26 AUGUST 1905, Page 1

Mr. Brodrick on Wednesday made a speech at Godalming in

which, as Secretary for India, be endeavoured to explain the resignation of Lord Curzon. He mentioned that while he was responsible for every word he had uttered or written, the Council of the India Office, in which he had only one vote, was equally responsible with the Cabinet, which is consulted on all great occasions. Both had agreed with his policy of reforming the relations between the Commander-in-Chief and. the Government of India. The statement that he had un- justifiably denied in Parliament Lord Curzon's first resigna- tion in June was incorrect, for that resignation was only conditional. He greatly regretted the loss of Lord Curzon's services, and repudiated as absurd the suggestion that the Viceroy and the Secretary of State had a personal antipathy to one another. That is, of course, true, as Mr. Brodrick says so ; but he will not, we suppose, deny that the tone of his despatches was somewhat curt and dry, or that Lord Curzon' considers that for two years he has had reason to complain of want of support. The rest of his speech was a strong asser- tion that the Government had done everything rightly, and when it went out of office would be found to have left the country in a stronger position as regarded international rela- tions than when it entered upon power. It was a bold and distinct speech, but not very convincing.