THE BUSKERS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 355, 15 February 1917, Page 2

THE BUSKERS.

NO TIME FOR SPEECH-MAKING GF.T ON WITH THE AVAR. (By HORATIO BOTTOMEDY, Editor of “John Bull”). Loid Robert < eei], Mr. Herbert Samuel, Mr. McKinnon Wood, Mr. 11. J. Tennant and other minor Ministers toured Gieat Britain for file purpose of defending the Government's conduct of the war ; and Mr. Bottomly, in his best vein of satire, christening them “The Buskers,” criticises their campaign. He also makes some timely and iwi'j-tieal suggestions on tiie present political situation. A’ou know what a “Busker” is, don't you ’ A Busker is a secondclass professional artist —or artiste — who in tne “oif - season packs up Iris ‘’props” and takes a “pitch” on t'm sands or the beacn or a “fit-up” litlle. building in some seaside or other holiday resort. There is, as a rule, no charge for “admission,” but the hat or the tambourine is passed round. A’fell, four minor Ministers of tii<’ Grown are going “busking”— rii'i they will pass the hat round for vot-s. In this last matter the analogy between the simple “buskers” on the sands and Ministers on the stump is most apparent. Both are proud to proclaim themselves servants of the public. Both exist by “favour of vour support, ladies and g*’nt.]emer.” But I entertain pretty shrewd suspicion that neither our okl friends the professional “buskers” and our eauallv old friends, the Candid Cabmef Q, ai t Uo. would go out of their wav to entertain us unless we had something substantial to give in return for their services. On the whole I think our Cabinet friends, if they really do .go out on their “busking” expedition, will give a capital entertainment. Certain it is that no expense will be spared —whose expense, by the wav i —to make the function a success. 1 hope I have done all that Ministers can e.xnect ot me in commending tu i re pii < t> t 1 noticr ot a discerning public. Of this I am pretty 7 certain —there will be packed” houses. Tne object of these (•G.horate pertormances. v.e aiv. told, is “to impress upon the country the n » c oc. s -;ty ol utilising all its available iwonrees for tne vigorous prosecuting of the war. ' Isn t it amusing, t ) i c i 1 w < i d 1 screaming farce it it were not a na+’or-'il traced v. Just think of it for a ! ! i fJ vary men to whoni y 1 t I t d <ui 1 i b l t Ol CIS in t‘i° hour of otir direst peril as a nation, in order that tney should i _ i i> ii t> v 11 me verv men who we know have not !<<i but- on me other liaud, bate olw-iy s Imd to be driven —coming icy n m i uskin o exp dition 11 t i j t ien veo v ioh ieu n i ii they 1 i t i giy< t I cm mei thing tney h yi tn i Ito lo t m p stpm t t n Hie necessity 7 ui utilising all via available resources; nb.y, i i<ue n i< y n II in t yin t c i ■ >n t.A the Gcveniiiirnt tne very Jesj] tm t i bi s eis n io going to preacn m some suit uf «i Pasnion on the stump. i nit « 11 y>n yn ( c i 1 r t iis sviyy i 1 rjt 11 to y i chut tin nt <y<iv s ci th s I \ tl I itl 1 people 1 VI bofii leagues ahead of their Govt-in-ii 11 in t m pn Heal leah ntoi c-f th« great issues ;n stake, in «4>ei. i ><i iv n I ( \ ait s a m n to peed vh tore- and m knowledge ch toumi!lo<ls essential to ultimate sticC nc S i And yet. rorsooth, these dawdlers. these quibolers and .-h., .- diitofc pnv?T or one. mind auu .Jfcn of no mind at all, are to preach and nrate to us about the vigoiniu p -osecution of the war, ' and to s 7 md their precious variety troupe i + t mt y n 1 s <’ Hl (lit >J übot zle an ex s imrnted public! Awav with these i ft 1 1noi" i < f

'j’lieye is snir'ething ludicrous in the notion of Ministers stumping tnec ti t i n p ipo e ot at us ng t n>! otc g re itt of tte w a 1 i tpt i ci n o ici pci m tley n w 11 ha e oi ic H iei d or J isi.-.ive at the Front, or will always have lost one. liiev require im Um.sti rial admonitions, liiev seek oniv tne comfort oi official proct tnat iui u n hm ntb <n i fined to political ineptitude and ii i i li c x >ll ic u it Y i pntaima buuiuer. tuc mcJutions scandal, and a score oi other tmiigo. id n v j are b nn n o o i i 1 i t i u 1 n 100 i supplt s u 111 J 111! ill I c\ p 1 tic iitiis ) m i 1 i 1 o in t v. are Is are L.iings t.iey want to near c - vi ant to lie i 5 o t taein not irom the lips ot minor xVimisters or tiie Brown, but ironi tne lustier and more responsible > is 1 > r Y mm ti o it Ice La s i i utoo bi st t j at lend the ineecmcs, it were better to abandon them altogether.

i .mess 1 am mistaken in the temper of mv countrymen, these touring tierformers will get the bird ' at

uvorv town thev visit. We do not want tneir speeches. YY e are but too well acquainted with tne grim necessities of war, and the urgent, i u Pte aid st II gieate enort. In Heaven s name, let us t < n ith th i i il bus n ss A* e nave had more than enough of talk. It rhetoric would command victory, then we have won the war a dozen times over, and we could have sheathed tne sword many months io t'e e itip shows tbesi one-nmht stands, are mst as clear an indication that Ministers are out of touch with the spirit ot the nation as those cinema griniacmgs which we recently witnessed were stupid and undignified. Ihese are evidences that, at last, tne Government are waking up to a sin < of the mtongiiuti <f the war bv a Committee of Twentvf nee 1 h it w is alwre twonti t< o manv. Tne Prime Minister, the Avar -iticretarv, and the First Lord ot the. 1 nnal* t —with Si AA i l '] im Itobei t

son and Admiral Jellicoe always in consultation —tnat is the ideal AVar Council so long as the present, parliamentary system lasts. Associated with it should be a Peoples Mar Council, consisting of three men selected by the country it=elf -with access to all official documents, and charged with the duty of issuing periodical Reports t<> the public. Then tne People might have confidence in the Government, and they would gladly respond to every appeal, f-o long as it was backed up l.iy ‘heir own chosen representatives. Never mind about ’ Constitutional principles. ’ and adl that sort of thing. A fig for tne Text Books today. .Self-preservation, we are told, is rhe first layv ot nature, AA’e are fighting for the preservation of our Eumire and our race —and no amount of speechifying will save us. AVhen will Ministers understand the true temper of the people I AVe are for yvar—yvar. war, because w-i mean victory anil tne onl.i jieiu-e which the sure defeat of the f<>e ea.i ensure. W o yvant no more speeches —yve have nad more than enough of politicians' talk. Tne Buskers are not needed —not even as an entertainment. her them stick to their wuik in AATiitehall, and H lacy require a cnange ol occupation tiiere are other and not- less capable men who m tne coum-ry’s lateie.-.o uill be ready to take up tiieir jous. The timys are too serious, we issues wo gravo, lor political . hir.tr. jmw or fooling.” Get on with the wai; 1 Cabinet conjuring. “Enough of this Or are the Government riding for a fall '!■ I should not be at all surprised ii such were rhe case, fhe new Council mav wed be intended ns the forerunner ol a virtual Dictatorship for the duration of the yvar. It so- good luck to it. Anvtnmg rather than the present cnaotic arrangement. And it mav be that the mission ot tne rsusxers is to afford the public one last demonstration of h kind of marc il ion muh yie nave had to reiv in tne past '■ Mr. Asquith is an astute parliamentarian : and whilst tne present orators mav be feeling miahtv proud or. t’lmsnhes in 1 uu electel as th ciianmions ot the Government, they \ d y b ore long that they have reailv been disnatched on a mission ot Hari Kari. In which case, there yvill be no tears or flowers. Aleantvhile. all s well in the AYest and not half as bad as it looks in the East.