„LOYALTY AND LEVITY"

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 953, 21 October 1910, Page 4

„LOYALTY AND LEVITY"

A little hlisiiTiderstanding on' the part of tho Lyttelton Times in its issue of Wednesday calls for. some notice, not only because it| is really very funny, but because it amounts, to a quite withering criticism.of the suggestion that the sessional arrangements of next'year'should be upset in order that a contingent of M.P.'a may visit England with the Primo Minister. Our Christchurch contemporary prints- every day a collection : of; brief . extracts from .tho editorials in. three or four other "papers. These are.' sent by telegraph. On Tuesday: our - local evening contemporary printed a very long and impassioned article demanding that Mr. Massby should fiill. in with the suggestion roforred to above. We.dealt with this article, our readers will recollect, on Wed» noedaj , , .:■ The lytteltop, Times con'cjs-

pondent telegraphed to_ hip paper the following extract from it as the kernel of the argument: :

The Commonwealth is being invited to scud eighteen members and ow Zealand oight. Whether the selection is to bo made by. the Parliaments 'themselves' or not it is'clear .that' the -Leader of the Opposition must iii any case W'.among ,the. number. Last, year the suggestion was made that Air. Massey.'should' accoinO' , .Sir Joseph Ward as one of Now nnd's representatives to the Defence Conference, but it was not favourably regarded either by Mr. - Massey: or. by. a majority, of his party, and nothing came of it. On the present occasion we trust that the Opposition will' be as one man in-realising that to. sond Mr.- Massey and any other of their number to whom the .chance may offer, and to facilitate in every, possible way the general arrangements for_ the ceremony regardless of party tactics, is a. duty winch they owe to their" country and'tb the Empire. \. ■■

Without making any: further inquiry, and having before it only this passage, the Lyttelton.Times had no hesitation in reading it as a. piece of mordant irony, as part'of an article written with the object of, displaying to the best advantage the.stupendous silliness .of the notion that.it satirised. At the same/time it was afraid that its readers'might miss the fine'satire, and think'the . Post was serious ! ''The public, may well be confused as to what iis really going.to happen," it. observed;: so: it. printed an article of .its- own, under the heading. "Loyalty and Levity," commencing in this .way.;; , . .

' "Probably the Wellington newspaper '■ that is -telling Mr. Massey that it will be, his ■ duty to 'the country and the: Empire' tp accompany Sir Joseph Ward to London to take part in the Coronation celebrations is simply poking fun at the Leader of the Opposition. No one can seriously believe that the credit of the country and the welfare of the Empire depend upon Mr. Massey, abandoning the UEeful; work he is doing in New Zealand, and rushing off to the other end' of the earth to join in the festivities and ceremonies, that will, mark- the'formal in-, spallation of King George in the high office of his forefathers."'.. r>.

.Wβ .are.bound 'to say that.the; mistake of the. Ohristchurch. journal;was not unnatural. : Apart from its con.text the extract which;was .sent it does read, like, a piece of elaborate satire.: Yet it was written in grim earnest.. We cannot.help feeling a little sorry as wo think of the shock of disappointment that the Lyttelton Times must have experienced when, on receiving the full-text of our evening contemporary's article,- and. plunging into it im expectation of a rich feast of humour,-it found that what: it-thought was b,n. excellent joke was' really', written.' in '"' grim earnest. It is an overwhelming commentary upon the suggested Parliamentary delegation to ; the/, Corona-: •tion festivities that one. cannot become solemnly and seriously eloquent in its defence without being regarded as a subtle humorist. The Christchurch paper's ' innocent \ mistake should be of somo \ assistance^; in putting an end to the pleasant little scheme.,:- '•■ ■■•■ \. •■■■ ■■' : :-.\-r [/:■'.. ;■■;;