CURRENT TOPICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 306, 19 September 1908, Page 10

CURRENT TOPICS.

A Turkish Parliament. Tho astonishing now situation which has iarisen iii Turkey may be concretely put by stating that the Sultan of Turkey has ordered the iisused Chamber' of Deputios to bo refurnished at his own oxpenso for use —to wit, for a Turkish Parliament; and, in brief, the change has been brought about because, certain officers and soldiers revolted — the. officers being promptly promoted instead of being shot as under the old regime! "The dramatic rapidity with which the Sultan has granted a Constitution to Turkey is tho best proof..of the imminent peril in which he has found himself,".writes the "Times." "I'or tho - moment it. does hot matter vory much whether, as-is most'probable, he. has revived the-'suspended Constitution of 1876, or whether, as, is,/apparently suggested in tho official. arinottncenioht, ho has.-promulgated an -entirely new Constitution. Tho- ono momentous fact', which is inevitably destined to have far-reaching consequences in Eastern Europe/, is that Abdiil Hamid lias professedly relinquished :somo,' at any rate, of those despotic and. autocratic, privileges which ho abandoned almost immediately after his accession only tO; seiso' them, again with a firmer, grasp.".; . / The Constitution-of 1376/ •On Fridav, July 24, the Sultan issued-an Irade restoring : the Constitution.... The " Telegraph " summarises" the' Constitution of 1876 thus:—' " The Ottoman Empire indivisible. "The Sultan Caliph of all Ottomans. " His prerogatives those of the Sovereigns : of the West. . . "Liberty of -the . subject inviolable. -■ ; , "Islam the religion of the State, but with no other distinction or theocratic character. '"Freo exercise of public'worship.:for all creeds": . - ■ " Liberty of the Press and education; "Primary education compulsory. " No religious tests for offices. . "No Government interforenco with the judges. , , " Chamber of Deputies, with ono member for every 200,000 of..the population; elections every four "years. . . ~ " A'Senate, with" members,nominated for life by the Sultan. .- • : , That short-lived -Parliament mot on March 19, 1877; .but tho Russian war followed, . and the Turkish House -was prorogued;'never, up to the present, -to meet ; again!" ' v .. . United States Navy. - . ■■■■* "'"f want.a Jirsiclass-'fighting navy 0r..n0 navy at all, becaiiso a' first-class, fighting: navy is the most effective guarantee'of. peace; that this nation can 1 have," says -President Koosevelt to the Naval War College. "There fire always a number ot amiable, wolUmeahihg people who' believe in having: a' navy merely .for coast defence. A- purely defensive navy would be almost worthless. \ To advocate such a navy is like advocating a school prize for fighting, in which ono should do nothing but parry. I hope this nation will never have :to hit. Wo should do eyoryr thing'we honourably can to avoid trouble ; but when we do go to war that war will only be excusable if the navy is prepared tb h'amfcer ; its -opponent until he quits.flighting. You can't naminer an opponent if you wait for'him to come to your coast to hammer you first. For the'protection of. our coasts ,wo-/need fortifications, so thai . the_ navy can-be left free-;.to stretch , out and "destroy the'eneray. That-is its function."'. A Superfluous House. ' The:* "Spectator" is very sad at tho position of, Parliament working through Comfiiittees,'" Mr. Belloc,".it says, "does, not exaggerate , tho 'position of affairs when ho says, in a letter,to the 'Morning Post' last week that- 'under such conditions the Parliamentary consideration of a first-class measure is useless, or rather, has ceased to exist.' .We no longer live under a Parliamentary Constitution. What used to bo kii'own'under that name has been superseded By a Constitution in which the legislative and executive . functions 1 arov united -in a Committee of Twenty armed with all the authority! ■ though not quite the secrecy, of the Venetian Council of Ten. How long the electorate ""will remain indifferent to this unnoticed revolution wo will not pretend to say. But if the system is to continue it • would be worth our while to' devise some less"; cumbrous and less costly method of creating a Cabinet than by first returning aid then silencing' a superfluous House of Commons." Unemployment. : " Dr. Shadwell's lugubrious little letter in Monday's " Times " will have been read'with mixed feelings' by varying types of mind (says jtho "Guardian"). He warns the Muntry. that the amount of unemployment during tho coming winter is going to' bo greater than ever. Government orders have slackened and groat numbors of men' liavo been discharged; the North-Eastern - engineers have been on strike for months, and do not intend to return to work until their funds are exhausted. When that, happens they will find very little work to go back to, and a large proportion of them will be Sidded to the unemployed. Dr. Shadwoll has •of late visited all the largest seats, of industry in England, and has seen many ' vast'and-magnificent workshops' a desert. The agencies., which deal - with distress must' therefore' be prepared, and we trust they will make preparations in such ■ a way that disinclination to; work will meet with the differential, treatment it deserves. . But ,I)r. Shadwell finishes up .with a little politics. He argues, not unreasonably, that tho serious growth of unemployment is exceedingly likely to create a great and: sudden demand for tariff reform on tho part of tho working classes themselves. That is a contingency which has received too little attention, and Dr. Shadwell is so trained a'nd acuto an observer that his note of warning ought not to pass unheeded either by those who do,, and those who do not, favour Tariff Reform.", Postcards ami : Telephones. .. A minister writes to tho "Congregationalist" saying:—"The growing carelessness with which confidential matters aro mentioned nowadays on the telephone and on postcards—in complete forgotfulness that neither of them is really private—calls for a word of protest.' A lady friend of mine, who is a telephone operator, and who, in tho, discharge of her daily duty, is Sometimos compelled to overhear part of what is said to one another by the subscribers, expresses her blank amazement at ; tho'. indiscretion' of which they aro often guilty in freely discussing over tho wires'matters of tho most delicate and confidential character.:-iß'ut, I wish . now moro particularly to protest against tho use of postcards by the officials of . Congregational churches when in communication with ministers who aro, or have been, candidates for -.the vacant pastorate." War Airships. ' "Ini the highest military circles in Groat Britain it is accepted that so far airships are a. failure,"., says' the "Mail."' "The military authorities havo had experts employed m 'watching tho [lights of the various airships and aeroplanes, and the impression is that for a long time to come there is nothing'to be feared from them. "The Government has not • stinted the funds for experiments at Aldershot. and 'elsewhere, but the Royal Engineers, on whom has devolved the task of finding at least a dirigible balloon, are contenting themselves with cautious experiments. From time to time reports are received of the performances of various airships , and aeroplanes on the Continent, and in overy case details of mechanism and construction have been available.- Tho Army Council is therefore thoroughly aware of all that is taking place both on tho Continent and in America in aerostatics."

London Society. Tlio end of the ..season —"the busiest and most strenuous for many a year"—causes the "Times" to make the following reflections :—"A final conclusion to bo drawn from the brilliancy of the season is that a declining revenue and a stagnant Stock Exchange seem, for tho time at least, to make no difference to London society; that society is now so vast, so cosmopolitan, and draws its resources from so wide a field tint times must bo bad indeed" if they are to affect its power of enjoj'ment or its 'will to live.' This cosmopolitanism is the great new feature of London life, as it has long been tho feature of lifd in Paris; and this year tho Exhibition, together with the rapid development of the Transatlantic services, has mado it specially prominent. , On tho latter feature there is no need to dwell, for tho American invasion is now one of the great features of contemporary history. When America is prosporous, it sends its sons and daughters to Europe to spend their money; when America 'is-'depressed, it', sends them 'to Europo to economise,"'though, to be sure, when they get over hero the economy is not very apparent. For ourselves, the principal point of interest is that our vastly improved London, with its great hotels, its ready means of transport, its sincere friendliness to our 'kin beyond sea, 1 and that background of tho Court which is always so attractivo to republican eyes, has now taken that first place in the affection of the Americans which Paris used to' hold!" " The Last Post " for Wolfo. \ ..A most impressive'service in memory of General Wolfe., tho hero of Quebec, was held on July ' 24, 'in St:'Alfege Church, Green-wich,-whero the'great soldier and his father and mother lio buried. It was held at tho same moment that tho Prince of Wales, out- : sido Quebec, was dedicating as a national momorial the historic Plains of Abraham, where,.Wolfe: died. "The Times" gives a graphic account. 1 "Wolfe's father, LieutenantGonoral Edward i "Wolfe, -was the first of the •family .to-be'buried'in the crypt of tho . church-. He/died six months before liis son. Mrs. Wolfo survived her son for fivo years, during which she resided at Greenwich. The body of tho, hpro was brought from Quebec on board the war vessel, the Royal William, and was landed at Portsmouth on November 17, 1759, about two months after tho battle. Three days later tho interment in the crypt of tho church took: plaice. It is recorded in tho parish register!'by; the following simple inscription:—'Major-General James Wolfo, November 20th,-1769.'. The service was. characterised by,a.:fine sense of what was, appropriate to the occasion and an exquisite, taste. •' Tho.feelings -it excited were 1 not this noisy spirit of ambition, or tho turbulent lovo-nof.-; war and'-conquest. But storming through:- 1.-it ~ was the moving appeal of lova of. country and thanksgiving for,,greflti;m.?n .who .serve the nation, and insistence onjthe nation's duty fittingly to honour its heroes.- The-most thrilling incident of .tho service, an incident all the more striking inasmuch as it was totally unexpected, being apparently- the- outcome of a happy afterthought; was ,tho ■ sounding of "Tho Last Post'- by ; .the■ buglers of the Brigade of Guards ; ovir.'the spot whero in tho vaults below -lies the'body of Wolfe. This spot is at- the west end of the church. .It was indicated by a large! Union Jack, the bright red, white, and blue: colours of'which stood out iii striking contrast to the groy old stones of tho church. ' -It : iwas-here, then, that the buglers of the Brigade of ; Guards, twentyfour in number, drew, up in double filo, and in .perfect .unison sounded the beautiful and mournful,-notes of "The Last Post." The martial music rang out through the grand old church' with dectrical effect,, and many of ; the congregation'were visibly moved by thiß splendid soldiers' lament for one oi' England's .greatest sons" ■ Welsh Disestablishment. :• Mr.- Asquith told a deputation of Welsh members on July 23 that ho sat a year ago with tho late Sir Henry Campbell-Bannor-man in that room' listening to tho deputation of Welsh members, and ho then said he would regard it not only as a matter of disappointment but-of reproach if this Parliament came to an end before a Disestablishment Bill had been carried through tho llouso of Commons.' Ho thought so still. As regarded the immediate future, it wouold be impossible and,; most unwise ■ for anyone who had not the gift of prevision to say what would happen' with'in the next twelve months 'or two years, but most clearly and distinctly it- was their hopo and it was their intention to submit next session to Parliament proposals dealing with this matter. That hope might be .frustrated, and their intentions might bo defeated. If they were, it would not be through any' act or default of theirs. It was hopeless to predict what the fortunes or tho progress of the Bill might bo, but he' thought they would bo satisfied to have tho House of Commons put in possession of their proposals before tho end of next session. Ignorance of ScScnce. "Wo aro celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of one of the greatest generalisations on record in the history of tho world —tho doctrine of evolution: Wo have at least a century of wondrous scientific achievement behind us. An under-current of revolution' pervades society as a consequence 'of the changes wrought by tho ap l plication of scientific discoveries. But the public ignoranco of all matters pertaining to science' is almost absolute; few of our schools inculcate oven tho inklings of method. Must it not be confessed that this is because wo members of the scientific fraternity liavo failed to act as propagandists to tho necessary extent? Apparently we are unablo Oursolves to appreciate tho mothods' by which wo aro insensibly guided, let alono make clear their meaning and efficacy to other 3." So v.-rites Professor H. E. Armstrong in the London "Times." Tho Supremo Men. ."Tho Clivo. Memorial Fund has reached over fivo thousand pounds; Lord Curzon has decided to closo it. -There is to bo a statue of .Clivo: in Charles Street, Whitehall, overlooking St. James's Park—a fine site—and a replica in marble for tho Memorial Hall, Calcutta. Tho more ono thinks of Clivo, tho icoroVwonderful his work and personality appear,*" writes the "Saturday Review." "At tho age of twenty-seven to found tho British Empire iri ..Jndia within five or six years' service! —there is'surely nothing quito equal to Clivo's record Ai in the history of this country''at, any rata.'/. lii 'is usually rubbish to talk about tbb supreme men only being supreme through some cljanco of fortune: who really believes in 'muto inglorious' Pitts, Nelsons, and Wellingtons? But what is so inspiring to think of in Clivo's career is the fact'th'at.jio.rose. sjyjjtly without the aid of rank -or liamo or money. More than this, his health was terribly against him, a tremendous handicap." . President Roosevelt'is setting the fashions ill men's clothes for summer wear at Oyster Bay, tho seashore capital of the United States. When" hri goos' out to fell a troo or pitch hay ho is clad in a negligo shirt, crash knickerbockers, golf stockings, tan shoes, and his head is listless. On Sunday lie sits in church, cool and comfortable, attired ill a suit of white ~<]uck.—'.' Globo," Boston. Tho influence of London and its superior attractions is affecting oven tho French seaside and tho spas. Returning prophets liavo spread tho good news' of British hospitality. Tlio" Anglo-maniac stands revealed. H« smokes a pipo in the corridor, and is keenly on the look-out for British maidens in distress upon'whom he'may practise his English.—PariS " correspondent of "Pall Mall Gazette." V' Domestic find .marital peace and harmony depend on the kitchen and tho dining-room table much moro than some dreamy idealists are "willing to admit. . Technical schools and hospitals aro .dovoting ..moro and moro attention to dietetics, ana in a fow years housekeeping will ho revolutionised as tho result of' 'the .growth of this science and art.— , i' Record 'Herald;"-- Chicago,