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TOPICS OF THE DAY.

A cable message to-day Nicaragua, etatea that a court-mar-tial eitting at Melaya acquitted General Median end others of ex-President Zolayas entourage, ■who were charged with executing two citizens of the United States named Grooe and Cannon. The affair, which arose out of the latest of those periodical revolutions by -which the distressful Central American States seem inevitably to be convulsed, occasioned a remarkable outburst of United States public opinion at the time, but very few details hare up till now reached us. Towards the end of last year a revolutionary movement on orthodox lines •was fomented to the end of procuring a change of government. The insurgents were headed by General Estrada, who assumed provisional presidency of the Atlantic Coast States. The manner in which the execution of Grooe and Cannon came to pass was simple enough. Cannon three years previously had lost his Nicaraguan estates valued at 30,000 dollars by confiscation, and Grooe "was said to have owned mining properties in Nicaragua valued at 250,000 dollars, wibieb were in. jeopardy. Both, therefore, wore apparently only too willing to join the revolutionary movement, and wiben captured they were serving as volunteers ■with the rank of colonel with the insurgents. They were tried by courtmartial and-shot. President Zelaya, in a despatch to Mr W. R. Hearst, explained that the men were taken in the act and confessed their guilt voluntarily. They -were given every legal privileges to introduce en ample defence, and sentence was pronounced according to military code. In the fulneas of time the revolution progressed! j to the point of General Estrada's capturing all of the Government troops that were worth capturing, President Zelaya was dei»sed and fled the country with the contents of the national exchequer, and President Madriz reigned in his stead. From the fact that the court-martial to enquire into the shooting of Groce and Cbnnon •was held under a new regime not at all likely to favour the cause of those concerned in carrying out the execution, it may be regarded that the verdict of acquittal was fully warranted by the circumstances. Indeed meny [United States newspapers latest to hand, which previously pronounced most strongly against the action of President Zelaya, were latterly inclining towards that view of the matter. The lesson of the affair is that it is always safer, if one really must dabble in politics, to confine himself to the politics of his own country, leaving foreigners to manage theirs as best they can.

The observation of Germans Lord Sdborno at the in Johannesburg GerSonth Africa, man Club to the effect that every German coming to South Africa was en additional source of strength to the British, as leading to a better mutuaJ understanding, is particularly interesting at the present juncture, and is also a tribute to tie efficacy of British colonising machinery in bending the aspirations of foreign ingredients to the betterment of the colonial mass already in the field. It is only in tire newer countries, with their spaciousness and their freedom from trammelling traditions, where such a desirable state of matters is possible, and it is to be presumed that -while the German South African settlers may not intend to sacrifice any portion cf their birthright ac Germans, they will still bo able to appreciate the beneficence of the form of government under which tiheir newer activities axo being pursued. At the same tune it must not be supposed that Britain is singular in the enjoyment of a, capacity to assimilate foreign ele-

roents to her own advantage. America possibly stands pre-eminent in this respect, while Germany herself is by no means unattractive to outsiders. Ono of the Imperial Chambers of Commerce deksates who toured New Zealand with the party come months ago, furnished a striking instance in support of the last-named proposition. A partner in a British manufacturing~nrru, in order to pursue his business more advantageously, settled for s few years in Germany. Whilst there two of his sons married Gorman ladies and remained in the country. They divested themselves as far as possible of all their British predilections and prejudices, and blossomed forth as perfcrvid subjects of the Kaiser. They brought up their families along tho same lines, and at the time of the visitor's acquaintance with them, fathcTfe and sons were typical of the most virulent school of anti-British thought. Possibly some of the. Germans now in South Africa may hove furnished a set-off against tho unpleasant little debit referred to.

Royalty in England has The never regarded its poetic Mikado's (predilections in quite so Mentor, serious a light es the Mikado of Japan, who has placed his own practice of the art under the care of a State Department, with the poet laureate in charge. Baron Takasbi occupies that exalted' position, which imposes much sterner duties than tho mere bursting into ecstatic- verse of a strictly orthodox character upon important national occasions. Baron Takashi is no sweet singer of his country's ,p*raises. He is his monarch's hard taskmaster, charged with the duty of criticising the Emperor's poems, and keeping him up to the highest attainable poetic standard. To the Western mind there is something deliciously humorous in the notion of the sovereign applying himself with all the zeal of a diligent schoolboy to the effort of winning the grudging approval of his uncompromising mentor in the making of utas. Baron Takashi has mingled statesmanship with his high conception of literary ideals, for he imposed as ono of the terms of his acceptance of the office of poet laureate, the condition that his royal master should regard himself as Emperor first and poet afterwards. Seeing that the Mikodo's output amounts frequently to as much as seven hundred and fifty poetical pieces in c couple of months, it will be readily seen that Baron Takeshi's (position is by no means a sinecure. During the earlier days of his career as p°et laureate, the Emperor's work left much to bo desired. Rigorous sub-editing was necessary to lick the royai verses into presentable shape; but during late years tho Mikado has made such progress towards literary elegance and excellence, that his supervisor has only to read and admire. The Baron has five marks of merit to place on his protege's achievements. The very best is two circles, the second best one circle and two dots, the third one circle and one dot, the fourth one circle, and the poorest only one tiny little dot. Without fear of lose majeste, and inspired only by a sense of duty to his country, the Baron unflinchingly distributes his circles and dots as occasion demands. It is a delectable state of matters, this wholeeomo soueing of the vanity ef the mighty, and it points to another instance of the awakening of the East, besides affording an excellent example for the Occident to follow. If some of the verse-makers of our own race and generation could thue be dotted out of literary existence, or induced to preserve silence until the standard of one circle at least was attained, censorship would not hare been exerted in vain.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19100201.2.24

Bibliographic details

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13646, 1 February 1910, Page 6

Word Count
1,186

TOPICS OF THE DAY. Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13646, 1 February 1910, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY. Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13646, 1 February 1910, Page 6

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