PAYING THE PENALTY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 21, 16 May 1914, Page 5

PAYING THE PENALTY.

ATTACK ON LORD ROBERTS. SOLDIER EXPELLED FROM CLUB. At a meeting of the Naval and Military Club in Melbourne last week a, motion was carried by over a two-to-one majority depriving Major T. M. M'lnerney of his membership of the club. This action was taken as a protest against the speech delivered by Major M'lnerney at the annual picnic of the Celtic Club, on March 29 last, in which he criticised Lord Roberts. In the course of a Home Rule speech at that picnic, Major M'lnerney said "that he would like to refer to the attitude of Lord Roberts. He could only account for the extraordinary position in Lord Roberts placed himself by two explanations, either he was obsessed by prejudice and bigotry, or he was suffering from senility. It was well to remember that in the course of his career he had been exceedingly unfortunate. He was one of the favored few. There was nothing super-human about any of his great achievements. As Com-mander-in-Chief in South Africa he was the cause of prolonging the war. The proclamations he issued were really the reason of the prolongation of the war by half the time it lasted. Xot only did they extend the period of the war, but they accounted for the lives of one-half the soldiers who were sacrificed. Lord Kitchener was his contrast. One was a dramatic, old, and worn-out man, the other vigorous and powerful. Lord Roberts received his decorations from the present King's father, and he had as much as said. 'Now, if you don't do what I say I will return these decorations.' " Major M'lnerney fought in the South African war, and members of the club took the view that in his speech he cast aspersions on a superior officer.