The Daily News. FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 1919. THE BRITISH MINISTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1919, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 1919. THE BRITISH MINISTRY.

"Whatever may have been the motive actuating Mr. Lloyd George in desiring the resignation of his colleagues in the British Ministry after the recent general election, it was a very proper course to pursue and one that might with advantage be followed throughout the Empire under similar circumstances. It is manifest that however well any administrator may fill a particular position that there may be others who will bring new views and experience to bear on matters connected with a department, and it is not infrequently found that men who have done good work in one office, can do even better m another.. Changes for mere change sake may be dangerous, but the British Premier is far too prescient to commit an error of judgment of that nature. The London Times and Daily Mail have thought fit to make disparaging comments on the work of reconstituting the Ministry, but this is merely evidence of their biassed partiunship and animosity to what, is described as the "old influence." Such remarks may well be treated with contempt. The great work in front of the Imperial Government is reconstruction after the war, and ameliorating the conditions .of life of j&e '

it may reasonably be assumed tlia Mr. Lloyd George, with his intim ate knowledge of the special quali fications of his leading supporters lias made lip the Ministry witl raen on whom he can rely to dea wisely and well with the problem; ;hat have to be solved. His wis lom in selecting colleagues ii L 916 has been fully justified. Hi ,vas not tlioll prepared to limit hi. lioice to those having seats in Par lament, but gathered around kin ;he best and ablest brains in tin iountry, the result being that, a, ;he recent general election he wa, ;iven a new lease of office by ai (verwhlming majority of the en arged electorate—a majority tha vas expressive of the confident if the people in him as the head o ;he Government, and an expres iion of satisfaction at the waj n which the affairs of State hac leen administered during the grav ;st crisis in the history of the na ion. A glance through the list o ippointments to the Ministry ihows that there has been no at ;empt at making them anything o i surprise, except in the case o ;he Under-Secretary for India (Si: Satyendra Sinha), a native-bori indian, whose services on the Vice roy's Executive Council and a :he Imperial Conference demon strated his fitness for Cabine :ank. This opportune selection i: i recognition of the new status ac paired by India as the result o: icr loyalty and help in the war md it is indicative of the inten ;ion of the Government to earrj rat those reforms for which Indii has long been waiting. The re ;ention of Mr. Balfour at the For ;ign Office was a foregone conclu ;ion, for there is no statesman ii Britain more fitted for that verj •esponsible and delicate positioi Mr. Balfour, nor could then je found a more suitable Shipping Controller than Sir Joseph Maclay I'he appointment of Mr. Austei Chamberlain as Chancellor of th< Exchequer is not only very appro Driate but it relieves Mr. Bonai jaw from the arduous duties at ;ached to the control of Britisl inances, and leaves him free tc levote all his energy and talenl ;o the leadership of the House oJ Commons, in itself a task that is imply sufficient for any Miuistci ;o undertake without being burlened by departmental work. II s presumed that although the lecessity for a War Cabinet no onger exists, the innovation made >y Mr. Lloyd George of having a mall executive will be continued, ind it should meet with general ipproval. The transfer of Mr. idward Shortt from 'the 'Chief secretaryship of Ireland to the >osition of Home Secretary would ;eem to indicate that his special vork in relation to the endeavoi' o arrange a scheme of Home Rule or Ireland has come to an end. I?his is not surprising in view of he preponderance of Sinn Feiners Jected for Irish scats, while the ■etention of Field Marshal Yisiount French as Lord Lieutenant if Ireland would seem to indicate hat the Government is prepared 'or emergencies in that direction. Fhe two appointments that should :reate most satisfaction in the Doninions are those of Lord Milner, vho has been transferred from, the iVar Office to the Colonial Office, md Mr. L. C. M. S. Amery, who )ecomcs Under-Secretary for the Colonies. Lord Milner has a resord of many years distinguished md successful service to the Emiire, especially in Egypt and South Africa, and his sympathy with the lesire of the Dominions for a full md permanent share in the Imperal partnership is well known, vhile Mr. Amery is equally bent >n promoting the Dominions' as)irations and is in every way par.ieularly fitted to act as coadju;or to Lord Milner. Now that the rreat reorganisation work of the vavy has been accomplished it is lot surprising that Sir Eric Jeddes' remarkable gifts are to he itilised in another direction. At iresent he is a Minister without a >ortfolio, but it is stated that if he Government carries out its in;ention of establishing a Ministry if Ways and Communications, the iontrol of that department will lie rested in Sir Eric Geddes. It' is gratifying to know that his services, which, have proved of such mmense value in the past, are still :o be given to the Government. Flic new Ministry as a whole is cell chosen and well placed, and ve may confidently expect the nembers to maintain the high itandard of forceful action that :haracterised their predecessors.

THE INJURED nr: li, 13 characteristically German for the Hun Government in the one breath to proclaim its intention to loyally perform its undertaking for the restoration of machinery abstracted from the occupied countries and in the next to decline to undertake a detailed settlement which would "anticipate the peace treaty," justifying this attitude by avcrrii.g that an economic war would result Germany having to replace the she had taken or destroyed, a war which was deprecated by President Wilson. Nemesis ia on the Germans' track, and they have io pay this account as well as many others. If they think that they can escape payment for their systematic looting and wanton destruction and can hide behind any words spoken by President Wilson tkey will lie graved mis-

taken. What they now ask for is leava to remain in possession of their loot whilst the countries they have robbed mercilessly are to fend as best they can without plant or machinery. Every town occupied by the Germans was relieved of all its machinery, which was promptly transferred to Germany What could not be taken was smashed. Towards the finish of the war, when the tyrants saw the game was up, they deliberately set themselves to destroy everything, buildings and all, that might assist the Vrench or Belgians in rebuilding their industries. The object was obvious. The Huns desired to handicap their enemies in tho industrial struggle after the war, and now have the audacity to refuse to reinstate the machinery, etc., they have stolen or destroyed. It is almost enough to induce one to rub one's eyes in order ti ascertain if it were not the Germans after all who have won the warl They speak as victors, not as criminals brought to book. If we mistake not, they will have no choice about reinstating the machinery. They will simply be ordered to make restitution. After all, this is only a very small part of the long and terrible account Germany will be made to settle. If payment bears hard upon them, all the better, for it will serve to bring home to them the eonsequence of their misdeeds; it will prove that war, Germany's previous most important industry, does not pay.