THE ANTI-AGGRESSION SOCIETY.
f To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR." J
Sin,—In the Spectator of January 9th you mention an article in the Contemporary Review in which a Mr. Alexander Ular congratulates Lord Curzon on meeting Russian policy with Russian policy in Tibet,—a policy of " secret corruption
shameless denials, and shameless bluff." I take the praise to be ironical, intended to convey the most scathing condemnation ; and I conjecture that there may be something cryptic about the name of the writer. The quotation has re- minded me of a certain Anti-Aggression Society, which was brought into existence long ago by Mr. Herbert Spencer, and which probably represented his only original effort in the sphere of practical politics. I am sorry to say that my memory of the short-lived movement has grown dim and elusive ; I wonder whether any records of it have been preserved. It brought me into much communication with Mr. Spencer, as I was in closer agreement with his views and aims than some other members of the Committee. He held that it was necessary to keep a careful watch over the proceedings of those who have been disrespectfully entitled our "prancing proconsuls." But he did not belong to the anti-war party ; and it was because the Anti-Aggression Society was falling into the hands of some zealous members of that party that he did not care to go on with it. If there is any ground for the accusa- tions brought by Mr. Ular against Lord Curzon, it is to be hoped that the Government will be called to account by some leading Member of Parliament as soon as possible after
Parliament meets. There does seem to be a cynical absence of any attempt to justify the invasion of Tibet.—I am, Sir,
Previous page
