RETURN OF MR HUGHES.

Taihape Daily Times, 16 September 1919, Page 2

RETURN OF MR HUGHES.

ENTI-I'USIA'STIC WELCOME.

5 SYDNEY, Sept. 4. E The circumstances of the return to Melbourne of Mr Hughes after an ab!sence of 16 months; at the Peace Cou‘ferenee and elsewhere, provide another lexamplo of the ficklcness of public opilnion. He Went -away soon after his sec ‘ond referendum on conscription hall been taken, with such popularity as he retained rapidly on the down grade. Some of the things he dil abroad were not approved of here. p"cirticularly his somewhat querulous attitude on some of the Peace Cout‘erence questions, and for 21 time public and press were shrieking at him. ' It was generally believed that Australia had seen the end of Mr Hughes, anl speculative eyes were turned to that really brilliant moderate politician, Mr W. A_ Watt. Mr Watt, ‘however, broke down 11: health, and has had to give up an hope of a political career. Australia, suffering the post-war reaction, bega. to ask for a strong, moderate leader. and could iindnerre in Australia. And alien, quite suddenly It seemed, Mr Hughes came back into favour. Every» i one admitted his faults, but no one could see anyone to put in his place. Then the voice of the returned sold

[icrs was heai‘d—a. remarkably insist[ont and 1.11-animous voice——2uld it ~cried: “Hughes for us.." The crowd ‘followed’ the soldiers, and to-day ‘Hughes stands higher in popular favour than ever before. I The Prime Ministcl<’s progress across Australia from Fremantle to Melbourne lduring the past week has been of an ;unpl'ecedented kind. He was welcom-

ed tumultously everywhere, and 'w':l<—:l-<:-ver the “diggers” could get their hands upon him thy c:ll'l'ied him StlCll_s,d‘3l high. They dragged his motor'~cal' through Melbourne streets threuglx dense masses of cheering people. Nowhere was there a discordant note. It is obvious that the whole eo'lnl-r_v

‘is looking to'Mr Hughes tu help it out of the thousand troubles with which is is faced andiwhich dpemzmd a man cf iexceptionalcapacity_ Mr Hughes is faced‘ at once with the ;I'ea.tust opportunity and the most difliculj iask of his life.