Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 11 March 1927, Page 2

As a very pleasing, gesture of loyalty W e had the intimation of the withdrawal of Or Haden Guest from the ranks of the British Labor Party. Dr Guest is a professional man "ho htu. earned distinction in his own "nlk 01 life long before he heeame officially connected with Labour, lie is a man of unusual mental capacity, and, a, his recent action shows, ho is also endowed with conspicuous moral courage. AA hilo the Labour Government was in office he was attached to the Health Department, where he did good sei'ho. Throughout his public career he has helped to exercise a moderating influence upon his party and to neutralise the baneful activities of the extremist, and "left-wingers,” and it is a .grave niisl'ortunie for Labour that a man of Dr Guest's type should find himself, in suite of his sincere, sympathy for Labour, unable to maintain connection with it in Parliament, Ihe subject on which Dr Guest has felt compelled to admit that he is unable to see eve to eye with the Labour party is the Chinese question. Immediately after matters reached a crisis at Hankow, and the Government derided that troops must he sent to pro- „ tm British subjects and their proper! > at Shanghai, the Labour party mod unfortunately converted . the "I'oh question into a political issue. Iron Mr Kamsav MacDonald downward, will few executions, the. Labour party offi <-tally insisted that, to send troops ti China on any pretext was an aggress!v. and provocative art that the Govern C) men if should 'not have attempted; am ibough they were beaten badly on di vi-ion In the House they have don their best ever sauce to obstruct an einharass the Government in I’arlh mont and the country, and thus t encourage the Chinese Nationalists i rejecting Britain's proposals. Again: (hi; unreasonable and ill-timed o. dinner Dr Guest his finally revolt! and his withdrawal is a grievous lo p, Labour. But far more importat (bail the defection of one single met her of Hie parly is the impression th created than no man. no matter la honestly he has worked, for Labour, how sincerely he takes its interests heart, can continue with it politico j' unless, lie is prepared to suhordinii ' his freedom of judgment to the 1 quiromenls of party warfare. If ti ,' principle is once firmly established t eonsoqtioiu es to Labour 11111,1 be d 5E * ast rolls. For they will involve 1 1‘ alienalion of most of Ihe ‘‘intellei lu: ' dements which have done so inttvn • Tcf-011 1 vears In strengthen and elevi Hie pari v. and ihe surrender o! Labi t., [}\(, l.ndorsiiip ‘>l riu;iivo ]»ni , ;i ;is like Bamsav MacDonald or of , re’ll i -is who in the last resoH will ovilably follow the lead ol Mr C< and his Bolshevik friends.