Mr. Arnold-Forster replied for the Government, and we congratulate him
on the manly and sensible way in which he met a very difficult situation. Unlike Mr. Robertson, he did not talk conventional platitudes about meddling newspapers minding their own business, or pretend that it was impossible that highly placed naval officers could have encouraged a newspaper agitation. Instead of shelter- ing himself behind a wall of official make-believe, he frankly admitted the advantages of the stimulus derived from the agitation, and acknowledged that there were many improve- ments needed in the Mediterranean Squadron. His general position was, in effect, that things are not as good as they might be, but that the Admiralty is in full possession of the facts, realises their significance, and is doing its best to remedy defects. That was a wise line to 'take, and if his words are acted up to by the Admiralty there will be no ground for complaint, though there is plenty of ground for regret that 0. the present situation should ever have been allowed to come into existence.
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