THE DREADNOUGHT GIFT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2465, 1 April 1909, Page 3

THE DREADNOUGHT GIFT.

[To The Editor.]

| Sir,-—ln your leader of Monday mornling.you .criticise pretty strongly, yetI ioiiorantlyi- the action -of the- British Government in not. immediately giving effect to the acceptance of New Zealand’s offer of a Dreadnought. It is well known that you pose as a. conservative organ, and perhaps that explains your attitude, but I may inform you : -p ; . ' .■ - /

that the Conservative party of England is a differently constituted one to that of New Zealand, and you should not be so ready to censure them. iSurely you can see that there is a deep political movement at tlie bottom of this agitation on the Naval Estimates-at Home. The Conservative party are to blame for a considerable amount of tho hysterics caused all over the Empire by moving a voto of censure, and attempting to create a scare by asking that additional Dreadnoughts be laid down at once. Is it likely, under the. circumstances, that the leader of the Liberal Government would immediately avail himself of New Zealand’s offer? To have done, so would have admitted at once that they were not making sufficient allowance for navy construction, and the Conservatives would have seized upon tho admission and made all the use of it possible to their own ends. My dear Sir, you can trust the present Liberal Government composed of broad-minded, progressive, and zealous men, and the hest'Government that has ever been in power in England—that they know their- own business and the business of the country better than you do, and the paltry twaddle you talk about their bungling only shows how little yon know of the situation. Sir Joseph Ward committed a grave error when he made that offer, inasmuch as being a .Liberal leader, he was showing more’ confidence in the Conservative party of England, and practically toiling the Premier (Mr. Asquith) that lie was not making sufficient allowance for the country’s need. The whole panic has been brought about by Conservative M.P-.’s, and sensatiqn-loving Conservative papers, and Sir Joseph Ward has been carried awav by their wild statements, and lias become, unwittingly a pronounced Conservative follower himself. When he comes to a reflective mood he will see his mistake, and realise that it would have been wiser to first ask if this Dominion could assist by bearing the cost of a Dreadnought. In conclusion, I may state that you may be well able to criticise tlie Government of the Dominion, but I don’t think you understand sufficient about the politics of the England to he able to criticise the Government of that country. .They are more readily understood by one who has just come" from there, and has the honor to be, —Yours truly, ‘“A BRITISH WORKMAN.”Manutuke, March 29.

[We can only regret that our correspondent failed to make better use of liis time in England than to come away with the impression that all the “broadminded, progressive and zealous men” of England are ranged on the side of the Liberal party. Even “the best Government that has ever been _ in power” may make mistakes, and it is evident that in the present instance the Opposition under Mr. Balfour more accurately represents the feeling of the general community, not only in England, but also throughout the Empire, But we suppose that “A British Workman” will content himself by hurling at 'Sir Joseph'Ward and the. Rt. Hon. A. J. Balfour the same charge of ignorance which he bestows upon us because our criticism does not meet with his approval.—Ed. G. T.]