GREAT ENGLISH STATESMAN DIES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18545, 20 August 1928, Page 11

GREAT ENGLISH STATESMAN DIES.

LORD HALDANE PASSES AWAY.

(United Press Assn.—By Electric Tel egraph.—Copy ri gilt.) (Received August 20, 9.15 a.m.) LONDON, August 19. The death is reported of Lord Haldane.—Australian Press Association— United Service.

Lord Haldane was bom in 1856, and studied at Edinburgh and Gottingen

U niversities, obtaining first-class honours in philosophy at Edinburgh. He has written largely on philosophical subjects, and was joint translator of Schopenhauer. He was the Liberal member for H ad d i ngtonshire from 18 So until his elevation to the peerage in 1911. As Secretary of

State for War (1905-12), it was said that he humorously declared his intention of reforming the arm\* “according to Hegel.” While wori._..g to modernise and render efficient the British military organisation and to place the Expeditionary Force ori a definite foundation—how effectively he worked was seen at the outset of the war—he was doing his utmost to bring about friendly relations with Germany. In 1906, while War Minister, he paid a visit to the Kaiser at Berlin, after previously staying with King Edward at Marienbad. In the subsequent efforts for rapprochement he worked in close co-operation with his friend Sir Edward Grey. Prolonged negotiations took place in 191112, and in February of the latter year Lord Haldane again went to Berlin on behalf of the Government. The basis of a British-German entente seemed to be taking shape when the war broke out in August, 1914. Lord Haldane was in close touch with the Fabian Society for a quarter of a century, and has long been known to have Labour leanings; he publicly declared his sympathies with the Labour Party at the time of the elections of December, 1922. “ I want,” he then said, “to see a strong Labour minority in the next Parliament. . .

If life is to come into politics, it will probably be through Labour,” and during the next election he spoke for Labour.

WAR TIME EFFORTS ARE RECALLED.

(United Press Assn.—By ElactttQ Telegraph.—Copyright.)

(Received August 20, 1 p.m.) LONDON, August 19. Mr Lloyd George, referring to Lord Haldane, said, “ I always thought he was most harshly treated in war time, and accorded the basest ingratitude. No British statesman more greatly ensured the Allied success. He organised the Territorials who saved us during the dark winter of 1915, when we had no other troops. He organised the General Staff and the Expeditionary Force, and initiated officers cadet corps, yet he was treated as if he were a traitor to his native land. It hurt him deeply at times.”—Australian Press Association.—United Service '

PERFECTED SCHEME FOR EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.

(United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.)

(Received August 20, 11.30 ajn.) RUGBY, August 19. Viscount Haldane, former Liberal Cabinet Minister, was seventy-two years of age. He was Secretary for War from 1905 to 1912, and during his tenure of office he perfected a scheme for an expeditionary force and converted the old Volunteers into a Territorial army, with training organisation and equipment which enabled it to play so efficient a part in the Great War.—British Official Wireless.

LORD HALDANE’S POLICY ATTACKED.

Lord Haldane’s policy as War Minister was much criticised during the early part of the war. so much so, in fact, that the “ Manchester Guardian ” de-

voted the best part of a page in one of its late September issues in 1917 to an

elaborate account “ From a Correspondent ” of a much discussed visit paid by Viscount Haldane to Berlin in 1912, and of the events leading up to that mission, commencing with the exWar Minister’s first diplomatic visit to Germany six years earlier. The article, which amounts (says the “ Morning Post”) to a determined attempt to vindicate Lord Haldane’s policy—or want of it—is opened by an editorial foreword in the following terms:—

‘‘The time has come when it would be no detriment to the’ public interest to publish the facts about Lord Haldane’s visits to Berlin, and generally to discuss, in the light of facts not yet fully made public, his policy with regard to Germany and as Secretary for War. There is, indeed, so far as we can see, no reason why, in the national interest, the full facts should not have been made public long ago. We hold no brief for Lord Haldane, and, indeed, on the whole question of secret diplom-acy—-a diplomacy so secret that its working, in even very vital particulars, is not always known beyond the bounds of an ‘ inner Cabinet T —ive hold a view quite different from that upon which he and too many statesmen have been accustomed to act. At the same time, if only in the interest cf historical truth, the gross misrepresentations as to the policy and conduct of Lord Haldane, spread by ignorance and supported by partisanship, which have too long been current, ought to be corrected. One great outstanding fact ought also to be made clear. If the British Army was able on the outbreak of the present war swiftly and effectively to take its place in the fighting line, history will record that this was the work of Lord Haldane.”

The aritcle is too long to quote, but the “ correspondent ” in conclusion says:—

“ In this account of what took place during Lord Haldane’s visits to Berlin, there is nothing that might not have been published at the beginning of the war; indeed, there was very strong reason why it should be published. The prime fallacy of those who have headed the attacks on Lord Haldane is to suppose that the policy of a country is fixed and rigid. On the contrary, it. is always in process of change, and even during the progress of the war we have seen the policy of Germany hardening and becoming more and more brutal, reckless and overbearing. . • ~efore the war began, up to the middle

of 1913, there seemed not only a chance but even a probability that the Moderates would win. What' Lord Haldane did was to try, by every means in his power consistently with the maintenance of our interest and our honourable obligations, to strengthen the hands of the Moderates in Germany. What his enemies have done is to strengthen the hands of the Extremists in Germany, and to supply them with arguments that England, despite her fair professions, was the real enemy. Given the political forces that were at work, the war may have been inevitable, but those who tried to make head against the current have no reason to regret the endeavour.”