NEWS, VIEWS and OPINIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 72, 23 March 1912, Page 13

NEWS, VIEWS and OPINIONS.

The difference between the strategical position of Canada and that of Australia js being discussed in many of tho English newspapers, with a view to persuading the Canadians (who are about to be represented by their Minister of Marine in a consultation with the Admiralty) that tbey can best provide for their naval defence by eontribtitin-g men and

flips to the existing Atlantic squadron. sir Wilfrid Lanrier and his colleagues proposed the establishment of a local tone, consielini-' of four small cruisers and Mime torpi do craft, to he built ; :i Canadian yards. The Borden Goverr.r_ "-nt is being vnngratulated on having declined to proceed w.ilh this scheme, and the whole question is 1.0 be discussed ar.ew with the Admiralty authorities. The most feasible arrangement so far put forwird is that Great liritain and Canada SIIOU il entei itno a son of partnership tor tiie maintenance and control of the Atlantic squadron., which is composed of six battleships .v.d four armed cruisers. ]t is suggested that, while the squadron must remain under the general direction of the Admiralty. Canada could be represented on the proposed navy council by its High Commidsioner, nr by some other authority specially delegated for the duty by the Dominion Government, such as Rear-Admiral Kingsmill, who has been for several years in the service of Canada. Additions to the force would be discussed first hy contributing two battle cruisers, with a speed of 30 Knots, ci». r ht 13.5-inch guns, and good armour protection —ships that could go anywhere and do anything. Or there could be an annual contribution hy Canada to the general upkeep of the squadron, agreed upon by th. representatives on both sides. The cos: to Canada need not, it is pointed out. exceed £750,000 a yen-. Another sugtrestion is that if South Africa were induced to contribute to the same squadron on like terms, the outlay of both Dominions could be kept permanently moderate and easy to bear.

Austria shows her foresight and recruits enormously her exchequer resources, by adding to her radium estates. She already owns most of the pitchblende mine 6in Joaehinisthal, and has now bought another for nearly a million sterling. This brings her production of radium to five grammes a year, or a piece of about the size of a liver pill. Yet for this the clinics and research wards of the world's hospitals will contend like Jews for diamonds at Amsterdan. And heroes in the cause of science will eat their limbs away in tho struggle to find the soul of these atoms of mystery.

important archaelogical discoveries .are bein.T made in Nazareth, where the foundations of an ancient church of the Crusaders has been brought to light. During the excavations there were found in this place many wonderful mosaics, coins of the early Roman period, admirable lonian and Corinthian capitals, very old well-preserved stone doors, a variety of house utensils, exquisite objects ol ornament, and quite a large number oi jewels, all of the eleventh century. Thfse objects are now preserved in a specially "-sh-tTuctc_ _us_t_n.'- -It "is* extended to restore the church to its original state. The work is very difficult, as above the foundations there stands at present a Franciscan convent. Another important discovery is what is asserted to .be the carpenter's workshop of Joseph, the father of Jesus. In ISSS the Franciscan monks established a small chapel here. Now the excavations have brought to light the foundations of a church with three apsides from the time of the first Crusaders. Thorough research and investigation seem to establish the fact that this the place where the workshop of Joseph 6tood. The Franciscans have bought up all the adjoining buildings and intend erecting here a magnificent temple. Further excavations on this site brinncontinually to light large numbers of exceedingly interesting and valuable relics.

Visitors to P.ussia aie no longer .regaled with the sight of freak regiments. v lien Frederick Leveson-C. wer went to Moscow in 1856 for the coronation of Alexander 11., he noticed "opposite our house, as the procession passed, a regiment called Paulovski, all the men having turned up noses, and therefore resembling him. it seems it was the fashion "ere to compose regiments of men all •svmg the same features. The late IMnperor told recruits off according to their ooks. There is one regiment of all marked with the small-pox. This Faulovski regiment did a thing which amused mc. Just before the cortex came up they all blew their noses at the worn of command. This was in order Wat none of thdm might sneeze when WouldT rnr i? aSßed ' aS their doil - so Would bring him bad luck."

Happiness is impossible to the exceedVy ugly man, according to the ancient 'age: and no doubt there is some mourn- ™ truth in the dictum. But it was "« wounded self-consciousness that wove the poor l_bourer who confronted we Kingston Bench last month to hide °; s . feet in gaol. His trouble was the «nctly practical one that he could find 0 boots large enough to accommodate ™. \\ e are a large-footed people, acordmg to French caricatures of the sagish "Mees," though it was not in '-"gland that antiquity located the SkiaI'Odes who used their feet as parasols 1 n thp .>' slept. But no ready-made Wots were procurable adequate to this man - So he broke a street lamp to Compel the community to solve the K°olem; and during the fourteen days l«at he spent as a non-paying guest of we State, p_rhai - it did.

A terrible tale of the famine which is ttUoirm,, on tl „, heels of war in the •ortli of Tripoli is told by the special Respondent of the London "Express," »»oi_ with the Turkish forces. It is •"Wine of the cruellest kind—he writes— r its victims are almost all women and lat- ' The aduU mal, ' s rf POP u " .a. n are or)e arul ail at war with iei/' The y draw their rations and rej •' t!leir ammunition, and even thvj ioll CS mUSt " 0t -° short ' Food for the _- a ns nd his mount has be ™ doled ol,t _m ks fro " 1 t,l<3 twginnihg of the a. ' " u t Arab women are lighting for ''-Wins that fall from the horses' and l,abies that S'loidd be and brown are bony and yellow, ltret___i n the ' lUe of ( l ried parchment tones t- ° Ver riL ' ket y frameworks of in. » , s must have been going on w Weeks. v °

American scientists have discovered that a large part of the United States has been continuing tilting towards Canada since 10 a.m. on last Christmas Day. The situation is as if some greai power under America were pulling the surface in at the Canadian end and pushing it out at the southern end. No adequate cause is assigned for the present phenomenon, though a subordinate cause may be the recent earthquakes in the middle and Far West. When a distinguished French educator arrived in New York recently a reporter called at his hotel to interview him. "How do you like our skyscrapers, and do you think our women are the most beautiful in the world?" the reporter asked; "and, also, Professor, what do rou think: of our Broadway?" "Hali!" exclaimed the visitor, "do not call mc ze prof esse ire. In France, ah, very well. I am _c professaire, but here, no, no! I am here on.ly ze plean Monsieur. When I get off" ze boat at ze pier I see a great large sign with this upon it, 'Professaire Tony, Shoes Shine Five Cents.' >'-~ no I shall not, what you call ? _Th, yes, I shall not competition with _ c honest shoe chine professaire. Xo." -inei- _aye been several scandals in the Commissariat department of tlis -Italian army, and many frauds have been discovered at Naples. The Minister ol War has ordered a very rigid investigation to be made of the various contract! at. the ports of embarkation. The wore* t.-.ieves seem to have been the cattle dealers, whose .methods were not only ingenious and original, but also very cruel. The day before the sales they were an the habit of giving their oxeil salt and very dry hay, which caused them an intolerable thirst. Then, just before they were weighed, they were allowed a* much drink as they wished. The conse qttence was that the bueketsful the. drank often made a difference of nearly 201b in their weight. Not content with this, the fiends would even make the poor creatures swallow numbers of litle balls of lead. These widely practised frauds are said t. have cost the Italian treas ury already £20.000.

Attempts to consider the human body mathematically have no basis in exact science. We find a North London Magistrate laying down that a one-legged man should take only half as much drink as he did wh .n two-legged. Simultaneously comes news from America that one-tenth of the £47,000 for which Kubelik's fi_ge.3 were insured will be claimed because an accident in manicuring one of them has disabled him. Since the misfortune of one finger has immobilised all ten for business purposes, we do not quite follow the decimal principle. .Vnd would the magistrate debar a man who bad lost both legs from drink altogether, as if no man were left? These rough mathematics will scarcely work. While one sprained ankle would keep a footballer out ot the fk-ld as effectively as two, the less of one eye is not nearly hs£f as bad as that of both.

Mr. Joseph Sogers, Assistant Public Prosecutor at Philadelphia, has issued a circular in favour of labelling single men. He believes they should be disdistinctly marked, and suggests that a bachelor button would be about the proper thing. In advocating this innovation Mr. .Rogers gives several the chief one being io ..protect young -women from married men, as, with the"single men distinctly labelled, he declares, the lack of a label would also mark the married man, and prevent him from. flirting with unsuspecting girls. Mr. Rogers bases his suggestion on long year 3of experience in criminal courts, especially in the divorce court, where he has seen many homes wrecked through the naming of a single person as co-respondent. While the ba.cheloi button would not eliminate this v. luble entirely, he believes it would go a great way towards remedying the evil where persons possessing consciences are concerned. The last reason given hy __r. Rogers for the button is that it would be a sure sign for the guidance of the poor unmarried girl. When she saw the button it would only be necessary to steer for it, and snare the wearer, if he were susceptible.

A brother peer bavang remarked that he remembered being christened, Lord Melbourne said he did not think much ol that, as he remembered being born. That claim, recorded by the late Lord Gran ville, is outdune by the affidavit whiefc astonished Judge Parry in the London courts last month. It purported to pro"6 not only the birth of the man who made it, but the marriage of his parents and the birth of his father. At one of these events he was certainly present, but it is the event in the lives of all of us concerning which no court will accept us as eye-witnesses. No doubt, if it is only necessary to prove that lie was born some time, every man is his own living evidence. Yet there is on record a Gov ernment Department which, admitting proof that.a pensioner was alive in January in the current year, insisted that ha had not proved his existence in January of the year before.

Remarkable interest attaches to the announcement that the Prince of Wales will not only join the 10th Husears as expected, but will, in due course, probably accompany his regiment to South Africa, says the "Pall Mall Gazette." It is a famous corps which bears his own name, and is now in India. The experience of training on the veldt will no doubt be enjoj-able and advantageous to the hoir-apparent himself, and as a proof that he is taking his profession in earnest will be an example to the Empire. But even apart from that, the announcement emphasises the distinctive note of the new reign. For the first time, we imagine, the heir to the Throne Willi have served in Greater Britain a military apprenticeship corresponding in spirit to the King's own training at sea. There has been nn more significant instance of his Majesty's determination to bring the monarchy by various means into living touch with every part of the Empire.

Sultan Suleiman the Magnifkant's sword, which is said to be missing from its place in Constantinople because of the machinations of the ex-Sultan Abdul Ha-mid, is one of those historic weapons which the world would not willingly let disappear. Perhaps the most impressive of such relics now to be seen in any semi private collection in London is the sword of the frreat Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden and "Europe's Protestant Hero" of three centuries since. This is borne by the Grand Sword Bearer of the rear before the Grand Master of English Freemasons or his deputy at every assembly of the United Grand Lodge; and it was presented for that purpose by Thomas Duke of Norfolk, who was Grand Master from 17_9 to 1731. Its "pedi gree" may be regarded as unimpeachable, it having passed after Gustavus Adolphus's death in 1632 to Bernard Duke of Saxe-Weimar, and thence to the Howard family.