A REASON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7892, 23 December 1903, Page 2

A REASON.

According to "M.A.P." "there is about Mr Lyttelton, the new Colonial Secretary, a certain look of elevation and abstraction, such as on© would expect in a. man who had either a very devotional or a very poetic. nature, la any case, his face is that of a man with, a fine mind and. a sweet nature, and it is no wonder that he is, for that reason, a universally popular man." "M.A.P." ventures a curious hypothesis to account for "Mr Lyttelton's- appointment: — " Probably on© of the main reasons why Mr Balfour selected Mr Lyttelton as his colleague 'was a certain forloraness in his own position, and the tendency that such forlomnets is calculated to create. If a Minister find's that he is at List thrown back on himself, he must, s>cek his support and his comradeship in 'men whom he can trust, nob merely as political associates, but as warm personal frientls. Now it is said constantly of Mr Balfour that-, though h<: is a staunch and loyal political associate, and though he is a man to go to in an emergency, he is not a man of warm, ardent or frequent affections. It has been stated that he really does not care for anybody much outside of a. certain few; and there have been those- who have sodd that, outside of his own family, the one man Mr Balfour has ever really cared for is Alfred-Lyttel-ton. And, perhaps, that as much as his talents—which are far greater than have been represented—is why Air Lyttelton is Colonial Secretary.