LORD TWEEDMOUTH'S EXPLANATION.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12145, 11 March 1908, Page 5

LORD TWEEDMOUTH'S EXPLANATION.

' Received March 10, 9:25 p.m. LONDON/March 10

Lord Tweedmoutli, ■premising that it was understood that some members were inclined to ask questions about the extraordinary outburst in the Press, explained that the Kaiser's letter came by tho ordinary post.; Sir Edward Grey agreed that he should treat it a.s private and unofficial. " I replied on; the 20th in the same friendly informal manner, and. said: ' I beg to assure you that your lordships firmly believe the course adopted is a good one and calculated to do what we ail so much desire, . namely,... to: do our utmost to foster a good understanding between the German Empire andourselves*-■"

Lord Larisdowne, iii a suave, diserim mating speech, 'accepted, the statement.• Ho remarked that what had been nipfat worthy of attention ;was less the outburst than )l the /substratum of fact whereon the outburst was founded. It appears that the. let'ter^ was unsolicited, unofficial, and in "a friendly tone towards Britain, and resembled a verbal communication which might with propriety pass between a great Sovereign and a British Minister.

Lord Lansdowne, continuing, said he did not press for publication, since h" inferred it was not intended, but such communications must never b© allowed to create a diplomatic situation different to those created by official recorded documents, cand should occur only under very exceptional circumstances. Privacy, if intended, ought to be strictly respected, but apparently only that amount of privacy attached to this correspondence which was attached to pri,'vate views at the Royal Academy. He did not desire to say anything to raise that public excitement or embarrassment which the occurrence must have occasioned Ministers.

Lord Rosehery, in closing the discussion, vehemently denounced the insane inference drawn from the letter, and strongly censured the tendency of a section'of the Press—both in England and Germany—to create bad relations between the two countries and endan-

ger peace.