LORD LANSDOWNE'S LETTER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 64, 8 December 1917, Page 6

LORD LANSDOWNE'S LETTER

Sir,—Lord Lansdowne'.s suggestion, as appearing in your issue of November. 30, was certainly a great surprise. To mo it was a pleasant surprise to find ft man of his wide'experience of Empiro affairs, a man- who has held high office, and rubbed shoulders with diplomatists, and generals, to find suoh a man break away from tho shibboloths of Cabinet and inspired newspapers and speak plain common sense. It comes like a fresh breeze in sultry weather. And Ido protest that in your editorial of to-day, headed "Pleasing tho Enemy," you do Lord Lansdowno a gross injustice. _ For you read into his suggestion thmgs it never contained. He does not propose that wo stop fighting, or that wo meet Germany on equal terms; but being something of g, statesman, he knows what a power the common people are, even in a country whero thoy have little voting power, and have been dragooned to silence. And he suggests that if wo could lay before the common folk of Germany strong evidence that we aro human, and not tigers, it is likely "their peace party would be stimulated."

Glad as wo should be to see a sound peace come, it is surely reasonable to' believe that the majority of Germans would bo equally glad. Lord Lansdowne proposes to iry and disabuse their minds of tho error they have accepted, that "the British Empire is a tiger." It is likely they aro already finding the group that spread that error are not to be believed; and a little stimulant such as the Marquis suggests, might precipitate , a movement in Germany which would weaken their fighting line,.to its undoing. It seems to me that recent war complications ha-vp made our politicians and papers a little jumpy, and Lansdowne's proposals made them start, because ho lifted tho curtain on them suddenly and without the careful preamble it as sometimes wise to use. It may seem folly for me to come in tho open and have a shot at your big gun, which I think is being badly aimed, but I take my chances. And I have some satisfaction in remembering that two years ago I begged you to check the ugly adjectives you .used of President Wilson, and let his strong and just dealings of past years carry more weight with you. And bo today I plead for a wider outlook and a readiness to use any honest means to bring the victory wo .shall deserve when wo face our troubles in the right spirit.—l am, etc., WILL B. MATHESEN. Eketahuna, December 3.