THE EXPULSION OF THE SOVIET MISSION
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
8111,----I have often been reminded lately of an ancient anecdote 11,131)ut Queen Victoria. One of her Ministers laid a paper before her, urging her to sign it ".for expediency's sake." She looked at him with stony blue eyes. " My Lord," she
said, " I have been taught to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong ; but expediency ' is a word of which I do not wish to know the meaning."
This story, true or false, bored me at the age of twelve 1 but now, after wading through much political journalism, turn to the tale as to something bitterly refreshing. Is "Expediency," then, to be England's watchword ? Has she no question on her lips but " What shall 1 get by doing this ? " I read that Mr. Lloyd George, speaking upon the break with the U.S.S.R., cried out wildly that " millions of trade " had been thrown away, and that the action of the Government was " madness ! " This rodomontade was received with " loud cheers." I don't find "Expediency" a heartening slogan. I, who was not long ago a Liberal with a Socialistic tendency, am now a Conservative ; I have become so partly because, in spite of the newspapers, I have contrived to learn the truth about the Socialists, but chiefly because the Conservative leader does not make " Expediency " his motto.—I am, Sir, [We hate " expediency " as much as our correspondent does, but there is a noble as well as a derogatory sense of the word (see 1 Cor. vi. 12). The reason we questioned the wisdom of the Government's Russian policy is because we think the best way to strengthen the moderate elements in Russia is to keep in contact with the U.S.S.R. We want the Locarno spirit to be the keystone of our European diplomacy. We deplore the conduct of the Bolshevists as much as anyone, but we do not believe that breaking-off diplomatic relations will make them mend their ways.—ED. Spectator.]
Previous page
