Mr. Brodrick made two vigorous speeches at Glasgow on Wednesday.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the Scottish branch of the Primrose League in the afternoon, he defended the Government from the charge of lethargy in their conduct of the war. If he had to call witnesses to rebut that charge, he would call the Boer leaders as the beat witnesses they could have. As between Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman and Lord Rosebery, he recommended Scotsmen to put their • money on the latter. He wished, however, that Lord Rosebery would set up his banner and declare his policy: "The captain could not withdraw and sulk in his cabin when the rough weather came on, more especially if the first mate had turned pirate, and was engaged in looting the cargo." As for Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman's last utterance, he asked what was the value of a statement from a man who said they must carry the war through to a conclu- sion, and yet threw in his lot with those who most earnestly desired the success of the Boers. Turning to the conduct of the war, he observed that the Boers must not only expect to be treated by the laws of war, but they must be expected to abide by the laws of war. As a matter of fact, their ambulances constantly traded on neutrality, carried letters from one commando to another, and in one case recently carried a Maxim gun. Commenting on the murder of Kaf6xs, Mr. Brodrick quoted with great effect Mr. Gladstone's words uttered twenty-two years ago: "Remember that the rights of the savage, as we call him, are equal to our own ; remember that the sanctity of his life in the sight of the Almighty God is the same as yours."
Previous page
