SIR JAMES ALLEN.

Taihape Daily Times, 15 August 1919, Page 5

SIR JAMES ALLEN.

=RUMoujRED RE'I‘<IREMENT FROM I THE CABINET. l WILL PROBABLY -LEAD A NEW ’ PARTY. i Several rumours of a somewhat sensational character have been current| in political circles since the return of] the party leaders. The most interest-i ing of these points significantly to the a retirement of Sir James Allen from the ; Cabinet. The report has been made the i subject of ca.reful inquiry by a N.Z.I Times representative in well-informed‘, circles, and though we are not in a’ position to make afdefinite announce-i ment, it transpires tlnat there is some? foundation for the siatcment. It is also stated on very good authority" that‘ Sir James Allen’s intention was communicated to Mr Massey while the latter was on his way from Canada, and was not wholly unexpected, and, in any case, it is certain that the matter was under discussion in the, inner councils of the “Reform” party before Mr M-assey had been in New Zealand many hours. There are several reasons assigned for the. course that Sir J arnes Allen is pursuing one of these is that he is ambitions to become Sir Thomas Mackenzie’s suc'cessor as High Commissioner, but that he has discovered an obstacle in his path in_ the person of his leader, who is more favourably inclined towards “the claims of another prominent member of the Cabinet. A second reason put -forward is that Sir James Allen is intent upon becoming the leader of a new political party. Speaking to a prominent member of the “Reform” party, ‘our representative was assured that the immediate retirement of Sir James Allen, if it came about, would be a relief to his party, as it was fully recognised that much of the unpopularity of the party was due to the higll~hand'cd methods of his defence administration, the unrestrained extravagance which had led to an unnecessarily heavy war expenditure, and to the "fact that he was wedded to the perpetuation of a system of militarism that the country was allreaacly resenting as intl.ol"erable.. In all probability, Si.rJames Allen, as is customary, will deny the report as an idle canard, but careful inquiry-justifies us in saying that unless apolitical miracle happens immediately, the retircment wilt ‘be announced ‘in due !course. It is somewhat significant that this report, apparently well founded, ihas come so soon after the public raninouncement by Sir James Allen that tthere was really very little diiference between the two parties, and that the |l\'ational Government should go to the country as a united force. Since the isuggestion was made, of course, the ildberals have decided to go to the ieountry as a distinct party, under the llea(lerslli,; of Sir Joseph Ward, with Da bold and progressive policy.-—N.Z. Times. ‘