INTERESTING CORRESPONDENCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17060, 13 August 1917, Page 5

INTERESTING CORRESPONDENCE

PREMIER CASTIGATES MR HENDERSON. "

Received 11.5 p.m., Aug 12 7 LONDON, me correspondence between Mr Lloyd George and Mr Henderson, regarding r-Jxe latter's resignation, has been pubnsned.'

Air Henderson, in tendering his resignation, wrote: "1 share your desire mat the war shall be carried to a successful conclusion."

Mr Lloyd (ieorge. in reply, intimatmg that the King had accepted the resignation, says: "'.there are certain facts with which the public should be acquainted in order to form a correct appreciation, of the events which have led to this regrettable conclusion. Your colleagues were completely taken by surprise by the attitude you adopted at the Labour Conference. I was under the impression that you meant to use influence against meeting enemy representatives at the Stockholm Conference. This was also the impression of your Cabinet colleagues. Surely this was a/fconclusion upon which you should have informed the Cabinet before entering the Labour Conference, as you were not a member of the Labour pai-ty only, but a member of the Cabinet, responsible for the war. Nevertheless, you did not deem is necessary to inform the Cabinet of your views. Your colleagues and the delegates were accordingly justified in assuming that the advice you gave was not inconsistent with their opinions."

Mr Lloydl George then points out that the Government received an important official communication from the Russian Government, stating that although it ,tyas not deemed possible to prevent Russian delegates from attending the Stockholm Conference, its decisions would in no wise. be.. binding on the liberty of action of the Russian Government. A covering letter added: "We hasten to lay this information before you, as it is feared the impression has hitherto-prevailed that Russia ardently desired the Stockholm Conference, and this argument is put forward in order to influence British public opinion in favour of the Labour and Socialist parties in Britain participating in the Conference." Mr. Lloyd George adds'ij"! immediately sent this communicatioii. to .you, :,with a request that you communicate i£ to the Labour Conference. You omitted to do so, although in the course of your speech you made a very casual reference to some modification of the attitude of the Russian Government. In these circumstances, your action does not appear to have been fair either to the Govern^ ment or the delegates you were addressing. You left them in ignorance of a vital fact which must necessarily have affected their judgment." Mr. Henderson's reply deprecates his attitude at the Conference being made a subject of controversy and recrimination. He can only request' the public to suspend judgment until they know the facts. If any'statement is necessary it will be, made in the proper place— the Houes of Commons. Even then, his course will be influenced so far as to affect the nation's interests in the successful prosecution qf the war.