TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10633, 18 April 1900, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

An American paper haa lately Mankind been inquiring of its country's inthe prophets what cha_ges are Future, likely to take place in, the re-

mote- future in tihe brains, bodies, and environment of man. Of the three learned Professors whose replies are published* only one sticks to severely scientific deductions. This is Dr. Gill, a wellknown "___thso_ia_ H biologist, who predicts that the wisdom-teeth and possibly the small toe may disappear. He is doubtful whether there will be any increase in stature or any universal longevity. The other two authorities are men of imagination as well as .dentists, and their vision of future man is partly man as each would like him to be. Professor Otis Mason predicts that tho cooling of the earth will drive first-the Esqui_ia_x and then'tbe New Englander from the North, and one universal human race of brown colour will inhabit a belt near the equator—where, for some unexplained reason, they will wear no hats. All savage races will by that time be eliminated. Man will be stronger and larger-brained. The home will be a great communal dwelling for all of the same kin, children, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. Servants, amongst other things, will then be bygone absurdities. All will live to the age of Methusaleh; for there will be no deadly microbes, bo infant mortality, no impure drink-ing-water to clog the bells of the body. People who spread disease will then be punished as criminals. According to Professor McGee, an ethnologist, in the future every man will be white, his average height and weight will be greater, bis bead larger, his vision stronger, his sense of smell more acute, and his taste more delicate. War will be impossible. There will be one universal republican government, and aU disputes will be settled in courts; a universal language, a composite of all the present tongues, will be employed. Fish from the ocean and rivers will afford the main food supply, and the land will be used for dwell-! ings and gardens. Less clothing will be needed, as men will travel about in wellheated vehicles instead of exposing them- i selves to cM. O.one will be sold at chemists' shops to kill ar.y intrusive bacilli that appear. Cities will be less dense, all the earth will be an endless succession of sub- i urbs. Each family will have its separate I home. The orrly use of submarine naviga-1 tion will be for saving life; all vessels will be equipped with apparatus for diving and remaining below the surface till storms blow over. Creeds will be eliminated, punish- ] ment obsolete. Children will learn spon-ta-eonsi- j itt ] e s t__y, _nd will follcnv i their a«ft__t bent. Some of these pre- |

dictions are so pleasing it is a pity the two prophets cannot agree about them. Their difference of opinion sliakes one's faith and inclines one to invent a future to suit himself. Few people have a Sir Edward Russell better claim to be on heard on modern Modern Journalism, journalism than Sir Edward Russell, who for nearly half a century has occupied a prominent- position in the journalistic world. In a recent interview he has given

utterance to some interesting criticisms on the tendencies of modern newspaper work. He was first asked several questions concerning bis reccut book of memoirs, which has been one of the successes of the London publishing season. Thus, in reply to au enquiry what he meant by his reference to "the greatest day," he replied—'T should say that the greatest day in the past— though one hesitates to speak on such a subject—was the day of the birth of Christ; in tho future the greatest day will be the day when every free man is fit to be a citizen." "Is it true,", was another question, "in -your opinion, that the greatest speeches would read like poor pieces of bungling unless the reporter edited them?" "By no means," was the reply. "I venture to think that tbe benefits conferred by reporters on speakers—except very incompetent ones—are greatly exaggerated. There are little things, such.as the frequent colloquial reca-flings of phrases by Mr. Balfour, and too frequent use of the opening 'now' by Sir William Harcourt. which are, of course, corrected with advantage." On the whole, however, verbatim reports, if life were long enough, would be, in Sir Edward Russell's opinion, the best. Thus Mr Chamberlain's recent great Transvaal speech, we are told, could have gafned nothing by the editing of any reporter, however able. As to the question of the copyright of reports of speeches, Sir Edward Russell entirely disagrees with the verdict in the recent case of Walter v Lane. "Tha more that people quote, with acknowledgment, from the 'Liverpool Daily Post' the better I shall be pleased." ' Modern London daily, newspapers, in the : opinion of this Nestor of provincial journalism, are as a rule conducted with the same high principle and.grip of affairs that distinguished them when ha was younger. "I think 'The Times,' except in a lack of distinction in its .leaders, is as good as ever." On the other' hand, Mr. Russell deplores the tendency shown in some quarters to angle for popularity by doing tbings frivolously, and cutting everything up into snippets. Among serious papers he complains of two "very bad faults of taste," first the tendency of journals to quote continually their own back nuirrbers to show how wonderfully right they, have been; and, secondly, "that of spsalung of themselves as participators in, rather than as commentators on, current' events, often mixing up their 'we's' in such confusion- that one hardly knows whether they represent the editor, or the party, or ! the public; or the, country, or the Government." It is a matter of satisfaction that the faults ascribed to modern English journalism—of which we hope colonial' journalism is not altogether unworthy—are not mftre serious than such comparatively trifling errors of taste. . Lord Roberts's protest to; The Boers President Kruger, as to the and their hitter's treatment of some of Prisoners, his prisoners,, appears to be j

j fully justified by the teports 1 which have filtered through'from Pretoria. The extraordinarily varying nature of these, which has puzzled so many people, is explained by the sharp lino drawn by the Boers between those of their captives who have come from regiments of British regulars or volunteers, and Australian and Canadian Contingents, and those belonging to the South African colonial forces. The former they regard as having merely done their duty in fighting for England, but the Natal and Capa colonists who have taken up arms aga:nst the Boers are looked upon as traitors to their country and to their blood-kin, and the treatment accorded to them shows bow bitterly their patriotic action is resented. Whenever they are identified they are separated and sent to gaol, where they are treated like ordinary criminals, and how the Transvaal authorities treat criminals was experienced to the full by the unfortunate victim, of Jameson's raid. It is from these prisoners .that have come tbe stories, no doubt too true, of- men being lodged in filthy cells and half starved on rations of which mealie pap forms a large part. The ofcluer prisoners—tha, British, Australians, and Canadians —appear, from the report furnished by a correspondent who lately visited Pretoria, to be much more leniently treated. Their new camp is at Waterval, some miles outside Pretoria, and is described aa a beautiful spot, the country round about being "as green and beautiful as a Kentish valley." There were 2600 prisoners a. the end of January, when the correspondent saw them, and at that time the men's quarters consisted of a series of long galvanised iron sheds. "In them the soldiers have made themselves perfectly comfortable, and seem to have settled down to a regular garrison existence. The large enclosure is surrounded by a barbed wive Cntangjlement. (Each corner _s protected by stockades, on which Maxim guns are mounted. Each .tockade i» in electric 1 communication with the others, and tbe whole camp seems to form an absolutely secure detention ground for the prisoners." There was no trace, then, of the harsh treatment of which Lord Roberts complains. The camp wa3 in a perfectly sanitary .condition, the Transvaal Government had supplied a number of the men with boots and clothing, and they all seemed well cared for and as liappy as was to be expected considering their position. They were being fed on British army rations captured at Dundee and were allowed to buyany quantity of fruit and vegetables, while the hospital arrangements were excellent. In reply to questions the men said they were being treated all right. "They treat us like gentlemen," said one. "There haa not been a hard word epoken to ua since wo were taken prisoners." The officers also seem to have no cause for complaint. They were confined in tbe State model school, a modern building with many large and lofty rooms, surrounded by a broad verandah. They had tlie iis-i of the gymnasium and bath rooms, books could be had from tlie State library, ; and the officers had their own cooks and servants. We have throughout treated well i the Boers wo have captured., as Cronje's men unanimously declared. But the hardships endured by some of the British prisoners is a blot on the Transvaal G-ovemment's policy, and can have but one effect, that of still further embittering the feud between loyalists and rebels and making tbe final and peaceful settlermait of the war a matter of greater difficulty.