MR GREY'S CRITICISMS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIII, Issue 12160, 26 March 1900, Page 6

MR GREY'S CRITICISMS.

SOME INTERESTING CORRESPONDENCE. r Fno>t Ovn Cob respondent.] DUNEDIN, March 20. Some tini: after his arrival in Duncdin, on Thursday uidit, .-.. member of the s'.ad .- of (he '•Sin'r" waited on (he Premier, and endeavoured to elicit information on matters of general importance. Amongst othei matters Mr Seddon was questioned regard ing an article which appeared m that paper taking Mr Grey, eliief of ".Ham-ard, to task for his strictures, publisird i» llie "Nav York Times" on the colony's attitude on the war in South Africa. The Premier said that the. "Star" having puolished the attack he deemed it- right tnat the paper should he allowed to have Mr Grey's rejoinder. Parliamentary officers are under the control of the Speaker, and as taere wilt be no Speaker till the new House meets it is impossible that any action should betaken till June next.'" Parliament, however, would have to deal with the matter at once. Had Mr 'Grey been a, Government officer, the Premier said that he would at once have taken such action as' would have prevented a repetition of an offence which was clearly setting at naught. ■ the decision of a Parliamentary body '(viae the report cf the- Printing and Debates. Committee) since the. sanction of Parliaments had been given to the despatch of the First Contingent to the front. This'is the correspondence, which explains itself : Premier's Office, Wellington, February. —Sir,— My attention has bet.i called to an article in'the Dunedin •Evening Star,' of Jan. 29 last, which quotes what purports to be extracts from ;i ■ •;. : er written by you, dated from, Wellington, Oct. 27, anu published in the 'New York Times/ of Nov. 26, commenting on the action of this and other Australian colonies in connection with the despatch of contingents to the Transvaal. I. shall be glad to-know if you really are the author ot the letter in question.' I have, etc., R. "J. Seddon.—J.' Gr-attan Grey, Esq., chief 'Hansard' reporter. Wellington Terrace, Feb. 12, 1500.—llic Right Hon R. J. Seddon, Premier.—Sir*— Your letter dated 6th inst, regarding the Tnuipvmil war only reached me to-day. As my dies of American papers have not coin? "to hand for several months past, a matter which I intend to inquire into at the Post Office, I am not in possession of a copy of the " New York Times," nor of the ""Evening Star" mentioned in your letter, "if you will kindly supply me with a copy of the "Star" in order that I may see the extracts mentioned I shall have much pleasure in supplying you with theinformation you desire. I am, etc., J. Giuiian Grey." Wellington Terrace, Wellington, Feb. 15, 1900. The Right Hon R. J. Seddon, Premier.—Sir,—l am in receipt of your letter of the 13th inst., enclosing an extract from t-ne Dunedin " Evening Star," of Jan. 29, containing portions of my article to the '' New York Times." published in that influential journal, of Nov. 26, 1899. I will preface my reply to your request for information as to the authorship of that article by observing that this is not the first occasion on which this same individual connected, with the Dunedin '' Evening, Star " has displayed the strongest possible animosity against me under the cloak o'f anonymity, and has shown personal mailop to an extern, which must meet with the reprobation of all honest, upright, and respectable journalists.. The individual in question, however, is not a journalist of any weight or position, outside the parochial radius of the paper's circulation, and very little within that limited area. Professional etiquette, straightforwardness, or the instincts of journalistic comaraderie could not be expected from such an -uncultured source, and I leave him. as all paltry things like him should be left, to the contemplation of his own littleness, and to the. enjoyment of whatever fruits may come from the ventilation of his jealousy and maliciousness. He has mv assurance, however, that whether or/not he succeeds in'his present attempt j to do me an injury it is a matter which will neither damage my appetite or induce i insomnia. As to the article contributed to the " New York Times," from which these extracts have been republished, I beg to ; inform you that I was the author of that ] article, and that I adhere to the opinions therein expressed regardless of consequences. In the first place let me inform you that throughout my life I have belonged to the party of peace, and have been an uncompromising opponent of recourse to war for the settlement of international difficulties. I had made a special study of the Transvaal question, and read all the available literature connected with the subject from every standpoint, and had become an impartial and conscientious observer of events, a. staunch adherent of the humane and enlightened policy of England's greatest commoner,- Mr Gladstone, with 'regard to the Transvaal Republic. When war was first hinted at in the winter months of last year I would not bring myself to believe'that hostilities would actually eventuate, and made no disguise of my sentiment that -if war did -ensue it would be one of the most unjust and unrighteous wars recorded in history. I could not, however, believe that the British nation would allow itself to be deluded by a band of oreedr a T 'd grasping capitalists into undertaking -ajvur against a people whose right to self-government had been fully recognised, for I maintain that it is a war which has been footed by capitalists, and it is lamemabh to think that so much precious bloo"d has be.-...nd will be spilt, and so much treasure expended at the instigation of thf"- moneyed magnates for purposes of theii- own aggrandisement. Does anyone in his proper senses, anyone with the smallest atom of intelligence or fairmindedness, really believe that but for the gold and diamond discoveries m bouc-h Africa the Boers: would-' ever have been disturbed in their isolation? All candid and thoughtful men, however reluctant they mav be at this juncture to confess it, miik feel in their hearts that the greed oi unscrupulous capitalists is in truth the real reason of this present deploraole conflict, the primary cause which lies at the- bottom cf the hideous tragedy which is now being enacted in South Africa. Immediately before and after the commencement of hostilities I regarded with deepest sorrow the wave of jingoistic hysteria that inundated theise colonies, the unreasoning and unthinking manner in which this jingoistic spirit was fanned until provincial jealousies and rivalries have now actually developed in this frantic desire to send contingents to South Africa beyond anything that was ever contemplated. When I consider the marvellous wealth of Great Britain, her inexhaustible resources in. men and m mey, her population of forty-four millions of people to draw combatants from, her. powerful navy to defend her against any possible or probable concert of European nations, I could not suppose that England required assistance from her far-off colonies. In detailing her differences with a comparative handful of people like the Boers, two hemmed-in republics in South Africa, v ithouf, a seaboard and without ports for replenishing supplies, which in'coimse of time must become exhausted, all these considerations forced me to the conclusion that it was an act of the supremest folly to drain the colonies of their population for the purpose of doing battle seven thousand miles away in a struggle about the eventual issue of which there could not be the slightest, anxiety or doubt. If it was considered necessary to impress foreign Powers, with the moral lesson of colonial loyalty »nd enthusiasm by the despatch of a First Contingent from each, does it not strike one that the good effect of that lesson is likely to be destroyed by the sending of contingent after contingent upon the ■ same unfortunate errand ? Will not this apparently unrestricted exodus to South Africa create an impression in unfriendly quarters that England is in extremities, and that her prestige and prowess arc in imminent difficulty and peril? I am not" so pessimistic as to suppose for one moment that she is or is at all likely to be in such straits, or j that iher foremoist prestige amongst the

natives of the earth stands the slightest danger of not being maintained in this war with the Boers, but, as an .Australian I protest against this serious diminution of our population, against this maddened rush from our shores when, if we look to our'own requirements we want to keep every man of them here? What is the state of the defences in any one of the Australian colonies? Will anyone say for one moment — cr it lie says it, dees he really believe it—that our defences are in an effective condition? Is there any difficulty in realising the awkward position these colonics mightbe phiccd in at any moment in. the event of any European complications that might arise? In this position of affairs, why send the best physical types of our 'young men, the very flower of our population out of the country, when it is population and population of that stamp we stand most in need of? Why contribute funds to the wealthiest nation on earth when the money could be more easily and legitimately expended in placing ourselves in'a position to repel an; enemy ? In tho pursuit of.mv journalistic profession I have given expression to these views. That they are not popular with the present unthinking and uninformed multitude I doubt not, but they are my deep-rooted and conscientious convictions nevertheless, and if I am to suffer for the candid and fearless exposition of them,' 1 find solace in the belief that thev will be acquiesced in eventually, when the feverish pulse of the majority 'gets its normal condition and calmness sunulants the existing excitement. It is all very well for the people just now to shout themselves hoarse, to be carried away by waving banners and by the intoxicating influences of martial airs. Only wait until the scores come to be reckoned up, until tne piper has to be paid, and depend upon it, they will dance to a less agreeable tune. At" the same time, I feel confident that even in this small .community there are hundreds, nay thousands, cf people who think exactly as I do on the subject, and only refrain from giving vent to their fee-lings in order to escape assault and abuse from persons who have allowed this demon of jingoism to make captive of. their reason and to warp their better, and calmer'judgment. Is is one of ''tha--highest-functions of every honest, well-meaning and straightforward journalist to do all he can on occasions such as this to stem' the current of popular frenzy, to inculcate ;the . salutary ideas of moderation, and to strive all he knows to direct public opinion into the best- and safest channels. In my humble capacity, this is precisely what I have endeavoured to do, profoundly and conscientiously believing that I was doing right, and believing also that I was living in a free and enlightened country. Is it possible that I have been under a delusion all the best years of my life, and that I am now to realise that- freedom of thought and speech in New Zealand, that boasted palladium of individual and collective liberty, is nothing but a myth after all. I am, etc., J. GRATTAN GREY.

Extract from Appendixes to the Journal of the House of 'Representatives, dated Sept, 14, 1899:—" Reporting, Debates and Printing Committee.— The Hon Major Steward:from the Reporting, Debates and Printing; Commitee brought up a. report rehtive'to 'Hansard' reporters' doing outoutside political, work, together with minutes of proceedings and exhibits, and the report was read as follows:—'The Reporting, Debates and Printing Committee have the honour to report in connection with the statements made by Mr Morrison, M.H.R., in Committee of Supply relative to Mr J. Grattan aver, chief of the ' Hansard ' staff, and also in connection with the question of Hansard ' reporters doing outside political work, that thev have come to the followhave been unable to obtain a copy of the article contributed to the ' New York limes, and extracts from which were, quoted m a speech in the House bv Mr Morrison member for Caversham: (2) that Mr-J. Grattan G-rev admits that the article referred to was published in that journal over his name, but states that his official designation was not appended or attached thereto ; (3) that the terms of Mr Grey's appointment expressly accord him liberty, after completion of 'Hansard' each session, to take outside work: (4 1 ) that this commitee recommends that in future members of the ; Hansard «Uff should not actively participate in New Zealand politics by writing articles for publication'or otherwise, although the, F ee no objection to members of the statt beir- employed in reporting oi »«•««> "vork when not required to attend to their parliamentary duties.'' •