As I grow older my I sometimes repeat myself, forgetting things and topics I’ve mentioned here before. I find I have mentioned A.J.Balfour many times in this space in the past 6 years. I don’t think I have contradicted my earlier comments by my later ones.
- DIRTY WORK February 9 2016
- THE SPIRIT OF A.J. BALFOUR February 11th 2016.
- DEMOCRACY AND ITS ENEMIES. July 25th 2016
- EXREMELY USEFUL PROPAGANDA July 30th 2016.
- CRISES, AFTERMATHS AND A MONSTROUS HUMBUG. May 10th 2017
- BLOODY BALFOUR’S WACKY FAN CLUB. November 8th 2018
- ON REPRESENTATION AND MISREPRESENTATION . January 30th 2019.
I am indebted to Pat Muldowney of the Aubane History Society, publishers of the monthly IRISH POLITICAL REVIEW, for the following:-
From a conversation between Arthur Balfour and U.S. Ambassador Henry White in 1910 quoted in THIRTY YEARS OF AMERICAN DIPLOMACY by Henry White and and Allan Nevins published in 1930:-
BALFOUR: We are probably fools not to find a reason for declaring war on Germany before she builds too many ships and takes away our trade,
WHITE: You are a very high-minded man in private life How can you possibly contemplate anything so politically immoral as provoking a war against a harmless nation which has as good a right to have a navy as you have? If you wish to compete against German trade, work harder.
BALFOUR: That would mean lowering our standard of living. Perhaps it would be far simpler for us to have a war.
WHITE: I am shocked that you of all people should enunciate such principles.
BALFOUR: Is it a question of right or wrong? Maybe it is just a question of keeping our supremacy.
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