reprehensible.' Indeed,- it affords conclusive proof that he is not the man who is wanted in Jamaica at the present crisis. Wo want a calm, strong, controlling mind to direct operations, Wo war ft a man like Mr Sydney Olivier or Sir Henry Jackson, of Trinidad —a man who will not spend his time and waste ■ his energy in cavorting round the city damning and swearing at officials who are endeavoring to do their work in a zealous mid loyal manner, and humiliating even heads of departments in the presence of their subordinates. We admit that His Excellency has been working hard, and that he is animated by the best of motives; but Ire has apparently not been able to maintain self-control during a critical ore deal, and be is perpetually making the mistake of thinking that he is the only wise man in the community. If he were to learn to bridle his tongue, also Iris pen, and to sit down quietly at Headquarter House issuing orders and receiving reports, he would find that there is no lack of able and devoted assistance at Iris bond, and ho might yet be able to recover his reputation. But the people of this community (with possibly a few exceptions) have lost confidence in his powers of guidance, and are indignant at his autocratic bullying and insulting manner.