MR. BALFOUR’S DEAR FRIENDS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXV, Issue 13058, 28 April 1910, Page 4

MR. BALFOUR’S DEAR FRIENDS.

Mr A. J. Bat.foiiu, leader of the Tory Opposition at Home, has suddenly discovered that the Germans arc his very dear friends. ' Some German workingmen are visiting Britain, and a day or tyo ago some of Mr Balfour’s Tariff Deform friends—who probably wouldn’t take any notice of the workingmen of their own country if they met them in the street—entertained the visitors at luncheon,- ard said nice things to them. The famous “black bread and offal” incident was revived, and Mr Balfour, seizing the cicasiou to have a tilt at Mr Lloyd George’s silly remark, said in a pained voice that it was “discreditable to public life to bespatter tbo civilisation of a friendly country with the rand of our preposterous controversies.” That sounds very nice and high-toned, though Mr Balfour hardly strikes one as being the man who should say it. A year ago, when the naval scare was on, Germany, according to Hr Balfour, was anything but a “friendly country.” He was, or made himself out to be, frantically anxious to wipe her out of existence. He attacked the Government for being too “friendly” to Germany, com. plained that Britain was not strong enough to give her a few ships and the father of a beating, and moved a vote of censure on the Government for not being fightable enough to desire to wipe Germany off the map. The censure motion was beaten by a disgustingly overwhelming majority, which perhaps is the reason why Mi* Balfour now butters Germany and refers to her in endearing terms. No, Air Balfour is not the man who should play at holding out the olive branch. His nhilosophy 'savours too much of “Don’t do as I do, but do as ,1 toll you.” And that is the essence of Tory philosophy.