BRITISH PREMIERSHIP.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 194, 14 February 1912, Page 5

BRITISH PREMIERSHIP.

SIR EDWARD GREY MAY SUCCEED MR. ASQUITH. AN UNPRECEDENTED HONOR.

By Cable —Press Association—Copyright. Received 13, 9.35> p.m. London, February 13. The King has created Sir Edward Grey a Knight of the Garter. The Daily Graphic suggests that this almost unprecedented honor to a commoner preludes Mr. Asquith's resignation and Sir Edward Grey's elevation to the Premiership. This is distasteful to the Radicals and Laborites, but the best Liberals will welcome the elevation.

The conferring of the Garter distinction, the paper continues, indicates that Sir Edward Grey commands the Sovereign's confidence. It is significant that Mr. Vauglian Nash, Mr. Asquith's private secretary, has been appointed vice-chairman of the Development Commission, and adds that Lord Haldane's visit was intended to assure the Kaiser that Sir Edward Grey's Premiership would not diminish the desire of the Cabinet to arrive at a friendly understanding with Germany. previous instances of the conferring of Garters on Commoners are: Sir Robert Walpole. in 1726, Frederick North 1772, r ord Castlereagh >lßl4, and Lord Palmers.'i 1856.

The Order of the Garter is the highest and most ancient order of knighthood in Eigland. The origin is attributed to Edward 111., and the legend by which its peculiar emblem is accounted for is that the Countess of Salisbury, having dropped her garter while dancing, the King restored it, first placing it round his own leg, with the words, "Honi soit qui mal y pense" ("Shame to him who thinks evil of it.")