THE HIGH COMMAND.

Taihape Daily Times, 11 April 1918, Page 6

THE HIGH COMMAND.

V PBESS ATTACK DEPBECATED, ' UOBD BEEESFOBD'S APPEAL, L Presiding on January 31* over a crowded meeting in the Chelsea Palace, called to Isupport the seamen's proposed boycott of German ships, ports, and goods, Lord Beresford said they were assembled to sing The praises in all earnestness and deep feeling of the splendid officers and men of the mercantile marnie. The country did not even yet know what it owed to them. Over 10,000 were at the oottom of the sea, and over 4000 were prisoners in Germany, about 2000 of whom were actually put in prison before the war was declared. He had seen men who had been torpedoed seven times, They did not grouse or grumble, but signed on again (Cheers.) Out of respect for their dead comrades the .mercantile marine were right in their proposed boycott, which would go further towards ending the war tlian the statements by any' Minister There would be no negotiations with the Germans, who would have to learn to take orders. Our only war aim was victory. There was nothing to frighten us if we stuck to our traditional and characteristic grit, but we must keep a united front.

He strongly objected to the intrigues and calumny in tie press against the officers of the High Command, (Cheers). Did these people see what they were doing? Officers read these things in the morning, the men read them in the' evening. They had been in the most terrible battles, seen whole divisions mowed down, and then were told that it was the fault of the High Command, that they had" been badly led. Could they imagine anything more terrible to these men? It was wicked. (Loud Applause.) The Government of the day must be civilians, and had a • perfect right to relieve any admiral or general of his command, but let them do it in the open and say why, "and" he added, for God's sake stop this press campaign." (Cheers.) The press apparently was to determine strategy and tactics, and stab these officers in the back in the most cowarly way "I say-it must stop," he continued, "and I tell the Prhnt Minister he has got to stop it. Who are the people doing it? Two of the great press proprietors in the Govern- I ment. They see the Prime Minister every day. We know that politicians have for "months being trying to get rid of Sir William Eobertson and Sir DouglasHaig. The Prime Minister has only to put up his little finger to stop it,* and I tell him candidly that if he does not stop it he is jeopardising his Government and himself. We believe the Prime Minister is the man to win the war, but he will never- win it if lie goes on like this, It friends in the press who are leading him wrong. Who is going to win the war? The soldiers and sailors. (Cheers). Tou aTe putting doubts into their minds, and it has got to stop. Why was there no Cabinet Minister in the House to defend these men when they were attacked?" The Government must make the pTess cease these cowardly attacks. There had been many rewards in this war for failure, particularly in regard to Mr. Churchill— (hear, hear) who had the greatest capacity for making mistakes. They were told he had imagination. Yes, he imagined he was a sailor, a soldier, and a seaman. (Laughter.) He imagined he was going to pacify Ireland by blowing Belfast down with the fleet, which would have caused a muntiny in the fleet, and now he had become Minister for Munitions. He had in that office created chaos in the industrial world. How many desolate homes were .there through the Gallipoil gamble? They had no right to gamble with men's lives. How glad we should now be of the 300,000 men we lost in Gallipoli. Had not the 500 ships we had to employ there nothing to do with the present food shortage? Captain Piper moved and Captain Tapper seconded the usual boycott resolutien of the Merchant Seamen's League, Mr. J. Haveloek Wilson .spoke in support, and the motion was carried with enthusiasm.