TOPICS of the DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 66, 18 March 1905, Page 9

TOPICS of the DAY.

t'From Oar Special Correspondent.) ! LONDON. February 10. THE " REVIVAL " BOOM. The Torrey-Alexandor mi-sion was the talk of the town for at least two day* this week, and curiosity -fill attract-* thou-ar.d- to the Albert Hall each evening. The London newspapers, mindful of the sensational scenes which have attended the "revival' 1 promoted by Evaus Robert; in Wales, devoted column- to the coming of the American evangelists, and extracted every ounce of ''copy" from their opening meeting-. The street-hawkers. e\er up-tu-date. -old the famous "Glory >jjng'' at twopence ;i copy, and -uppnrtor* of the mi--iou undertook a house to hou-e cauva-s within the three-mile radiu- in order to call attention tv the coming revival. Thus the curio-ivy of the Londoner- \vaaroused. and an immen-c audience gathered iv tin' Albert Hall on the opening night. Since then tin l attendance*, have lluctuated. bir. the end ut the iir-; week still ihnU the mi.—ion "going .-trong'" mi far as its power to at tract an audience i- concerned. Whether public interc-t will be maintained for two whole months 'the period fop which the Hall i.- bookeiTl i- another question. One i- jii-tilied in attributing the pre« nt attendance- largi ly to curiosity. From fir-t to |a-( there have been no demonstrations of emotion such ;•.- took place in the Welsh revival. 'Hie audieticeshnw no readiness 10 grow cnthu-da-tic. and the number of those who ri-e each night to ••confer-- < hri-i" i- the mrre-t handful on' of the thousands present. The methods of the mi-'sioner- are ju.-t the -ante a.> when they toured the colonies. The slim. elean-sha\ en Mr. Alexander, who. by the way. ha-* married Miss Cadbury. the millionaire'-

! dauffhtpr. sinr-o rominjj to Englaud. pri , - j pares the vsu- tor his colleague by te-jx-h----i iiiii the auJlonvi" to -in 2: tbn "Priory ■ I Sou:>\" I am afraid iv- tind- the London ; I audience- rather !■> his' jliltie pkes and his couver>atiou: - . I iiyle !of referring to the Deity. Xor is the cold. unemotional manuer ot Dr. Torrey calculated to inspire fin audience to enthusiasm. It Niff everyone who likts to hear ' religion preached with a Chicago twanpr. and Dr. Torrey"? religion, moreover, is of old K hell-fire and brimstone"' ! type. He to one of the least j noble of human instincts—the tear of '■ death. There *epms no doubt ahout jthe preacher's o:irnrs;tne~~ and intensity lot conviction. l>ut hi- plain, |alnio>t bn=ines?-like st.itement of what it costs prii f.o he ;i Cliri.-lian -lrik".-; a rule or e«oi-!n whieli j:;r- on n.nnv ear*. iHiMwcr. thn miesioners to ho j delLrlitp'l «it!i their in Lonflon. and especially with t!jnir treatment at tTie hands of the press. ••T'no London press ha< eclip'fd all the other newspaper? all over the world v.h re we have been by its sympathetic and interesting reports,"' said Dr. Torrev to an interviewer. And yet. curiously enoush. I have not come across a single pressman here who is in sympathy with the metlmas of the Chicago revivalists.

GERMANY'S BOGEY. | a j r l A ovnt lonian named Mr Arthur l.i-e i r nuvie a ~;i.HM-h fir a j.-I.ii-h K.i~:-! ii ioiirh q i'w uicrhts ni". hi? subject beitm ■ i the recent redistribution of the nnv.il • < furies nt (iront Britain. Probably n;i»' - people out of ten in the Old Country | t roiiJ.l nor. ir ym hail asked th«m tl.p i i question casually, have told you wiio | ( Mr Arthur Lot- was without reference to i i •■Who's Who" or "Whitaker." or havp • 1 irivrn you any information concerning ' Ka-tleiprh. Personally. I knew that. Mr i< Lee was an M.P. and a Civil Lord oi th* . Admiralty, hut I confers thar ;o t< , !! J tiio exact whereabouts of Eastloijih I; should huvt» hsiil to Inok it up ii r he : A.B.f. railway time-table. j Mr Lon and Eastleijih have, howpvpr, ! ■ enjoyed quite a considerable amoun.i "1 | notoriety thin week owinjr to tin- L'ivii' L*>rd"s speech- In the course of lii> i>'- j' markn Mr Lfp told h\- ■d'-wlwnr* thut ', the Admiralty in >la>< ha,l ■"n"! : γ-o much to keep their rye- on France ; iiud the a~ tn loi>k with l ronrr .inxip*;.-. though nor with ffar. tn-; u-aril< thf North Sea." Hi- in-: fnrred thai. a« a rpsiilt of the n-n-tii dcci- ■ >ion to rpilistributp our Navy -.u----shoiiiJ, in pvont oi war oil', l>: , : in n pn-iiiun to strike The lir.-t blow!, hoforf thr> i-ithfr party was roudy tori u<. Itis ni?tnal woriJ> v..?rn that "tlit , ; Hritisii navy wnhld its blow in fir-* he'forp thf i>th»r si in had time r\-vi -..i 1 rf-ad in t : n-> paper* thai war '.'—l! drc-Varcd.' , T.'M-V remark.-* werr nn ijnubi com-• fiTtinp to riie ratejnvT- ot East lei irli.' and a.- a mrion v. ( < nro pleased to kiww : that our navj" is prejwrrd to srrik.' nni'-lvly. Tli.il i> its hu.-ines-; no niatr.T wliat rlag tlio ntlif-r floet lii--. I"ntor-t-unafly Mr observaiions. wiiir-'i .•it' ra<-U"-l no particular notiei; in l->,_--land. and were i-ortainly nor t-onsiivu-il horp as a hint to auy foreign power in particular, let alone a menace to Geri many, were taken in that country sa .1 =fri«us threat. Sn pi'rinusly indofrtl I were they raken that iho German Am-' ' ba>?ador in London ])aid a to our ' ; Foreijrn Ofiioe. to airains; th»"-in. j : and our Ambassador in Berlin found it ' ■ nt'«:fssary tv pay a very late call on the ■ Kmperor William to a-suve him that : nothing was further from the British Government's thoughts th-in provoking: I n quarrel with Gerniany. or in any wav i truadin^ , on the Fatherland's toes. Mr ' Ijpq has also explained that his remarks i were merely designed to show that the j British Xavy under the now regime ■ would be ■always prepared for any even- ! ttiality, and Germany has caltuccl down ' ajfain. It is >]uite clear, however, that aoro.*? •ho North Sf\i tho i.!"a is vi»ry pre\n!cnt • th;it England is mly awaiting a favi ur- ■ able opportunity to "take it c.U -i" Germany, and thai all lu-r naval pi;u;s are beir.g arrariLrel lor that part:ou!ar purpose. Only a tew months ajro exalt- , ed pcrsonajres iv Germany had a similar ■ attack of "nerves." and imagined th-a-T : England was jrettiu;,' ready to pounce down upon her. Ir was only wbea the ' German Ambassador in London hastened jto Berlin and confidently assured the ; Emperor that the British Admiralty was I absolutely innocent of any- fell design on the G-ennan fleet tka.t the crisis subsided and. Genaapy bTeatled freely

cr.'hi. In ;i. 1 • ii: :• jn !■> d.p!''mati" l: , - Nirio, inip'T!.'! i:" rcnn -I'nta 1 ives > f .errr.an cimnien-f" ranie over !■■■> thu r.uiury to s:>\- i i:t Tjf laml. iinrl \v.-ro L'rcciibly «i:rpri=pd to tin* - ] lh.it tho Br!----i-h pooph' v.-fif oviipi"<l with quitf* 'llwt thr.ii ;i dark '!;"=:.zn to nil ■•.Li'.;.-r.iy r,n the (icrni.iii navy and Jμ?roy it: tbnt. indeed, f-o far fr'mi h'injr n tin , condition uesrnbod in the vornaular a< "KnoiLiiia tV>r a tijrht." the F.cr- ,- l-Ii peof>!<- u-,tp only anxious the iu>so-.laparinsp War should procure <!< J - clopnienr- inw'lvinp "> in trouble vii; )ur i ontin>ntal neichbonr.*. A NEW LEVIATHAN. 1 lie new C'unard liner Caroaia, which ran her rrinl irip hi.-t Saturday, i* the iatc-t work iv u< <wa comfort .ui-i uiay-airiL-cnve. Thou-jh v.ut >o larifi? a.=s the Bailie, -he nuu-.-ivi; enough to de?piif ill but the must moiißiainour and t'a.-l enough to keep up a rate of I:> knots in any kind of weather. The buildora toll you in their picturesque way .hat tho i aiunia i~ 1 7,3 i<-et longer than >t. P.iuTs i iuhcdral. and oniy _i feet k-?~ iii breadth. PUiccd i:v> Nci«on monument. ruT lipj.vri'.t from kofl :<i fiinuel-top would but root li-.««; uul the monument, rompmlw. is 173 feet It' thf-o menial p7.-mna.-tic~ are ['aligning, try >.ne which rtquire* no ra!----r-iilarin?. Eai.-!i (..{ her two funnels is ro wide tint f.vi. lailway trains cmiM !■.' r::n rh:o.;_-;i i-.hr.-iist. >he has nin-li-ik-. fitcrd throughout with u-arer-tig-iit :!•;•• I--. A lloatin.2 city, in fair, but not. a. city on th' iii'-on.-iani hillnw* daiu- ,- iiijr." The ( aroniii i- nnu-h ti«.i digniti«»J iv ilari'.-c. ylidc- through the heaving billow- niili -,-an-p a ijiiivpr. and if ~hf ha- t'i ii 0 , . ,. i> :•• r< 1 li:i' fury fit a Lrale. it will !■■■■ .1 -:.-. !\ i--,;! Yijii.-l, should !:i>"iinmcdc nobody. How diiTf-ront from tv Atlanta- ..... i- hi Hiiii-ii rharlf Dickens to A:r.cri(.-u I "i-:-.i: ur six tiu:e.i in the cour-e <_>f every rubber." i\a wrote, "we are tluuy from our -eat.-. rc-11 '.'i:: at ilifTi-rc-Bt doors, and kp"p on rolling until wi- are picked up by rhe -U-warih." Tii(> Caronia'- \s"hiuh are iju.ii!ruple expansion, ran deveiop from 21.000 to 2-"i.00') hor#e-po«rer. aud. runnincr at full speed, tht-y havf> a piston speed or (•10-ie nn I.OoOfL. a minute, the length of -iri;ke bpiug •"»» i. 1 iic low pressure cviinders are among the lareest ever employed, being lldln. in diamf-ter. The ( aronia ha- the further distinction of beiniT the iir-t British -teamer engaged in the North Atlantic trade to be titled viih the Stone-Lloyd apparatus, by which all the doors between the varimi-vatcr-tipht tonipartmcnt* '-an lanf-ou.-ly e-u-e,! by iy'ir.iu'.i' ]»■■:.. r rr.ntro'ltil liv 3 =In™ie h.tmUc en t :■■•■■ rjri'i.'*-. lafore this liandi.- i-.;n ix , mn'.c-d r, ~:ui\l m:cv im;-t ih' uiiiiuiie. and i'.i-. , opi-savion of un-'/n v. in_ r . \. j '. :r.,:;ir. - u';.ju; luit a luiniitt.-. -tart- !••!'- rii.u.'iiiw i" every r-om part men t - L .% w.irn xho ir.en v> keen clear uf the doo:s. Subsidiary to this arrangement thrre are numuroui escape ladders loading to the boat-deck from the stokeholds, tunnel, etc.. so that the men can make their way out even fbongb. the doors are Hosod. The doors of ony compartment alio =hut automatically should the water get in. The ship has been built iv accordance -with the Admiralty requiremeiKs for an anne

cTui'er. and i~ lined for 12 larjre quick- ' tiring ui:i'-: iuT i- •: !• i <- r i< eomplt'tely be- ' low the vafrr-liiu , . a? al>o i= one of the ii\i i> -iivriii? t riiiiii". liy fitlier of which it ■(■•.in l>f> nporahvl. Tho pa«><»njjpr ancom- ! tiirtlat Foil — fan carry 2(5.50 pa«~enn,.|- —i< noteworthy nnt only for it« ppai (iuTi.-Ticss. hut al*o for thf air of stylo i tin<l that marks it> decoration". And altogether thp American Am:hasador s vn« not unduly extravagant ! vvhon. ;it her launching, he described the ! Caronin ;i- "the largest and noblest ship I that cv<?r kissed the water of the Clyde."' i