OBITER DICTA.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18147, 9 August 1924, Page 12

OBITER DICTA.

(By K.) Mr H. E. Holland is not one of tho mountains to which I look for help in tho not always easy task of finding in life interestingness enough to make it endurable. This week, however, it occurred to me to read his speoch in the House of Kepresentatives, and plunging into it just anywhere, I found a phrase which persuades me that in neglecting Mr Holland I have missed much. Here is the phrase: "Economically foundationed." What was '"'economically foundationed" I did not trouble to find out. Mr Massey, I suppose, but it did not matter; how could it, matter? No doubt the Socialist Catechism would explain the meaning of tho phrase; no doubt even the youngest Socialist is as familiar with it as with that other splendid noise, "the dictatorship of the proletariat." But one suspects that these phrases are to those who utter them and to those who hear them nothing more than the beating of a tomtom—dim drums throbbing in the hills half heard. If, however, Mr Holland wishes to convert the Gentiles ho must translate his tom-tom into English. Mr Churchill was lately urging the students of tho London School, of Economics to cultivate frankness. He protested against the too common trick of appearing profound by cultivating a ponderous silence or using that kind of English which is a fatty degeneration of speech. He was referring less to tho witch-doctors of Socialism than to tho bogus highbrows who speak, without defining or understanding their phrases, of "expressionist dramatic resthetie" or "neo-synthetic vitalism" or "biomechanical presentational acting." When one hears phrases like this, as one sometimes does, it is difficult to refrain from cross-examination. In the case of Mr Holland I cannot refrain. What does "economically foundationed" mean? Socialists all believe that their leader is a great man, "who kin do de uudoable, who knows de unknowable, and kin unscrew de unscrutable." Will he unscrew this one!

Mr J. H. Thomas, Secretary of State for tho Colonies, is more optimistic than he ought to be if he expects that any heed will be paid to his appeal to the British Press to refrain from aggravating the danger of the situation in Ireland. As well expect a boy to pass a "Wet Paint" notice without verifying it. But one may perhaps not be guilty of aggravation in extending one's sympathy to Turkey, which is just beginning, without knowing it, upon a new career of trouble. For the latest papers by the mail report that Ireland has made peace with the Turkish Eepublic. This decision was made in the following resolution passed by the Dail:—

That the-Dail, .in order that the state of peace may be established beyond all reasonable doubt as between Saorstat Eirenim and the Turkish Republic, authorises the Executive Council to acquieseo in the ratification of the Treaty of Lausanne provided that it be clearly understood that unless the Oireachtas shall hereafter undertake such commitments by legislation, the Saorstat thereby incurs no commitments other than the definite establishment of peace. When the Turkish Government receives the .official notification, it will probably be well content. "Dail," "Saorstat," "Oireachtas" —are not these words something like what Turkey has been accustomed to? The Turks will hardly suspect that under this disguise it is the same old Ireland who is making peace with her; if they did suspect it they would lose little time in mobilising their forces. For with Ireland, peace is But another and a neater form of war. If Saorstat Eireann would but decide to make peace on Turkey at once in the manner in which France has been making peace on Germany, we should all rejoice, provided that Ireland gave the whole of her energies to it; and Britain, despite her own difficulties, would probably be glad to finance the peace indefinitely.

One of the items in the Parliamentary programme for which many of us tolerate the political news ia the attack by Mr Isitt upon the Labour Party.. This time Mr Isitt was not in his best form, but one is grateful for his excellent story of the old lady who told her pastor, "I used to love God and hate the Devil, but now, under your blessed ministry, I love them both." The story was perfectly pat to the subject, which was the "Maoriland Worker' 3" "Sunbeam" page, in which Aunt Sunshine (who is, or was, in real life Mr Ted Howard) preaches the gospel of love. The next generation of Labour politicians nourished on this gospel of equal/, love for black and white, blue and red, will bring a new note into