MR HENDERSON DIVULGES CABINET SECRETS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIX, Issue 13903, 3 November 1919, Page 5

MR HENDERSON DIVULGES CABINET SECRETS.

Mr Arthur Henderson, ex-member of the War Cabinet, bus revealed a. chap ler of secret history concerning his part in the war and the Russian situation. His disclosures surprised even his friends. Mr Henderson wits addressing his lirst meeting as Labor candidate for the Widnes division, where a by-election had heen necessitated by the elevation to the peerage of Colonel Hall Walker. He I old his audience that ho could have Income Ambassador to Russia at a salarv of £BOOO a vear or remained a member of the War Cabinet- at £OOOO a year. It was ;r contest between policy and principle., and principle won. .Air Henderson began his speech with a reference to a stigma which it was I sought to attach to him —that of Pacifist sympathies. "I" am prepared to I lai-e that issue and to test it." he said. "If J use an unparliamentary phrase and say it Ts a damned lie T hope you will pardon the emphasis of the words.'' After stating how he assisted Lord Kitchener and Lord Derby in their campaign in the early days of the war. Mr Henderson proceeded to deal with his relations with Mr Lloyd George, who, he said, extended to him a personal invitation to become a member of his Cabinet. He accepted, and during the early months of that Cabinet he assisted to the best of his ability in trying to win the war. In 1917 the Cabinet unanimously decided, in his absence, to ask him to go on a mission to Russia, and he went. The people who least liked his going were the Bolsheviks: the people who had most to say against his going to Russia and ihe people who had most to say against him since were the Bolsheviks. It was a curious thing that the Unionists in this and other parts of the country wished to throw him body and soul to those who disowned him. "When I went to Russia, Mr Henderson continued. "T was opposed to what is.known as the Stockholm Conference, and my chief. Mr Lloyd George, was in favor of it. I went to Russia and got converted. T came to two conclusions. One was that we must revise the secret treaties. The Russians who met me said: 'Mr Henderson, we must have the secret treaties revised.' I asked why. They said: 'When you handed over Constantinople to the Czar what did you get. what did France get. what did Italy get for going into the war!- These things are inconsistent with the principles of the revolution, therefore we must have them revised so that we may know that in carrying the war on we shall be fighting for the prin-

ciplos of the revolution.' The next thing 1 found-out was that they wanted a Stockholm conference, a negotiating conference. 1 said I would have nothing to do with any negotiating conference, and I came back, my.work being done. "Y am going to let you into another secret. When I went to Russia, I went possessing the power to send the then Ambassador home at the end of a fortnight, and to take his job at £BOOO ayear. I made up my mind that it would be most unfair for me to ask the Ambassador to return home. I wrote I back to London, suggesting that I should return to Loudon, and that he should remain at his post. Tf I hart been the mean, despicable, unprincipled politician they are now trying to make me out to be, I could have resided in Russia at £BOOO a year, or, failing to ; do that. F could have returned and instead of saying anything about Stockholm or about the secret treaties, or about my T<uss'ian experiences or conversion, .1 could have gone on with my work in the Cabinet, and J could havei been keeping till now my £.5000 a year.But that £SOOO a year would have been covered up in a napkin containing my principles, and would have been no good to me. so I refused to do anything of the kind. •"I want, in the most emphatic way. to challenge and contradict the statement that when T returned from Petroarad my resignation was asked for. 1 deny that absolutely. My resignation never was asked for. but was tendered voluntarily and freely, because I found that the difference of policy between my colleagues and myself was so great that it was very much better for me. Having the choice offered to mo, the situation was such that I could not remain secretary to the Labor Party and' continue a member of the War Cabinet, holding the. views I did. I therefore decided to sacrifice my £SOOO a. year and stand by my party and my principles."