23 AUGUST 1924, Page 2

With every inclination to believe in the theory of the

safety valve, we cannot see why the prosecution was dropped. The attempt to turn the Armyor theNa-vy into a political agency, inspired by class-consciousness and false to that allegiance to the King and the nation as a whole to which it is sworn, is a particularly odious _act. We should say exactly the same thing from whatever political party the incitement came. As it is, the Government are exposed to the charge, which they cannot meet with, any reasonable defence, that they have winked at a fla,grant case of incitement in order to save their party. They were not afraid of risking their own dignity so much as risking the precarious solidarity of Labour. But having once done this they will find their future steps dogged= by all kinds of fiends. Suppose that some British Fascisti say that the time has come to save this country from its internal enemies by a little purifying violence. With what kind of face will the Government be able to meet such a situation ?

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