STRAIGHT TALKING TO STEAD.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 14 February 1901, Page 4

STRAIGHT TALKING TO STEAD.

Sometime ago Mr W. T. Stead, of the London Review of Reviews—which, by the way, Mr W. H. Fichett recently took some pains to distinguish from the Australian Review of Reviews— circulated a manifesto purporting to be the work of a British officer, in which the writer cast the fullest calumnies upon the British soldiers in South Africa. A copy of miserable broad sheet was sent to Sir Frederick Milner, with an impudent request from Mr Stead himself that the recipient would give his candid opinion upon the charges it contained. Sir Frederick cheerfully acceded to the request, and in a way that ought to make the "good man" feel anything but happy. "My opinion," he wrote, "is that you ought to be ashamed of yourself for circulating so vile a slander against your fellow-countrymen. You seem to have made it your mission in life to stain your country, and to slander the brave men who have suffered and borne so much for its sake. It seems to me a pity that you do not remove yourself to France, and offer your services to the gutter Press where they would undoubtedly be appreciated. As to the letter of ' A British Officer,' I decline to believe ■ that any British officer could so de-, mean himself as to spread so gross a calumny against his fellow-soldiers without having the courage to put his name at the end of it. If, indeed, any British officer has stooped so low, I can only say that he is a contemptible coward, and I should like to have the opportunity of telling him so to his face ; but, in my opinion, the ' British officer ' does not live far from the office of Mr W. T. Stead. Personally I prefer to believe the testimony of Lord Roberts, Sir Redvers Buller, and other brave generals as to the conduct of our soldiers in South Africa. I don't know if you have taken the trouble to read Lord Roberte' touching farewell to his troops, when he speaks of the gallantry, the patient endurance, the good conduct and humanity of our soldiers. If ycu hare read it, and it has not made you feel ashamed of yourself, I fear nothing will. Everyono with a spark of national pride or common generosity in his composition must feel inclined to take off his hat to Sir Frederick Milner, and say, " Thank you"for his spirited retort to Mr Stead's wretched circular. It is too much to hope that it will have any effect upon the gentleman to whom it was directed —his cuticle seems to bo thicker than that of a rhinoceros -but it ought to recall the British publio to a sense of duty they owe to the brave fellows who are sacrificing their ease and hetlth and lives in the service of their country. If it does this, Mr Stead and his publication will never be admitted to decent society again.