THE UNITED KINGDOM

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 110, 1 February 1908, Page 12

THE UNITED KINGDOM

MB ASQUITH AJJD LIBERAL WORK London, December 20 'Mr.-Asquith, addressing a crowded Liberal ;;i. meeting at AVcrdf-en, said that.tho majority i j ■ of tho yniomst' party won? permeated. and | saturated with Protectionism. Every jntelh- i gent observer in thi? country, knew that if jj theWyniqnistssucceeded ; ;:in ;-. getting j; ; into power tho i first v\scs they would make of their. ■ opportunity, would be, no* to declare nar ; ns£;" pjr.. tobo^ixi" to' make sojmo-J • . : serious progress m tho fulfilment, of .the..pro-,j ;ofisocial; ton.y ; oa.rs. • wero-dangled, before tho $ycs of a credulous,i eiectoyatoV' ; :biit i :'that,- : thpv Proteptionist. .ma-. I y/ T ; liayo.. tliq ,'poWc.r, would -uso it' to its will . upon a reluctant. 1 and helpless -'minority,, and i would- proceed to ring in. tho (Jeath-knpll of l"xeo. .Trad?. :, (Cheers.) Looking back- Ajpon tho past two f V.,,^years',;was\thi}j^, : any.;jrCason .to' supposo.4hat 'fi[.; (tho'electors; ,'pifjiijs. I :..opji n^.ry : : gen^r-il; cjeciioi) clccjared .withitnexarypled \ ajiti Viiiuni -'otaph^si.s", tliat; in.v tended- to! maintain. Ereo Trade, m the - time" that-' had 'sines - elap.sed. 'hadi seen ground for .:• : :'!■ ..' altering',tji'eiropinion ?' ; (Cliee.rs:) t • The -legislation of, the. Government during i that timo, impaired and thwarted though it : had been, in regard to-some of their moat im;portaut' proposals, bv the acuan ot t)\c. House X-k* '.of' Lords; ispoke. for itself bpth m .vojumc and in quality (Cheers) • In regard to old .age pensions, ho might -... r- say that it .was. the intention of the Govern-, v. ... ment; during the-next session, to make pro- ..' - posals to. tho .House l of. Commons . whiph; F; might Miot, iind ,would-. not, meet ; the >. ex- ■ . travagant and impracticable ■ ideals .- which ' ■wcre put forward in soma. quarters,- but ;/ v. .which would be-in exact conformity, tp the . statements and . assurances' he himself gave on "behalf, pf the Government in tho • session a :. of. Parliament .which had. just come to an • end. When ho said that in a'inatter of this ■ kind they- oould'-not proceed by way of fron-. •■:.tal. attack, but by, ■ steps • and stages, and v " wth-tho growing-experience which each step v.! . -,on tho ,road- would::giro theni; thoy might, "< i i before 'long, -ho Jiopijd, ' arrivo- at a completo v. - and rational.solution of the'problem.. •.

THE GOVERNMENT AND CATTLE , DRIVING- • ~ : v., : 'i Replying to. those .-who have been adversoly, , :■■■■: criticising SJr. Birrell and his colleagues for .'■! not enforcing, the > Crimes: Act m- Iraland, l : Mr;.'-Asquith;ih .-"ai-receipt- speech, saidC'/ X •; :. The practice. of - what .-.is • called: cattle •• dnv-, • .■ ing,v whielr hasf sprunc, during, tho last ;year, is i>ot only, an offence against the law,-. J: 4 :,;: but^iirlhiy^uiiqn^rtMs,''^.peculiarly,; ropre-.' . hensible and .unpatriotic- kind of an offence(cheoj s), foiyin its later developments, quite tho injury inniots' : #£-;..<uppn'miliyiduals^ii:is:;dpiiigi infinite mischief : - to :one ,of Ireland's most - prosperous and : i. . most necessary- industries.- I do not boliovc . ■ - that it is a practice which has the approval - of a single responsible leader of opinion; - lay or oloripalyv throughout i the lougth -and 1 breadth of Ireland.. - Difficult-as-the i'task. of . coping with ltrjs—and -.there," are peculiar- ■ ■ difficulties,- os you knowr-nt. must- be . put =:- ~ down (elieers), tapd'put. dpwh'St will ,:be.':' (Re-" ' fvV?iiaw^Cclieera:JjL^y/.'rii^t'':hoß; : :. , friend. and : ■ colleague; Mr. Birrell (cheers), has recently • ■■ been' singled out fpr, every. kind of criticism ; ;I"desire,..therefoiro,"to say, '.in the!';plainest'possible! - he ha_3 bpen, and is; pursuing—tho policy of' i ,. tloali'."Tvitli" tlTTg"' off encq'^uiider,. tlic - ordinary :vv'laTf Qr tho. land—is a policy , deliberately : adopted and approved', by-the Cabinet, and a . • policy for which,: they, aro co-qporativcly: re- ■ sponsible... (Cheers.-) 1 '■ 1.-,:\villadd that"nv i;:i. : -every {step jiwhict;.: my right; hon. ; friend: has v say-father .that, m-every step ■\"i-=;.v bnly liut- "unreserved. -wt-support-.of- every; one ■ of • his . colleagues. (Cheers) l , L-F--i : T-vJ : ahd;will:bo r eii-; "• 'time',* I-'feelboiuM |■%.{. 'to, pr otest; :'au<l protestfemph'atifcally; agairisfc hv'ijiheinjustico-and.thp; absurdity'.of- comparing the lucrpaspvin- this particular ■ offence—'•bad Oand. indefensible :as •it state'of, v,C'irelandjwhon'ihe. cpifntry 'was;hohey-comb'ed with 'secret jotijes;; : an.4 :1 "iyoieri'ce,V cattle: maiming,: and assassination- stalked" .•••; v undetected,: and ; ; > : uripunished . through ''the land... (Cheers.) • •: MR STEAD REBUKED The ,Emergency Committee of tUs -InterLeague passed, Ahe fol- : lowing resolutipn']■' -i- i "Thp:'Committee; notes'-with, deepi',:regret' jV; v';the.recent* utterances of Mr,., W. T. £tead; in the .'Review of Reviews'-.with r,cgard.'to the 1 ,1; fincrease.' .Oerfuau ■ Navy. "Tha ..Cpm-!;J .;. mitteej- ■■ while.;: regretting, the continuous! ~ rivalry, in ,armaments; fail to see in.tac shipbuilding programme of v the German fiovern.VV'..:ment:: would railijtatp; sgajnst 1 the, recent, cordial,.repeptioh .of -.the;. .German .'Emperor ."and, "the'!ijnproybd'.^'ridXtiop.C-: n OT' existing: between'.tji'b^;two ~: c puptncV-,; > . :Mr,- . Stead, who,, some years ago, raised, a panic • c'ry_ for theViiicrea'se of; the -British ' ; :Navy,' ; :^®^l,fc^l;-v.i^/''.ix *-lii'^e;'.-in^e^eil ! of :pean armament all round, now . demands. that for every new battleship commifliced by v Germany .this, coimtry.',should build.'two, or j- three, and,- in- doing: so, professes- to ropre;serit:,the peace : p,arty. ' Tho Commit tee , em : phatically repudiato the views .advsnced by i'.a", publicist Who', _after, ; himr:, self , , with - the' friends of - peace', Vnisi?" reverts to,-,tho .policy of !panic, : ;!whicb ho formerly • supported." •• • f v ." ' v'r

' MR. HALDANE ON DEFENCE. : •In the coursc of. a speech at a Vchinteer ;'<;':prize.;.distrilmtionAt, flanley Mr. Haldanc %;/j^de ; ah(ranshatijj"'rop]y:'to'the.'."bluo''.irator'! Bchool of defence theorists. 'v'v^- -Thorp, might; eonw a time, ho said, when - : it would 'not; bo so -easy for .us .'as ta-iaj't o V' command: what.-was called the . two-Pov/cr J,'7'stapdard in'tho Navyi-'Germany'had a/popu-. of nearly, sixty/million's '.to our 'iorty- ■ and- States /would' #';:.beforp' long;haVcia; ■ papulation'of 100 millions. , " ' It v/oul.d.bo yerj hard for lis :tq ; .nMsiatijiri ; ?i" : . tw6 ; Power:'. staiidardv against two ' nations. .;' witfi-. a : combined .population of 160 raillions: " We,might not.bg.ablo in days to come to ' ",'deptmd, wholly: and'absolutely ;on ;6uc . Navy' .with the completeness of to-day, and' should ' the time arrivo.it would; bo oil'thei : fence forces that we should; have' 'to rest 1 our V; trust.;' '/.'O'/ : V. It : \yna nonsense to suggest that' six 1 /months '. ' would intervene 'between 'the time when • a ■■■■-, war broke out-and the time when the Tcrrii; ~ torial SArmy- ■ wo.uld bq available. It would .'-be available from .tho very rfirs.t. moment,' and after mobilisation would go on improving until in six months it \vas. brought to. frui- . tion r and : perfection. ' Only., a beginning'was now being made in Army reform. Honoped that tho work wtould bo carried on _ from ~v Goyornmej\t .'to ..Government; irrespective of party,, until - all. unrest, -' uneasiness, and \i eense.-of of .security' had .vlanished. ;

, ; J A SIIEEHNESS DISASTER. The loss by drowning of eight ; men of t His Majesty's ; ,'torpedo-gunbo'at Speedwell ', off Shcerness occurred as 'tfiq liberty men,of the first .watch were being"taken: . ashoro \, for, Christmas leave. The, Speedwell, • which belongs ;to the Nore Homo Fleet' flotilla, • was berthed at a buoy about a mile from Sheerness Dockyard,- and her cutter had safely landed:a first contingent;, • ■,■■■ Making'a second journey. ,the cutter had on-board fourteen men, foiir of whom belonged to; the little craft: The westerly wind was increasing in strength at the time, and they had a boisterous passage ' down-, the Meilway; > The tide was running out strongly, and tho pinnaco shipped, some '-She v/as making,; for the: dockyard camber, but when off the cruiser' Endymion: a heavy sea washed over tho vessel and B.ut out the firea

; With,'tho' steam.'that'"'was left in the boilor an effort was mii.de. to reach Shcerness Pier. Tho storn was ai toady partly under water before ?hp could make the pier, but, noting on tho'advice of the mow experienced men in tfte'boat, Xhe opjupasjts .kept thpir scats, ip ;^ny-'»^rop£^^-j^B3wr"A a w' •'wppld' have been disastrpus: ■ AVheti only. s fcfl':.ywds from the pier n ths;;put,ter broadside .on.. Tho bowman. 'Jsvedbara, made an cflorfc to catch a fopp thrmyn to.jiini frofn the Reamer C'lutljn, bertlsed alongside tho pier. The cUttW- i'ofused. to. go astern when her engines wore reversed;' an<J anpthef sea striking. her bow,' shp -foundlorpd,: -going: ,'dpw'n- stepi' first'. Tho opc\ipauts tvere thrown into tho choppy .sea/, nine'br. ten 1 yards' frp'm tlip pier.' ■/•'Rpats'at;.gnfio.Vpu!i,pff frqiji th.e Endynjipn ,'and" other ship's, and : also fr,om' Shperricss Dpclcyard, ■■ and .-a- number of lifebejts were thrown from Mr. Wade's launch Doris. One pf ltho 'latter-was. seized by a married sear an, of. Woolvnph, named M'Glenaglian, and bv.'Stpker Haw®,' wbp held on together until pipked"up by the steam'cutfer of ■ the torpedo-gunboat Jason. Tho latter, \vith. tha cutter. »f-tho/gup'b'jDat' Speedy, say.ed ,'five m?n, 'though they, Eyerie struck' by heavy £eas-:ap4 ' spine danger. Auofche.r -: man',: ißt'pkpr ;Patrick; floated", sonic distance, towards- Ga?rippn . Point, and''; w?s picked up. by-tic/Endyinion's cutter. The other •cisnt paar fellows were. drowr f ed, all of tbemiwitbin; thirty- yards of „tbe pier arid in .eight to'-a'ssist. WRECK ON THE SCILLYS. ■ T.hp wpjjld'rs larpssi sailing ship, the severi-masted-American- Vessel Thomas W. Lawson, from l Philadelphia ,tp Loudon, was completely \vrecked during a,7,3)0 recently on the rocks of the- Scilly- Isles.. Ewenteen .jives were lost. Tho mpst TemaTkaWe feature is that a heroic St. Agnes pilot nay.icd William Cook Hicks boarded tho ship-on- a Friday morning to be lost: n'exV. fripri^irig;' tjjat hjs soji, Prede- . ricli, Hicks', ■ rescued' :oii ;xhe'. riest day; at. tlie risk of his oivn life the captam; of the ship ;for which;his: fatiier had' died. ' 011 tho .Friday,, the vc.esp.l overran her distance','- itod'.^ot' 1 ja'mprig:,'jthe 'oiitjying 'rocks. William Cook'Hibks got on Iward her from .••a'"lifcbbat-'*at'j tho peril of . 'his life;' and her anchors were dropped. But the rising .cale -of the' night' dash* d the;; great', ship 'further in on: the rocks, a-ad ( she went to pieces on islet 'naaned lAiinet.'.' According .t'p one of tho rescucdi'she tupied turtle. Only thyco ware saved, find ono died Jater. Tho pilot', was-lost.. : ■■ Captam Dow, who had his wrist broken, gave, his story .a.t, St. Agnes afterwards:, ;" "When the pilot".ars.J discovered, that the ship was driv\iig'shp near tho rocks 'foV3o%p^ihg^:'.r.:o^bri^:the men. to put on lifebolts: and. each -maav to do the- best he ;c.ij'ii^. ipr.'/ himself:I i; recainmerid'ed ' getting into the:'rigging, wlud) tlcy all did.: The ship, quickljr smashed up or, tjio jocks.'. '.'I,-.wont overboard wifclrcho-riggjjjg as-lije .mast fell.. I got myself (lisei)tanglcd, \and think I broko ray wrist, at this; tipjo. Iwas washod "and tossed asout, lashed up and down; lpy the -sea, felt at tunes that I might just as .w^l;-lot "mysiilf. fill, with'tho . water einl my suffering and 'suspense."After about two'ho'ars,-I think, I saw the of rocks said detcrmiaed to land if.possible';strucjt''.' put,gradually ' cot nearer,;and: ,at' lengthi-a 'huge y.iave carried Iflo right .up-among tbe>. great boulders. , As thpifprco o,f■ tlio" Bep,",s.ioent, itself;l clung to itho rocks and then, raded over and over up iwaive- broke in, to the bi oiv ( ■■- 'fAt ilonptfi-1 was boyond -roach 'of the ..waves,', ;aftar 'resting "a ivhile 'I 'saw i high', cairn'pf,,-.rocks sort 10 distance" 'along, the . 'reef. .-.1i.-mado.vthe -host,- of my wav towards seeing.'i that the! risi%itide would overflow and scrambling,.jit-'-fathers';willing ovpr and over'. ■ Atvthe end of two or tiiroO hours 'I reached . the nn(l found.niy'; engineer ißowc, who .hiffdv'Ali^'dyV'^eh'^'.t^iere;'^:/'' 1 . / : All rday,-the'two men sheltered under the' •rocks, though tlio hca^y-.s6as : breaking' over the' rairn .washed ihein- aw'ay'.Sßqth « •W9re;'n'ufebea:afld.weak-'when' l rescucd,bv thei , A^nes' : v The rescue was another act of heroism by - ' the : Scilly' Islanders.,v.At. first on the $atur- , day. ;niprning v it; was"'t.'jpuglit -that- thoonly J "George .Alen, of. Road, Batterseu,'found oil ■the: uninhabited. i?le. Aniiet, who' died :■ oil ■ ;l i 'riday.;.'..lt .was later, lit tho day that- the . t' w o;|p|hpi'si Vere ?een* oil'the outlying', rooks called.. ;- i/ 1 : i .When thoy. .were.' sden, a. sisroared" gig got as near as possiblo :and a ropo was thrown i '%' : !fc% attempts the engineer, ' Edward; Rowe, of'-'Boston,' caught it, made.it' fasta:ouri(l his.body, ;an'd jumped ijito ;l&ulqd.f,into 'tha : boat.'- '' ■.' AVhen;,the.:boat r'etiirhal: for"'tho'captain ■■ it', was'.'still impossible to get;' very near tho .; rocks; and as; it-' vras,',now 1 beginning to get ■ pilot; who was . drowned,' volunteered to . swim'' ash'bre with tho ropo. - The.rope wa's .tied'rb'und'his ■: body',-'.he;;.jijniped, and;.', swimming !,. in among';tli(} : rocks and broken-: water, : effected, a landiiig.; ; ' : He'iiiadq' the ;'ropo' fast ' to .the rock, - and thus thei; boat was • drawn i closer' to the shore. '. . .into the water, and the,'two. young men tlioW helped Captain ' over,,the rugged' rocks to a'pijcoywlidro tiiev < could bo embarked.

CRIME MYSTERIES '. Sir. Arthur-'Oonan Doyle's suggestion ■ that great'.crimb- mysteries'in: the country should be; at :once- placed in. the hands of tho trained experts pf Scotland Yard meets with strong' approval from;. London ' criminologists. . The authpr of , "Sherlock- Hplmes,' ! fipe:iking at a dinner-receptlyj stated- that'it'was 4 a riatipnal scandal that Sco'tland ,Yard's aid was hot invoked until ' the local policy had. failed. ' . . Tho ordinary scope;of/Scotland -Yard'^,'activity extends •to crinio committed within tho metropolitan .area.' ; Crime committed in the,.provinces', is dealt with by" the local police.r The indispensable aid of Londpn' der teotives;iri' what' may', bo called the more 3Qientiii6-'t branches ': of ; detectipn is ' demon- | strated in \tho> latest report'.' of 'the Chief Commissioner, of Police, who . states that of the 677G, finger-print identifications effected in the year, 3794 werp fpr provincial pplice forces..—• •' . ■'• ■' :"Thp -.successful ..investigation, ' of .crime mysteries,", said, .one of' England's famous detcctlyesV-'Cfteff depends'on the quickness with which; detertives can' seiie tho broken • threads-of.' the' story. In :London when 'a | sensational mystery occurs Sir Mel cille Macnaghten, this Chief of the (Jrimjnal Investigation Department, bften rushes' tq the'spot ill a:motor-car,"with a little band of assist ants 1 comprising" the keenest men 'at: the ■ -Yard.' Everi'then'there are .; joint times jn.superable. difiiculties. ' : '' ' .■'■But-:-ccpceivp -lipw . thpse . difficulties are magnified when the crime is weelfb old, when the local '.police—strenuous but entirely, inexperienced "in this cla'ss of case—havo been making-'.-.:inquiries—possibly, indiscreet . in-quiries-Hn.a score of directions. The crimi,nal, meanwhile, has every chance of getting clear away.• ,> ". -."Country- ■ police may. spend twenty years without having- to deal with an intricate crime, mystery; we; havo them nearly every day, " At every police station "in- London we havo a branch-of the Criminal Investigation .Department;:but when an important case occurs- wo-'at orice-rush' specjalists from head- ■ quarters'to'dea] wit'li ifc" '• - Another, lvell-kiiqwn primo -export stated that bo advisable to erganisq a System under 1 which' Scotland Yard wouldj in thq. event ofv.arsensationiil mystery m tho ;country, -at-once rush a little bapd of trained , invbstigators -to"'the spot.

Oyster Bay Golfer—"Say. but that is a bad lie!" His, club .'mate—'"Sh-h-b 1 Since the President joijied th'e club we speak of a'bad lie as a deliberate and unqualified falsehood." (in frontier to\vn)— ''Do you have many shooting accidents' here on thp.Fourth, of 'July ?" Native—"Oh, no; this ain't Now',Yi?rk. If you git shot, it won't bo no accident."