The Otago Witness. (WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1918). THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3336, 20 February 1918, Page 35

The Otago Witness.

(WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1918). THE WEEK.

WITH WHICH 1% INCORPORATED TUB SOUTHERN MERCURIC.

'•Nunquam allud natura, allud Bapieatla alxlt." -JuvaMAL. "Good nature and good sense must ever join. Fori. The retirement, resignation, or dismissal of Sir William Robertson— Who's Who for until Mr Lloyd George in England, makes his promised statement in the House of Com-

mons the exact position remains largely a matter of rumour—cannot be regarded as an incident in itself: to judge its full meaning it must apparently be accepted as a sign of dissatisfaction with Mr Lloyd George s leadership, which has been growing in political and military circles at Home. That sense of dissatisfa-ction is voiced by Mr Austin Harrison —one of the Prime Minister's keenest critics—in the January number of the English Review in the'following words:—"Mr Lloyd George has enjoyed a whole year of dictatorship, .having 'begun by promising us a 'knock-out.' The nation's money has been spent uncriticised; the daily press has practically acted as a propaganda department of the State; Mr Lloyd George has had every opportunity that the wealth and unrivalled good temper and spirit of Britain could give him. To-day no_ man would sav that he has justified his inaugural w : ords. Even in finance we have no °proper expert counsel. Wild statements are made by Ministers about food, about submarines', about the enemy, almost invariably contradicted by other Ministers. No man knows who rules, who controls, who is responsible. The press is used as a Governmental mouthorgan ; thus the fantastic or political press reports from France about the losses of the Germans at Cambrai. We do not know what to believe, or whom to believe. We cannot even extract from the Government any coherent statement of war aims. The truth is, the Government is now merely opportunist, and has no precise Objective. We have now reached the great crisis in the -war. due to illusion and irresponsibility." Allowing for that element of political prejudice which in Great Britain obscures almost all criticism of questions of public policy and administration, Mr Austin Harrison's views are somewhat extreme: b.ut they evident!--reflect a feeling growing in strength and opinion. People read the cables, but with a hopeless sense of not knowing what to believe or who to believe, amid the contradictory statements continually made. Mr Austin Harrison paints the picture in what may be.deemed a pessimistic fashion, but it may be salutary to ponder his words: "Next summer America cannot possibly be a decisive factor; she cannot possibly send to us in effectives more than half the casualties we have incurred on the West this year: and if Russia remains neutral, or- the equivalent, it is obvious that America's aid in man-power in 1918

will not approximately neutralise the great adhesion of strength that will automatically accrue to the Gormanio Powers through the release of their Eastern, forces. It is senseless to pretend otherwise. ... On physical lines we have to look forward to at least another two years of war in all probability, and to hide this up is insanity. This year (1917) on tlie Western front there haa been no strategic result. We have advanced, good tactica] gains have been registered, but the losses have been terrific, and the results have fallen fa* below the expected, and c'atastrophlcally below those most reprehensibly predicted by the Commander-in-Chief at* the begin* ning of the year."

The value of such "a criticism as we have in part quoted consists in Wanted a it s revelation of the grow'Generalissimo. mg dissatisfaction in the Homeland both with the , political leadership and the military direction of affairs, and which has culminated in the retirement of Sir William Robert-, son. Reading between the lines of the fragmentary news so far made certain assumptions are warranted. First of all the British people, as a whole/ are profoundly dissatisfied with the 6ituatioA ' as it stands revealed after more than, ,' three and a-half years of warfare; to further which they have given ungrudgingly of their money,. their men, their time, their talents, their all; and while determined to prosecute the war until the. goal is reached, they look forward with apprehension and anxiety to the prospect of another tw.o or three years of indecisive fighting on the present gigantic and sanguinary scale. This is the root reason why Lord Lansdowne's letter created so great a sensation; and certainly, it has acted as "a sanitary note of interrogation." The Government —if we may take the cue vfrom Mr Lloyd George's Paris speech—inclines to throw the blame upon the military heads, especia*y for that lack of co-ordination which, alone! can' ensure victory ; and this has brought both, Sir Douglas Haig and Sir William Rober*» son under condemnation. The military heads on their part bitterly resent all political interference with their freedom! of action, and cite specific instances In which such interference has retarded vie-: tory. 'To add to the imbroglio, the necessity of closer co-ordination between the Allies, made so plain by the recent Italian debaclo, has created friction between the mi]itary representatives of the! j Allied armies. Thus at a time when ( unity of aim and direction is essential to* the successful withstanding of the German unslaught, there- is distinct danger of a. deadlock all round. Apparently 'Sir William Robertson objected to _ the proposed curtailment of his authority which the powers vested in the Versailles War Council implied; and if rumour is to be credited, he refused the appointment as British representative 'on that War Council. Since Sir Douglas Haig and Sir William Robertson are close colleagues, the action of the one is calculated to affect the action of the; other, and the rumoured resignations of* other generals may have gome foundation in fact. - The trouble between Colonel Repington, the g Morning Post, and the Government, has 1 added considerably to the existent difSr culty, and the end is not yet. Whj& . everyone is asking is: "If a Generalisfiiriw . is so essential to the successful conduct qf the war, where is he to be found? _Sir . Henrv Wilson's transfer to Whitehall will leave a vacancy at Versailles; the que&- . tion ' is: Who • will fill that vacancy?. Hence the eagerness with which Mr Lloyd George's statement is awaited.

Outside of the anxiety created by the general war situation, proThe Death of bably no recent -domestic Dr Bedford, event has excited such

genuine sympathy as the tragic end of Dr Bedford, Professor of j History and -Economics in the University of Ota'go. Although not actually born in. the Dominion, ho came with his parents to these shores at so early an age that he was entitled to be called a youiAg New Zealander. Endowed with great natural gifts of speech and intellect, Dr Bedford, developed"those gifts to the.full by study ; and concentration, and used them generously in the service of his fellow man. It is no exaggeration to aver that he succeeded iri everything he undertook, : and that some at least of his successes were prodigious. This is especially true* of his advent in the political arena, and" his election as senior member for the City of Dunedin will etand for. all time as one of the sensations in New Zealand politics. Dr Bedford, however, was too uncompromising and too inexperienced .to make a continued success" of politics, and his first meteor-like flight was not sustained, and he received bis coup-de-grace at the hands of Mr Seddon. For a time Dr Bedford occupied himself with the law, but the comparatively narrow confines of this profession fretted" his ardent.spirit: he was happier in the wider arena {St public ser- . vice. He broadened his mind with travel, and gave much thought to current economic questions, and eventually had his reward in the appointment to a professorial chair at the Otago University.This appointment gave him opportunity and leisure to devote himself to thepublic work he loved, and in which he was engaged at the time of his death. Dr Bedford was a democrat to the core : he belonged to the people; he laboured:' for the people, and he believed in the people. While we were not in agreement with every item of his political and, economic faith, it was impossible not to: admire his industry, his indomitable perseverence in what he believer! to be the right, his whole-hearted disinterestedness and his absolute sincerity. Dr Bedford is the type of man much needed in the coming reconstruction, and his place wijl be hard to fill. New Zealand mourns his loss, and great sympathy will" be felt for the loved ones he has left behind him.