Welsh Journals

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try to dominate Liberal and Labour associations, and if this is impossible, they should give them no support, un- less they choose for candidates genuine Nationalists But a cause can never be won without personal sacrifice on the part of its leaders. Welsh Home Rule must be financed from Wales. In the interesting and in a way successful demonstration in favour of Welsh Home Rule at Llandrindod last summer, one bad mistake was made. There was no collection. Welsh Home Rule can and ought to be financed by the Welsh democracy. The rich must of course do their part, but the cause needs the silver of the man of moderate means, and the pence of the poor. The Welsh people need only to be asked, to give as generously to the cause of their country as they have given to the cause of their churches. But, from the leaders of Welsh politics a special sacrifice may be fairly asked. It is that no Welshman shall accept any honour or official distinction. Privy Councillorship, Knighthood, O.B.E., or J.P.'ship until Welsh autonomy is an established fact, the rule of course not applying to military honours. If the leading men in Welsh politics would make this ex- tremely small sacrifice, a sacrifice perhaps not as great as made by the vast number of young people in Wales who take the temperance pledge, they would effectually kill corruption in Welsh politics and make Welsh Home Rule HONOUR AND HONOURS THE cause of Welsh Home Rule has been much furthered during the past year or two by the bold and unflagging championship of the Welsh Outlook, and political observers in all parts of Wales have noticed that amongst the younger and more intelligent classes of electors, largely as a result of such championship, there exists a strong and growing conviction that Welsh Nationalism cannot find adequate expression in Parliament until some definite pledge of independence of Government patronage is imposed on Welsh parliamentary representatives. The so-called Welsh Party is regarded generally as an undisciplined mob of time-servers and office-seekers by those who are actively engaged in various Welsh move- ments, and nobody looks to them for a lead on any Welsh question of importance, or even expects them to do or say anything in Parliament which will in any way incon- venience the Government. Welsh members can always be relied on to support the Liberal Party or any other party which has Mr. Lloyd George at its head, not so much because they are in agreement with the principles of such party, or because they have confidence in its leader, but largely at any rate because subservient loyalty to that party may result in tangible rewards to themselves. This may seem to some readers to be a very brutal and very base explanation of what every earnest Welshman de- plores, viz., the indifference of Welsh members to Welsh affairs, and especially to the question of Home Rule, but the writer believes the charge can easily be substantiated, THE OUTLOOK even for Mr. Towyn Jones and his brother whips the most practical of questions. One or two more matters must be mentioned. Every effort must be made to enlist Welsh women's support for the cause. Women in every country are better national- ists than men, a fact proved emphatically by the history of Poland, and Welsh women are devoted to the Welsh language. They need only to be properly instructed to take up the question with enthusiasm. The next question is a small and controversial one. Many Welshmen dislike badges, banners, and music at political meetings. It must, however, be remembered that the new Wales has thrown its heart into the drama. Scenic effects have their uses in politics, and the Llandrindod demonstra- tion suffered almost as much from its lack of colour, as from its failure to hold a collection. Something of the spirit of the Revival is required in a great national political movement. In conclusion, Wales still has a chance and a good chance of political freedom. The scandal that she will, after the peace settlement, be almost the only ancient nation in Europe without a national Parliament is too great to last. But to remove it in the near future requires from Wales much enthusiasm and some sacrifice. By Watkin Leyshon. People who have been in close touch with Welsh political activities in London during recent years will be aware of the personal rivalries that have arisen amongst Welsh parliamentarians over the question of precedence for appointment to various Government positions, how the conferring of favours on one member has created discon- tent among the others, how in their desire for preferment members have toadied to the Ruling Statesmen, and ignored their duty to Wales lest perchance their chances of personal aggrandisement might thereby be prejudiced. It will be recalled what a number of Welsh M.P.'s were candidates for the appointment of Junior Lord of the Treasury, which was ultimately conferred upon Mr. Towyn Jones, gwas bach Lloyd George as he so aptly describes himself, and how many Welsh members of the present Parliament sought, unsuccessfully we are glad to note, inclusion in the recently-formed Government. It would be wrong to suggest that all Welsh members who have found places in various Governments during recent years have been incompetent or in other ways un- worthy of preferment. Some of them, indeed, are men of outstanding merit who would grace the counsels of any nation it would be far-fetched, however, to contend that all of them were the worthiest men for their posts. A similar observation applies to some Welsh lawyer- politicians upon whom legal appointments have from time to time been conferred. Welsh members of Parliament are perhaps not altogether to be blamed for seeking for