MUST GO SLOW.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20476, 30 November 1934, Page 5

MUST GO SLOW.

Doctors Order Rest for Mr Lyons. DR EARLE PAGE AS DEPUTY. (Special to the " Star.”) SYDNEY. November 24. The course of political events has been interrupted during the past fortnight, first by the Royal visit, and then by the sudden illness of the Prime Minister. While engaged at a Cabinet meeting Mr. Lyons was taken suddenly ill, and though with characteristic courl age he struggled on all the afternoon, | Dr. Earle Page—who became for the j time being not only acting-Ps ime Minister, but also medical adviser to the I Government —decided that lie must go j into hospital at once. Mr. Lyons was | now suffering acute pain—the trouble j was some form of internal inflammation | —and the trip to Sydney by car : through heavy rain must have been a | distressing ordeal. Happily Mrs. Lyons | was with him. though she herself was i ill. and had go*, out of a *ick bed at midday to accompany her husband. 1 It was close on midnight when the I doctors in St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, could complete their examination; and happily they were able to report that the condition of the patient was not serious. Next morning Sir John McKelvey, one of Australia’s most famous specialists with the help of an X-ray examination, decided that there would he no need for an operation and that Mr. Lyon* would be “getting along nicely.” if onlv he could be kept quiet, and secure- some much-needed rest. Political Duties Delegated. Of course, this means that the Prime Minister must give up all hope of assisting in the welcome of the Duke at Sydney, and lie in u*»t for the time delegate his political duties to his col-

Prime Minister, is now in control of the Government, and the leaaciship of the U.A.P. has apparently devolved for the time on the new Attorney-General, Mr. R. G. Menzies. But it seems that Mr. Lyons needs more than a few days’ release from his arduous duties. The truth is that the Prime Minister, like so many other conscientious public men, has been working himself to death, and though he is still well under GO i years of age, he cannot continue to “go the pace’* indefinitely. He has had to ; forgo his intention of accompanying ' Prince Henry to Tasmania, and of lielp- | in? to welcome him in Sydney; but it is hoped that, with reasonable care, he i may he able to earrv out his intention !of leaving for England in March to I attend the King’s Silver Jubilee celebrations. Expressions of Sympathy. Meantime, this unfortunate break in I the Prime Minister’s activities has j evoked widespread expressions of sym- ! pathv. His Majesty the King, the Duke I of Gloucester, the Dominions Secretary ! (Mr. J. 11. Thomas), the Pnme Ministe* of New Zealand, Mr. Bruce, and many | others of lesser note have forwarded i messages of sympathy. In particular. | the Prime Minister’s colleagues have i been profuse in their assurances of regret for Mr. Lyons’ misfortune and j their pledges of loyalty to their chief. There is no doubt that these messages, ; especially as regards the Ministers, are | more than empty formalities. For men of all classes hold Mr. Lyons in high regard, for his honesty, courage and | public spirit; and it would be a serious ; national calamity if for any reason he were to be incapacitated just now. ; However, for the time being the out- | look for Mr. Lyons is improving; for I he was well enough to leave the hospital [ at the week-end and go back to CanI berra by car. Curiously enough, near the end of his iournev he caught up with Mr. W. M. Hu?lies, whose car had j broken down, and so the two “old ram- [ paigners” came back in triumph together. | But Mr. Lyons will need to “go slow” for a considerable time. unle-f he is pre nared to take the risk of a longer and more dangerous collapse.