LORD ROSEBERY'S SPEECH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2493, 25 December 1901, Page 19

LORD ROSEBERY'S SPEECH.

aWice to the liberal party. VIEWS OX THi'i SOUTH AFRICAN TROUBLE. XONDON, December 17. Lord Rosebery addressed a gathering of 5000 people at Chesterfield. The' audience included several prominent exCabinet Ministers. His Lordship at the outset disclaimed any idea of solving the question of party unity, but he intended to speak his mind, and offer some dispassionate advice. The Liberal party should be free from the Irish alliance. They ought to in- j scribe on a clean slate that the policy of 1902 was not the policy of 1892, and . especially that the party did mot dissociate themselves from the new sentiment of Empire, which sentiment was not an aggressive one. A.ny statesman, however, eminent, dissociating himself from that sentiment must not be surprised if the nation dissociates itself from him. He emphasised the views he expressed in July. The watchword of the nation ought to be "Efficiency." He severely criticised the Government, and repelled the theory that there was not an alternative Government. A dissolution ought to be decreed after peace was secured. . • Lord Rosebery denounced the prating about the British war methods beiug barbarous. He vindicated the army, and condemned the -Boer atrocities. He also upheld the proclamation of martial. law, and a stern and efficient prosecution of the war, to be followed by a passive policy of peace. He would listen to overtures emanating from Kruger and the exiled Boer Government. The Boers .were aware their independence had gone, and they were too shrewd to base their hopes on the crazy foundation of the utterances of a handful of people in Britain. He was dead against the recall ©f Lord Milner, but favoured an amnesty compatible with safety; also the setting up of a commission on the lines of the rough-and-ready administrators of the Indian type to help Lord Milner. He would lavishly restock the farms, and grant immediate civil rights to all Boers taking a drastic oath of allegiance, but he would not immediately grant the new States representative government. He declared that his policy was not on party lines. He was at the disposal of the country, and appealed to the tribunal of public opinion and common sense. j Lord Rosebeiy was continuously I cheered throughout his speech. Mr , Asquith and Sir Edward Grey were pre- ] sent, and unreservedly endorsed Lord ' Eosebery's views. ' The general opinion is that Lord Rose- : ."beiy's brilliant speech strengthens the ,war policy, and its strong Imperial ring is much commented on. The Times says abhat it rises with rare completeness to ihe level of a great occasion. The Standard expresses disappointment at Lord , flpsebery remaining stationary and not

supporting the Cabinet in a •wholehearted manner. The Daily . Chronicle is hopeful that the speech will do good alt round. The Westminster Gazette (Liberal) say& that everybody finds somer thing and nobody everything they want in the speech. The extreme Radical press is bitter and cynical. December 18. Mr Ritchie, speaking at Kensington, said Lord Rosebery had done great service by his manly protest against the foul aspersions on British humanity and his clear declaration on the essential conditions of peace. The Post Office telegraphed 234,000 words of Lord Rosebery's speech to the French and Dutch press. Both of them I express disappointment at his Lordship's 1 utterances. They expected that he I would have sided with Sir H. CampbellBannerman.