LORD ROSEBERY

Horowhenua Chronicle, 1 April 1916, Page 3

LORD ROSEBERY

ON ".JUDA.y KISBE.S." A club for men of the Overseas forces lately was op.'i:od by Lurdt Roseweiy. It has been provided by the Edinburgh branch ot the Victoria League, and bears the naipe ot lvmg George and Queen .Mary Victoria League Oil ib. In tiie absence of Lady l.'ir.ilichgow, tlio president of l ho executive committee, the chair was taken by Mrs Ritchie Findl'ay, of Abeiiour. Speaking on the war Lord ltcsoberv dwelt on w'liat he dccribed us twb .great surprises—the first-, that Germany, "with gonial smiles audi -Midas Kisses," deliberately conspired against the liberties ot the world; and tne other, a surprise tor the enemy— the way in which the whole Empire came to the assistance or the Motlier>.md. Lord Dc war, convener ol the House CommitUo. having given an account of the formation ot tiie club, Lord Rcsebery, who was received with cheers on rising, said he to< k exception to the use by uord Dcwar in his speech o fthe words ' Colonies" and "Ooloniails"—words which no thought had been espnnged from our laniguage. The giand word "Dominion' 'or "(Jomomnwcvilth" expressed those great empires which had sprui i from titiis island, and he should regret, and ho thought all friends of the Empire would regret, that the words •'Coiunies" andi "Colonials" should creep once mere into our language. Tiie club they were founding expressed the most sublime idea that was connected with the Brit i%sh Empire. It was 42 years s nee he vi 'itid Canada. and more than 30 since* Jie visited and New Zealand, but m these days the people in those countries were continually t-' : -v oi going "thio-me." Perhaps they had livod' in those countries for generations, ■but Great Britain always remained tilieir homo, and! in Ediuhnrgii t" wis'hed to show in this modest way %hat they desi.ed to inrnis'h a sniaj. home for tboso who caine from our distant dominions to visit 1U1 " cierit city. It was the word ' nonie tliaft thrilled the whole project (cheers). Continuing, Lord RosCbery r<aid: l iiere have been two great surprises in t-n.s iriiganitio war. One sui'nns.' has for ourselves and the other for the enemy. ' The surprise for ou.rseilves was —is, that we could not conceive it possible that" a great civilized cuun:i> wihich believed itsdf to standi ait the head of the culture of the word, wNcu had achieved a prosperity beyond all human dreams, swcilling in toity years from forty( millions of_population to nearly seventy millions, whicn had made a oonnmeree unexa.mpi cr m the history uf the world, haying potent armiesi aria "potent fleetj torlis defence —we could not believe it possible that this, nation; with genial smiles and .Judas kisses—its chief visiting England amid acclamations ot a simplehearted people attended bv the clue I of his apies—by a deliberate and infamous conspiracy agan'fct the -lbertiea of the world was all the time plotting a war which no human being can see the limits, but which e>erv chil-. cati see means the ruin and devastation of* Europe. We could not »e----lieve tiliat at the commencement ot tihis war it would tear up a treaty to wihieh its solemn signature liadi Ween more than once affixed, and that it could ravage and devastate and ruin an innocent kingdom which it h in its ravaged condition, to arid '.o : empire. We cou'd not oelirye that n would seek, by mea-tfis ot which 1 win not oharavterwe, to sink paasenger vessels containing hundreds (>r tn(grands of innocent travelleifi. all in the lust of some vile idea of cor,<|Ue. winch,. God helping us, wnl nevei u< f ultilled. .(Cheers;. That was a surprise which was not a pleasant surprise— pe»'ltd - o ■■ i. cnt friends, the uprooting ot all i<le..e of international honour the destruetioi of the basis on whicih all oivdizatio" must rest.- We were ca.'.ed I-;ut.. ; . brothers coming ol the same bland deputations came, wit oily burgomasters andi silvei-ton o u professors, to preacn a < o«tnne ol waoe and amity and brotheihood tit C. the two great .empires Some of us were not deceived, but the most 3 u« wished to > deceived, am I e undeceiving of our people ha a be. i n> of the rinfest surprises of this country.