WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1919, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE PARTY TRUCE. People here continue to discuss the text of the party truce produced by Sir Joseph Ward at his Chnstcnurch meeting at the beginning of the week. Strangely enough, scarcely a dozen members of Parliament recollected that the agreement between Mr. Massey and the Leader of the Opposition in 1915 had been reduced to writing, and even those who did were not aware of the location of the "scrap of paper" on which the terms of the arrangement wore set out. It is being remembered new, however, that while the Prime Minister has scarcely alluded to the document since Sir Joseph Ward's retirement from the Cabinet, the Leader lof the Opposition has quoted from it with confidence and precision. He has contended that the "Truce" expired automatically on the signing of the Peace Treaty, and that in the absence of any invitation from the Prime Minister to continue the arrangement he would not have been justified in withholding his resignation for a single day longer than he did. "The National Government to continue in existence until the war is officially settled." These words seem to fix 1 the duration of the arrangement plainly enough, and Sir Joseph, as he says himself, would have" placed himself in a very invidious position had he clung on to office for a longer period than the contracting parties contemplated, particularly in the absence of any wish to that effect expressed by the other side. A prominent member of the Liberal Party, referring to the subject this morning, said he thought the public would recognise, in the light afforded by the tpxt of the agreement, that Sir Joseph Ward had no alternative to retirement from the Cabinet, and that ho could not with any dignity have postponed his withdrawal for a df.y longer than he did. Even if Mr. Massey had invited him to remain he could not have done so without consulting the members of liis own Party, and thev already had declared for the termination of the arrangement at the earliest possible moment. They had felt that the slow progress of the war had compelled them Mo a much longer period of. inactivity than they had expected in 1915, and that their party was getting much the worst of the bargain, while the extreme Socialists were gaining ground every day through no middle course being placed before the electors. At (he same time, this authority thinks there will be a strong disposition in the now- Parliament, if not towards a coalition, 'at least towards a better understanding between the parties—all three of them—and a franker recognition of one another's riahts and privileges. It is an optimistic view which sane men Oft all fiHeA will hone to see realised.