The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 1901. THE WARNINGS OF BRITISH STATESMEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 17, 21 January 1901, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 1901. THE WARNINGS OF BRITISH STATESMEN.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the -wrong that needs resistance, For the future m the distance, Aud the good that we oan do.

The first impressive echo of Lord Rosebery's warning words upon the urgent need of commercial education for the British Empire comes in the reported utterance of Mr. Chamberlain. The cable message is not clear as to the manner in which the Colonial Secretary addressed the Birmingham University on this important question. But the few words given are almost, with additional recommendations, worthy of a practical statesman, a verbal repetition of the earnest advice given to the nation by Lord Rosebery at Glasgow and Wolverhampton. The Empire must listen to the two leading statesmen of the day. All the more so that both are led to take up the Cassandra tone of prophetic warning by evidence brought to light by the press for many years back, and by the reports of foreign Ambassadors and Consuls. The writers at Home and abroad on the subject in 'books, reviews and newspapers have been legion. British statesmen, as a rule, are slow to move on any public question. It has often become a reproach by Continental cities against the most progressive of them—such as Peel, Russell, Cobden, Bright, Beaconsfield, Gladstone— that they waited for the leadership of the people before taking the lead in the councils of the nation. This, of course, is only partially true, as it would be easy to show how each and all of the above popular statesmen at times risked reputation in the ediication of the public, as well as of their party. Eosebery and Chamberlain have followed in their courageous footsteps. It requires, however, little risk of reputation to voice serious convictions found everywhere in regard to our national neglect of an effective modern commercial education. Many causes have led to this, such as our past commercial success with the comfortable feelings of confidence occasioned- by it; our ancient university system of education, with scholastic ideals unsuited to the modern needs of cities like Glasgow and Birmingham, even to the modern demands of the scientific knowledge required for moral life in the cultivation of lands and cattle; our stupidity in not making a clear path to our capable youth, from primary to secondary, and specially to technical schools and universities; causes of this kind —along with our want of liberality in setting apart our ablest students to works of investigation, that few can for pecuniary reasons undertake—have left us seriously behind in the international race for. trade and wealth. America, we were told lately by the millionaire, Carnegie, comands the wire market of the world. Prince Kropotkin has proved beyond dispute that Germany and France are ahead of us in regard to small industries of an artistic order. For a quarter of a century even Oriental Japan has been giving us an example of how to dedicate our most capable youths to the study of science, art and commerce. It should provoke us to immediate efforts to find this friendly Eastern Power forging ahea"d of us in some civic and national activities. The cry for army reform and Imperial defance must be listened to. The demand for an

invincible navy awakes the sympathy of every British patriot. But words of warning, like those from Mr Chamberlain, "Britain's existence as a great trading and industrial nation depended on the thorough scientific treatment of commercial education,'' echoing Lord Eosebery's still more weighty words the day previous, in the Chamber of Commerce at Wolverhampton, must command the car of the British Empire. Roscbery does not mince matters in the presence of commercial men. He is sure of his ground, and knows well that he reveals nothing to our national enemies. He mourns over what occasions them greater joy: "Our commercial classes require educating scientifically from top to bottom in order that they might fairly compete with the commercial classes of Germany, Japan and America." His recommendation that every Chamber of Commerce should appoint travelling trade scholarships is a capital one. It would repay the outlay, in the commercial education or our ablest youth, in a thousand ways in the preservation and increase of trade. Book, school or university knowledge cannot equal the practical wisdom gained by world-wide travel. Mr. Chamberlain's suggestions to the University of Birmingham are quite in harmony with this. Commerce demands greater consideration at the hands of our universities. Our schools of highest learning cannot afford longer to turn up the scholastic nose against its vulgar intrusion. The development of special research also, commended by the Colonial Secretary, is an Imperial need. Not only for trade purposes, but for sanitary uses, and the health of the people, it is high time the British Empire should awake out of sleep, and command in liberal ways the service of her ablest sons and daughters everywhere in scientific research. What a splendid field, in the medical faculty alone, demands Imperial consideration!