Lancings FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1917. OUR TWO NEW KNIGHTS.

Free Lance, Volume XVI, Issue 867, 16 February 1917, Page 6

Lancings

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1917. OUR TWO NEW KNIGHTS.

Here shall the Preae the'.People's right maintain, Unawed by principle'ond unbribed by gain; Here patriot Truth her glorious precepts draw; Pledged to Religion, Liberty, and Law. :

Honour Where Honour is Due. .'-■':•" •.■'■•': V ——— .'' "JVTOT'even Sir James Allen's bitter-: *£■ ■ est apolitical enemy should grudge the Acting-Prime Minister the knighthood which it has pleased His Majesty the King to; confer upon him. For the honour was thoroughly well deserved: Differ from Sir James, as we Have often had occasion tJ» do, oh matters of,,organisation and administration,' we have 'never belittled v the striking ability, nor under-rated the untiring personal energy and industry with which the Minister. of Defence has fulfilled the arduous duties of his office. No doubt, looking back over the period which has elapsed since New.., Zealand first began to shoulder her responsibilities with regard to the Empire and the Empire's war, some mistakes—both of omission and commission—could be brought home to the. Minister of-Defence. ■ .-.-._- »; ■~'. 'ft-..'.*-'''*'.''- . : But, after all is said and' done, he has "delivered the goods," or, perhaps, we ought to say, has seen to it that the Dominion' has "delivered, the goods," ;and kept, her end up throughout the war, despatching reinforcements after reinfor cements—f enforcements of well- : trained; well-equipped men, men the; equal of any soldiers in the world, men who have won imperishable honour for their country. Sir : James has had, at times, to' contend with serious difficulties and and there have been occasions—it is no good denying the fact—when public opinion has judged his actions somewhat severely.- When,; however, it is remembered that New Zealand was not a' military State, that : kll the new organisation necessary to ensure the despatch of the Expeditionary Force and its subsequent reinforcements had to be created, and that for some time the Defence Department was without expert'lmperial military advice, it must be admitted that the Department and its Ministerial head have both done remarkably well. •'• ~■-.'• •'...#. .'*■•' «• We need hot refer to Sir James Allen's long and distinguished political career. This is not the time, nor the' place, to discuss the history of party politics in New Zealand during the lastquarter of a century. This much; however, we can say: that, putting aside all party predilections and prejudices, no one who has watched the course of political events during the last few years will refuse to cheerfully pay testimony to. the idustry, ability, and sincerity displayed by Sir James, and the useful work which, for- some years purely critical, and in later times creative and administrative, has been done by him. We only trust that all future bestowed upon New Zealand politicians may be as well deserved as that which was announced on Tuesday last. & «■ •.' © We also tender our congratulations to Sir John Edward Denniston upon being made a Knight Bachelor. As our senior puisne judge the honour is well bestowed, and Sir John's career and deserts have richly earned this distinction. At the Bar he was a distinguished advocate; on the Bench he has been an able, upright and painstaking judge. 'Sir John Edward Denniston, K. 8., is of Scottish birth and lineage. He was educated at Greenock Academy and Glasgow University. - He was admitted to the New Zealand Bar in 1874 and practised in Dunedin with great success. In 1889 he was created a judge and assigned to the Canterbury and Westland Circuit. His home is in Christchurch. May he live long to enjoy the honour conferred upon him by his Sovereign.