第78部分(第3/7 頁)

d　Halsbury　and　his　stalwarts　for　my　money。

On　the　occasion　of　this　small　Imperial　matter　with　which　I　was　concerned　I　confess　I　did　wish　that　Mr。　Lyttelton　could　have　spared　me　an　hour　or　two　in　which　to　talk　over　its　leading　points　with　him；　as；　for　instance；　President　Roosevelt　found　himself　able　to　do　in　the　midst　of　all　the　tumultuous　ceremonies　of　his　inauguration。　But　there；　perhaps；　came　the　difference。　Roosevelt　was　being　inaugurated：　his　time　was　before　him。　The　Conservative　party　was　already　a　mere　corpse　galvanised　into　a　semblance　of　its　lost　life；　and；　standing　on　the　edge　of　an　open　grave；　it　pretended　not　to　see；　its　pale　eyes　fixed　upon　those　thunder…clouds　which；　after　ten　happy　years；　had　bee　so　very　large　and　definite。　Little　wonder　that　“Arthur　wouldn’t　read”　reports　on　matters　dealing　with　the　transference　of　our　superabundant　city　poor　to　colonial　settlements。　Matters　at　home；　affecting　him　much　more　nearly；　left　no　time　for　reading。　The　affair　undertaken　in　a　moment　of　pressure　or　enthusiasm　was　already　forgotten；　it　became　inconvenient　to　consider　the　arguments　of　individuals　who　suggested　that　something　should　be　done　which　would　involve　the　expenditure　of　thought；　time；　and　money。　Had　I　been　told　this　at　once　a　great　deal　of　trouble　might　have　been　spared　to　everyone　concerned。　The　Report　might　even　have　been　suppressed　altogether。

I　am　not　for　one　moment　arguing　that　the　scheme　I　suggested　was　open　to　no　objections。　What　was　the　problem？　Briefly；　in　what　way　more　or　less　broken…down　persons　and　their　families　could　be　moved　from　our　cities　on　to　colonial　land；　to　their　own　benefit　and　without　the　nation　incurring　loss。　It　is　a　problem　that　as　yet　no　one　has　been　able　to　solve。　I　did　offer　a　scheme　that　had　a　fair　prospect　of　succ