The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, JULY 4, 1887. HOW HE WON IT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2638, 4 July 1887, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, JULY 4, 1887. HOW HE WON IT.

It has been a mittter of profound but* prise to many not why Sir Robert Stout accepted a title but Hot it ever came to be offered for his acceptance. What had he done ? Certainly a gen-, tlemandoes not require to do very much to obtain that modest guerdon 1 the K.0.M.G., but there is generally some colorable pretence of public service rendered for its 'bestowal; But excepting that then Mr Stout' was Premier of New Zealand, 'there was certainly no reason known to the general public which would account for the receipt by him of any especial token of approval at the hands of his sovereign. Now is it possible that the following.circumstances can have had any connection with this somewhat remarkable episode. In June, 1885,

the New South Wales contingent arrived at Sydney from Egypt, where they had been to -assist England to massapre a few thousand Arabs who had fought for what they no doubt deemed home, country, and gods.

New Zealand sent no troops, and none wore at the time, officially offered to the Imperial Government. Und&r date : 28th August, 1885, the Agent General wrote to .the UnderSecretary of State for the Colonies as follows: , , .

Sir.—l beg permission : to transmit to you, for the information of Colonel Stanley, copy of a despatch I lately : received from the Prime Minister (sic) of New Zealand, on the subject of the recent offer of troops by the Australian Colonics. The Secretary of State will hear with satisfaction that,_ if war had unhappily broken out with Eussia, the New Zealand Government would have rcoom.mended to their Legislature to ma|e an offer

of 1,000 well trained men to Her Majesty for , service in Mia or elsewhere. I liavo &0,,. F. D. Bkeill. ■ - And remarkably handsome •it was indeed on the part of; the .(then) Mr •Robert Stout to make the offer of '' iOOOM-traiiiednien." Remarkably handsome! and •where, may weiisk, were''the men ?. And had their consent been obtained or was a .conscription meditated. ; And, where were the officers? Did ilr Stout intend to lead them himself ? Did he intend to * doff the horse-hair' "Wig"and 'don tbeplumed helmet," and. where, may we enquire, did he gain - his experience. of the prompt, the. pride and ;.eircumstance of'"glorious' war" ? We thought he was a man of peace, but no! he offers 1,000 "well-trained .men" in the event of war with Russia, ' War, War, my noble father I V -Thus I fling it. And fair-eyed peace farewell/ 1 The ordinary mind would have considered that, had war with Russia broken out, those 1000 man might have been urgently required in New Zealand to defend hearth and home, but, Mr. Stout was not an ordinary man; ho was, for the time being, -a bellicose barristor, and freely offered lives (other people's lives) to the torrid plains of Bengal, the savagt mountain passes : of Afghanistan, oi " elsewhere.".. However, under date Downing Street, London, 7th August; the Secretary of. State declared tha he was very pleased witli Mr Stoutvery pleased indeed. In June 188( Mr Stout becomes Sir Robert Stout. K.C.M.G. That's all.