Headquarters Blundered!

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 834, 30 November 1929, Page 18

Headquarters Blundered!

Kitchener Furious At Order Which Deported Ramsay MacDonald From Belgium . . . The “ Amende Honorable.” F , ■■?-» STARTLING episode in the British Prime MinisVjKSJa?'- ter’s career is disclosed WCobli'Hkf £or tlle first time. in a new biography, “James Ramsay MacDonald, Labour's Man of Destiny,” by 11. Hess§ll Tiltman. The author describes bow Mr. MacDonald went to Belgium in the early days of the war as a volunteer member of Dr. Hector Munro’s ambulance unit, then attached to the Brtgian Army at Furnes. The story is thus told by Mr. Tiltman: ' One day in The autumn of 1914, Dr. Munro received a list oft newcomers on which appeared the name of “James Ramsay MacDonald.” MacDonald met Dr. Munro at Dunkirk, and together they motored to the' headquarters of the ambulance. There the doctor left him in his own quarters tor the- night. When he returned the following day, MacDonald was not to be found, and inquiries elicited the fact that he had been arrested by the Belgian .general under instructions received from the British authorities. The excuse given for this official I blunder was that his passport was not in order, hut the real reason was that the higher British officials on the spot—one of whom is today the Governor of an important State within the Empire-r-considered him as an undesirable person to be allowed on the Western Front in any capacity.

After some bargaining. Dr. Munro secured the release of the imprisoned M.P. on condition that he personally drove him to Dunkirk in his car, accompanied by a Belgian soldier as guard, and saw him cn the boat to England. There the adventure might have ended so far as Dr. Munro was con-

cerned. But a fortnight later General' Seely arrived at the ambulance headquarters and inquired for Mr. MacDonald. The general listened to Dr. Miniro's story, and then explained that bis instructions veto

that Mr. MacDonald was returning to Belgium, and that he was to be con ducted to any part of the front be wished to see. . MacDonald arrived at Dunkirk that day, and was received as a gue** of British headquarters by the very officers who had two weeks before ordered his deportation as an undesirable. Later he was received by General French at St. Omer, and visited the whole front during the Christmas of 1914. During that fortnight in Lord osl between his two visits to Belgium. MacDonald had seen Lord Kitchener, and related to the Minister the detai ? of his reception at Dunkirk, “h- ® K.” was extremely angry about tne whole incident, and at once issuec to him one of the red “omnibus” passes to British headquarters, which P® r mitted the holder to go wherever 11 wanted over the whole British am* French fronts.”