Indictment of the Government.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume IX, Issue 1160, 25 November 1901, Page 2

Indictment of the Government.

(Auckland Star Correspondent.) If the leading London journals feel the pulse of the nation correctly, at no time since the war began has there been such anxiety fell by ibe people as to its prolongation, and such profound dissatisfaction with the Government Micawber hke policy of waiting for something to turn up. The Daily AWi originated a rumour that serious friction existed between tne Government and Lord Kitcbem r and that the latter was contemplating his resignation unless he received more men and a freer hand. The fall Mail Gazette asserted that Lord Kitchener having come to the decision that his proclamation must be followed by sterner mtasures bad asked for that freedom ol acl.on which a more drastic policy required. The War Office, of course, denied the friction, but most of the leading journals have come to the conclusion that the Government has not been hacking up Lord Kitchener as it should have done, and that it is high time that our Ministers were roused to a sense of the situation, instead of daffing the world aside and making holiday, while the fighting, as evidenced by the desperate attacks of the Boers at Fort Itala and Moedwill, grows sharper than ever. Says the Westminster Gazette : “One Would suppose that in the present state of the war, and with ugly questions appearing elsewhere, tbe)Committee of Defence would meet daily. Any man whose private affairs were in approximately the same state as the national affairs would be at his private office from early morning till late at night Lord Salisbusy is on tin Riviera ; Mr Balfour is in Scotland ; the Duka of Devonshire in Yorkshire. Despatches follow them, uo doubt, and we dare say they communicate with each other as post or telegraph permits. But any man of business knows the absolute impossibility of concerting a vigorous aud united line of policy suited to the perpetual changes of an anxious situation under such conditions as these.’’

The gnat Liberal-Unionists journal of Xlr Chamberlain’s own citadel, the Birmingham l’ost, endeavours to thus goad the Government into action :—“ The country is growing weary of the war, and its one feeling is that, by some means or other, the war must be brought to an end. What is to be done next ? That is the question. For some inexplicable reasons nearly all the genera's, high and low, who were sent out to finish the war have been brought home. How is it that what we arcnow assured is the most difficult and exhausting phase of the war is left to generals who have yet to learn from Lord Kitchener that mobility is inconsistent with cooking ranges and grand pianos ? A question has long been disturbing the mind of the public—ls the campaign being directed from Pretoria or from Pall Mall? Can it now be said that Lord Kitchener has an absolutely free hand?’’ Even the Timex says :—“ W e have no desire to harp upon the misealeu latiou and the blunders w hich have cost the Empire such a terrible price in the firs; two years of the war. We should be glad to forget them if only we had some assurance that the plain and simple lessons they teach had even yet been taken to heart. The gist of all those lessons is the old one, that those who wish for peace must prepare for war. ... A

third campaign has new opened and still we do not discern any sign that the Government are making the vigorous off irts which are mdispensihle if it drags on for several months more. It is already too late to procure a mobile force a- would he adequate this autumn. Are the Government doing anything to provide it even throe mouths hence, and if not what possible excuse can ihoy urge for their neglect ?”

For once the leading London and provincial papers unite in lashing the Government with whips of scorpions, according to their political creed. But the G ivi rnm nt, i of all, appears to regard the r centlv startling recrudonce of B r activity as a mere exp riug dicker, which does not call for any increase of our widely scattered army, and we ar told once more that “ a sudden and complete collapse of Boer resistence and a consequent speedy termination of the war is anticipated,’’ and, therefore, “ it is not inti 11 lei to despatch any further reinforcement to South Africa.

What we undoubtedly want are more colonials and more Yeomanry, hut the former ari not likely to come forward with alacrity only to be called “ lilv-liverod curs ’ by the generals placed over them, nor the latter to volunteer afier their di.--boarteuing experience of their present reception at Home.

Men who have slept at their post after days of marching and lighting ami trekking in South Africa, haw been imprisoned with common eri initials in Dartmoor. What is to hi the punishment of the Government that sleeps at its post ?