TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 13986, 8 March 1911, Page 8

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

From time to tim© thero Trouble have appeared in the

in the newspapers comments on Carolines, the trouble that Germany

is having in governing the Caroline Islands. When a few weeks ago a cable message from Berlin was published, stating that the naval brigade had carried a "fortified position" and captured tho leaders Of the insurgents, it meant little to the general public. The archipelago itself was sO littlo known. For 200 years the islands were a "no-man's-land." Between 1700 aud 1835 they were visited by French, Russian, and Spanish explorers, and afterwards became a yearly rendezvous of hundreds of American and English whaling shipe. Wood, water, and provisions Were easily obtained, and the natives seldom attempted to cut off a ship. Later traders settled there, udventurOra from all the world, making fortunes in buying coeoanut oil, pearl shell, and th© shell of the hawkbill turtle. Most took unto themselves native wives j many became powerful chiefs. Some died full of years, mana, and native-distilled grog; but fully half died by violence. Less that twenty years ago, Spain asserted her supremacy over tho group. Germany contested the matter, and thc then Pope was called upou to arbitrate. The German claim was based on mercantile interest, the Spanish oh tradition that treasure galleons used to call at the Carolines, aad that two missionary priests had been there. The Pope's decision wag in favour of Spain. For years, according; to a writer in the "Sydney Morning Herald," the Spanish had little joy of their possession. 'The native*, repeatedly hauled down the Spanish flag and savage reprisals followed the work of punitive expeditions, for the Caroline Islanders are a fighting race, and well armed, comparatively. On one occasion even the principal Governor of the Spaniards was captured. It ended in Spain selling out to Germany. This did not please the natives, who soon found that German rule was no improvement on Spanish control. There was fighting, and the present owners have been at continual erponso putting down rebellions. The principal island, Ponape, has been tho scene of most of the disturbances, for, except those on the large island of Yap, the natives of the rest of the group have remained sullenly impassive. The '■fortified positions" of tho islanders aro nothing more than rough stockades. The population is said to be decreasing rapidly, and the hand lcoms on which they weave waist-clotha from banana fibre are going out of use. Soon, perhaps, these people will be oflc with tbe unknown race that constructed tho network of canals and raised the huge basaltic prisms that have ptizeled the wise man of Europo for fifty years. Thes* stand a few miles from Jakoits harbour, and their purposo remains as much a mystery as the method of their building.

The full srtory of the The Plague outbreak of plague in j in Manchuria will, if it Manchuria., is over written, fu_*n- ! ish some extremely painful reading. Descriptions of a few of the ghastly scenes to be witnessed in the Chinese- quarters of Harbin were published some days ago, and the fuller details now available show that nothing waa exaggerated. Tbe Southward migration of v._iin_«se has been responsible for the spread of th© diaeaae to Mukden, Daven, and, according to

latest reports, to t-ekin itself. Now, these travellers are either prohibited from further passage or sent straight back. Unfortunately the dogs, crows, and rodents which have roamed among the corpses cannot he similarly treated, and infection is bound to spread. All the efforts of tho authorities have been unsuccessful in disposing of the dead. Graves are not easily dug in the frozen ground, and the cemeteries present a horrible appearance, with rows of piledup bodies at their gates. A fresh terror has been addod by the fatal work of tho marmot, an animal common in North Manchuria, and much prized for its fur. A hunter who comes in contact with one of these infected animals has small chances of escaping with his life. On January 20th military operations for ridding Manchuria of the plague began in earnest. The main work consists chiefly in establishing isolation quarters. From one of these comes the details of the death of the celebrated French bacteriologist, Dr. Meener. Ho had thrown himself heart and soul into the fight against the plague, but his neglect in not taking sufficient precautions in handling his patients brought about his death. He diagnosed his own case, realised at once that his fate was sealed, and after notifying his condition to the medical authorities, concentrated his last efforts in preventing others from catching the disease from him. He even refused to allow his temperature to bo taken, and he died as he had predicted. His heroic death adds another to the long list of members of his profession who have become martyrs to their self-sacrificing zeal.

After twenty-five New Zealand years an amusing perRevisited. son, who disguises his

identity under tho initials "J.G.D.," has paid another visit to New Zealand, and has returned to Australia to discourse of his impressions in the columns Of the "Argus." At the Bluff, the "long, long twilight, the greenness of the grass lit midsummer, and the plump, rosy fttces of the children" were the first reminders that Australia had been left behind. But the worst shock that the visitor got was about a threepenny niece. "I wanted three penny stamps, and tendered a Commonwealth threepenny piece in payment. Tho polite official handed it back, and said he wanted good money. Said I, 'I know that it is actually only Worth a penny or so, the same as other silver coinage, hut behind it stands the credit of a great Commonwealth, where the sun never sets, except at the proper intervals; where the land bears two land taxes and a mortgage, aa Well as the usual crops; And which can rUake money out of paper, let alone silver, if it wishes.' 'What 1 want is money, and not talk,' replied the dignified postmaster, and I sorrowfully handed him. three coppers, and left." At the Bluff "J.G.D." met also a chemist, Who refused to sell him stamps at an hour when every other shop was shut, because he had no license, but gave him two and would take no money for them. Honour was satisfied by the purchase of some jujubes. Dua<£7fn should be gratified by the assertion that it would be impossible to ssiy that any of tho famous harbours of tho world looked more lovely than Otago Harbour, as it presented itself to the visitor's eyes on the sunny afternoon when he steamed up to the city. He noted with pleasure the great change in the appearance of New Zealand since his first visit, when "everyone was leaving New Zealand that oould conveniently get away, and ib began to be feared that soon there would bo nobody left to pay the taxes." He does not pretend to explain the cause of the change. "Every school of politicians," he remarks, "claims that.it is owing to its particular nostrum that the country has become so prosperous. That may be so, but it is certainly owing to some of them that tho public debt amounts to £70,000,000, which seems too much of a burden for 1,000,000 people to hear." Our visitor comments on the drift of population to the North Island, and does not believe'it will he permanent, and his views on prohibition as it works in prohibition districts would not gratify the supporters of thft movement. But he believes Australians will continue to como to the Dominion, even if national prohibition is carried. They "will not mind travelling a few thousand miles to see the curious people who passed such legislation."