THE PARTY TRUCE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15973, 15 November 1919, Page 4

THE PARTY TRUCE.

Reform journals profess to ho greatly concerned because Sir Joseph Ward withdrew from the war-time alliance with Mr Massey, though since the text of the party t . uce was produced by Six Joseph at Christchurch, criticism has modified. Strangely enough, scarcely a dozen members of Parliament recollected that the agreement

between Mr Massey and the leader of uhe Opposition in ]!J] ,5 Jiad been reduced to writing, 10 u “scrap of on which the terms of the arrange? ment were set out. It is being remembered now, however, that while the Prime Miniated has scarcely alluded to the document since Sir Joseph Ward’s J retirement from the Cabinet, the loader of the Opposition has quoted frdih it with confidence and precision. Ho has contended that the -“Truce” expired automatically on the, signing of the Peace Treaty, and that in the absence of any invitation from the Prime Minister to continue the arrangement he would not have been justified ia withholding his resignation for a single day longer than ho did. “The National Government to continue in existence until the war is officially settled.” 'f’ ero words socm to fix the duration of the arrangement plainly enough, and Sir Joseph, as he says himself, would have placed himself in a very invidious position had lie clung on to office for a longer period than the contracting parties contemplated, particularly in the absence of any wish to that effect expressed by the other side. No doubt the public will recognise, in the light afforded by the text of the agreement, that Sir Joseph Ward had no alternative to retirement from the Cabinet and that he could not with anv dignity have postponed his withdrawal for a day longer than lie did. Even if Mr Massey had iiftitcd him to remain, he could not have done so without consulting the members of his own party, and they already had declared for the termination of the arrangement at the earliest possible moment. They had felt that the slow progress of the war had compelled them to a much longer period of inactivity than they had expected in 191.5. and that their party was getting much the worst nf the bargain, while the extreme Socialists were gaining ground every day through the middle course beiujj placed before the electors.