9 AUGUST 1919, Page 1
A certain amount of criticism has made itself heard at
what is regarded as the arbitrariness of the list. If such criticism were encouraged, there would be no end to it. For ourselves, we are content to applaud the principle that a nation does right to honour and pay well its successful servants. In the truest way, and not in Voltaire's ironical sense, this is to "encourage the others." When public service is greatly honoured every one has an incentive to wish to serve at honourable poste. There is nothing demoralizing or materialistic in this. It is rather to purify personal ambition and direct it to great purposes.
