MR. CHURCHILL'S SPEECH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13494, 22 May 1907, Page 7

MR. CHURCHILL'S SPEECH.

HIS RECKLESS LANGUAGE. .

PREMIERS NOT TO BE MUZZLED.

By Telegraph.—Prew Association.—Copyiigß.

London, May 20. , The ; Times says: "Mr. Asquith": assured us that the Conference had not strained the friendly feelings between the Home Government and the representatives of the self-gov-erning States in the least degree. Mr. Churchill's speech is an uncompromising denial, of Mr. Asquith's optimism. How Imperial unity or even the most ordinary good feeling can be promoted by Mr. Churchill's reckless language we cannot imagine. Preference after all is the colonial policy, and has been reaffirmed -in our midst by colonial statesmen, yet he glories in the fact that the Government has banged the door on preference."

It adds: "Another strange lapse rom statesmanship and good manlers was his lofty rebuke, implying :hat the Premiers had sinned igainst the laws of hospitality. The Premiers did not come here to be muzzled. " Our knowledge of their Conference speeches on preference is restricted to only meagre precis. To contend that the Premiers should thereafter be silenced because they might offend Ministers' amour propre surely is folly. It is only going a step beyond this to declare that the Premiers had no business to ask us to modify our fiscal policy .at, alla view apparently seriously held in some quarters. The Premiers appreciate the -situation and believe the educative effect of the Conference will be most important in its results." '