ANOTHER ANTARCTIC TRAGEDY.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14600, 26 February 1913, Page 8

ANOTHER ANTARCTIC TRAGEDY.

Wo record with regret this morning the news of another Antarctic tragedy. Two members of Dr. Haw-son's expedition. Lieutenant Ninnis, of tho Royal Fusiliers, and Dr. Mertz, a Swiss scientist, havo perished. Tho information, which has reached Sydney from tho Macquarii's, is very meagre, and itis not known how the fatalities occurred. It is suggested that they may have happened in the process of embarking, when a fall into tlio water would mean almost certain death. It will bo remembered that on the return of Sir Ernest Shackleton's southern party to the ship, Adams, after surviving all the dangers of the interior, was nearly lost within sight of safety. Ho slipped at the ice-edge, only just saved himself from going over, and managed to hang on until he was rescued by a party from tho ship. Dr. Mawson . expedition has about it none of tho fascination of Polar conquest, but it sot out tc do very important work, and tho two men who have died havo given their lives te tho cause of science, and should be held in honour accordingly. Lieutenant Ninnis, like Captain Oates, was ono of thoso fino adventurous spirits who happily aro still to bo found in tho British Services, and whilo his death is to be deeply deplored, it will bo a bad clay for the race when men in his position no longer volunteer for such dangerous work in the wilds. It appears as if Dr. Mawson, the leader of tho expedition, has had to bo left I behind, to winter in Adclio Laud. It is to bo hoped he will havo a more ! comfortablo timo than was experienced by Lieutenant Campbell's party. Further news about the party and its work will be awaited with interest. This is the most ambitious scientific expedition over despatched from Australia, and New Zealandcrs will sympathiso with Australians in the tragedy that has overtaken it, and hope that the scientific results nchieved will satisfy the expressed ambitions of tho loader. MM. Art criticism, mindful of its mistakes, is a good deal more cautious than it used to bo. It remembers how Ruslrin savagely attacked Whistler, and how Whistler gradually overcamo prejudice and forced critics to recognise him as a genius. It remembers, too, tho withering scorn with which tho pictures of tho French Impressionists were received at first. For this reason, no doubt, it has received comparatively calmly tho works of the Post-Impressionists, tho Cubists and the Futurists, whose daring unconventionalities and eccentricities have given rise to much discussion during the last few years. Sir Phillip Burne-Jones, however, does not minco his words. According to him post-im-pressionism is a disease, and thero must be many people who have agreed with him, but havo lacked the courage to say so. In this part of tho world wo can only judgo by reproductions of a few post-impressionist pictures, but with most of these a sense of bewilderment is the only effect produced The Cubists, with their angular portraits resembling blurred mosaic work, and the anarchistic and perfectly incomprehensible Futurists, aro still further removed from what is generally considered to be Art. Most post-impres-sionist work, and probably the whole of the Cubist and Futurist output, seem to be part of the tendency of the ago to strive after originality at the j expense of truth and beauty. | No ono will envy tho Powers their task of arbitrating in tho dispute between Roumania and Bulgaria. Rou- j mania's action has been tho essence of international immorality. She waited until Bulgaria was exhausted by a war \ in which tho Roumanian army took no part, nnd then, under veiled threat of war, demanded a slico of Bulgarian territory. Tho Powers know this quite as well as the man in the street, hut there will bo a solemn consideration of Roumania's claim, and probably a decision that will give Roumania some of the territory demanded. Everybody anxious to sec an improvement in international ethics would rejoice, however, if the Powers declared that Roumania has no right to any territory at all. It may bo remembered that tho Royal Commission on tho Public Service drew attention to the expenso and tho enormous amount of work involved in preparing somo cf tho ■ returns asked for by members r f Parliament; and recommended the setting up of a permanent committee to which all motions for returns should bo referred for report. Tho Federal Public Commissioner draws attention to a similar state of affairs in tho Federal Civil Service, and quotes the ■ recommendation of our Commission, i timo of my office staff,'' he says, "has been very considerably occupied during tho past two sessions of tho Parliament in the preparation of 10----turns involving the special compilation of statistics and references to records extending back over a number of years. This work, which can only be carried out by trained officers, has Involved a severo tax on the staff, and has interfered very largely with current work, which has during the past three years increased in magnitude and importance." The Commissioner . ecognises that Parliament is entitled to the fullest information regarding affairs under its control, but he doubts whether many of the returns asked for and supplied are of sufficient value to justify tho time and money expended on them. Perhaps our own Government will give effect to the very sensible recommendation of tho Commission, in which case the Federal Commissioner will bo able to quote the Nov.Zealand action as a precedent for curbing the desire for information, in some cases not unconnected with a desire for advertisement, of some members of Parliament. Somo weeks ago a cable message stated that tho improvement in pay

and conditions in the Navy was stimulating recruiting for the service. According to tho -'Daily Mad-" tn ° new scheme of promotion from the lower deck „. also affecting recruiting, by attracting boys of bettor education than have hitherto offered themselves. These boys, who have been educated at secondary schools, join with the avowed intention of getting commissions. "Wh«.-n shall I be a lieutenant;-'" asked an ex-grammar school boy of a recruiting officer at Portsmouth recently. "By the time you aro twenty-oi-rht," said the officer, who thinks that there is a very good chance of his prediction being fulfilled. Tho samo officer said J-'int the voting Cockney made the best bluejacket. "Tho town boy U shan>-wittcd and smart nd round. The agricultural labourer's boy does not get enough food to develop his body, though the farmer's son is usually strong and well nourished enough." In view of the widespread tendency to look on tho Londoner with contempt, this tribute to him is interesting. Readers of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlocl. Holmes stories may remember that in ono of them he pay s an incidental tributo to Londoners, who supply, he says, so ninny of England's athletes and soldiers. It must bo borne in mind, however, that Londoners accepted for the Navy are picked men, combining good physiquo with tho smartness produced by tho conditions of city life. It is an ironical comment on the position of tho agricultural labourer at Home that he, engaged in tho production of food, should not be so well nourished ns tho town-dweller, whom ho helps to feed. The statement by Lord Herschel in tho House of Lords tho other day showed that tho British Government's faith in its military policy had been shaken. An interesting sequel to this is the statement in the cablo news this morning that the Government have appointed Rear-Admiral Prince Louis of Battenberg and General Sir John French to begin a comprehensive enquiry into the problem of invasion, chiefly in relation to tho North Sea and the potentialities of air-craft. The announcement coincides, curiously enough, with a report that another mysterious airship has been scon on the East Coast of England. The invasion question was exhaustively considered by tho Committee of Imperial Defenco when Mr Balfour was Prime Minister, and again under Mr Asquith, and tho conclusion reached in both cases was that the Navy must bo looked to to protect the country from invasion by any army larger than a raiding force. Tho two experts appointed to reopen the question have vory high qualifications for the work. Sir John French's fame as a soldier is world-wido, and ho will bring to bear on the problem information gained as Chief of tho Imperial General Staff, tho highest military post in tho Empiro. Princo Louis of Battenberg is First Sea Lord at tho Admiralty, and has tho reputation of being tho most brilliant strategist in tho Navy. Between them they should present as valuable a report as could well he compiled on tho subject.