A WELL-DESERVED TRIBUTE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 201, 20 May 1919, Page 4

A WELL-DESERVED TRIBUTE

The graceful tribute which was paid to the, MiNiSTER of Defence on Saturday by his colleague, the Hon. G. W. Russell, certainly gavo him no more than his due. Its sincerity is, of course, all'the more evident since the two.Ministers belong to bpposed political l camps, and were very oftin at issue in the days before the war. _ Mr, Russell laid no more than just emphasis upon the untiring zeal and self-sacrifice with which Sin James Allen applied himself throughout the war period_ to the duties of a desperately trying office. The Minister of Defence;, has his enemies, and this is' in part' at least accounted for by the fact that he has often laid .h'mself' open to detail criticism. But even when he is shown' to be at fault it is usually at the same time evident that he is no self-seeking popularity-hunter. He has often refused to ,do things, or hesitated to clo them, when by promptly yielding to pressure he would have gained easy popularity. The points upon which his cfitics fasten pale, in any case,_ into insignificance when account is taken of tho splendid fashion in which he concentrated upon essentials in organising the resources of the Dominion for war, and of his insistence that everything must be in order for a steaVly and unflagging effort as long as'tho war might last. Credit belongs first and foremost to the Minister of Defence for the policy under which reinforcements were maintained, in a steady flow, and the New Zealand Division and other Dominion units were maintained in full- strength to the last hour of hostilities. At times, in developing this policy, he had to bear , down opposition, but it is now manifest to all that in his war.administration as a whole he reflected worthily all that is best in the Dominion and its population. Regarded in essentials his record is an inspiring one of steadfast devotion to duty. He fastened with sound'and confident judgment upon the ; 'things that must be done, and certainly no Minister ever worked harder or with a-morc utter forgetJulness of self to irivc effect to "the policy he felt to be right and essential.