BRITISH AND FOREIGN

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 401, 9 January 1909, Page 10

BRITISH AND FOREIGN

CURRENT TOPICS. Solon of tho Ceolls In Trouble. "What is a gentleman?" , asked "Public Opinion" recontly when protesting against the letter which the Rev. Lord William Cecil " had addressed to "Tho Times.'' His son had 'v been concerned in a- university row at Oxford, anil he wrote to complain "against tho publication in the press of the names of tho - undergraduates who have been' guilty of trivial breaches of discipline-in the universities —the result of. tho present method of allowing tho polico to do the proctor's work. The modern plan of employing; clumsy, lower- ■ "class policemen- to- keep high-spirited gentlemon in order is to take a coiirse which must provoke'a breach of the peace, andHho poor ■ boys, who had no criminal intent; but plenty of tho high spirits of innocent and pure youth, find themselves in a police court, with .all its concomitant degradation and publicity." .Since -thiß extraordinary .letter was written;,the young:gentleman concerned - has given cause for further publication of his name in the press. In tho papers on November, 25 it appeared ; "that Mr. Eandle William: Gascoj-no-Cecil, undergraduate .of University College; the eldest son f of the Eev.- Lord .William Gascoyne-Cccil, of Hatfield, has been ' 'sent: down' ! fo'r a breach of university .discipline. About four o'clock on Sunday morn-ing,-November 23, ho . was seen by a policeconstable 1 pn' : duty, in Broad ' Street': throwing .:; sto'iies at ono 'of ■; the- <windows of Balliol ■ Col- - lege. 'Ho was handed-over to the proctors to be dealt .with'according to regulaitons. His behaviour was deliberated on, and • ; he was-sent down for being out of college in s prohibited hours." , Raids by "Gentleman." , ' On the same day this- paragraph also ap- ■ pearod in^-the papers:—"As a sequel to the ■ recent speech of Mr.. B. N.'; Bennett, - M.P., suggesting flogging;, as;■ ..a;,punishments for ■undergraduates, "-.the t- juniormembers ■ of Hertford College (of-whieh-Mr. Bennett is a resident Fellow) instituted a raid on his rooms. s Mr.- Bennett - was away,— "and ; ■ finding—-his-doors locked the undergraduates smashed, the windows;"; .i,,,;Mr.i,:j.J}ennott!s~..speefili,. was , made at the' Oxford ." Trades . Exhibition, and as a result we read "a number . Vof university imeiv raidM.-,'the -exhibition l on: ; Saturday,, evening.; With an > undergraduate dressed as a Scottish-.piper at the head,.a pro-' cession'; of about thirty,, with tartan-.shawlß aroiuidV their dress clothes) marched "'to;' the town ■ hall. They rushed tho, door, which was guarded l by one constable^-and -paradedround? and round the hall, singing loudly. , The: marching party were penned in acorner of- the hall uv : a strong cordon of police, backed -by stall-hdlders, until the. proctors . arrivediwhen the namofe and:colleges .of all • tho undergraduates woro taken." • Why. •;.,.rupin^-'^.;thw,:^ft:;A6lU^''Mfe;.be!-'haiiffled-,by "clumsy lower-class policemen" "Public ; does not know. But,tho objection should be on the policeman's part. i

College Hoodlums. j Tho,' Same ;■ sort;of .thing . is' troubling tho ■ State . of . Washington just now, . and tho editor of the "San Francisco News suggests, in his paper jusir to/hand . "the. only, way" of dealingv.with men who : disgrace tlieir" class : and their.;' university. ; "Many times," he says, f'l have been.forced; to deal.with the undeniable fact that a great many,of our youths,: gilded ,and .otherwise,;, who are.sent-by fond, parents, to universities! for the purpose of gaining, a.higher,'educa-' tion, are nothing less than , rowdies and hoodlums ;of no greater moral calibre .than, the ruffians: of'tho streets. This fact is brought to mind, again because of- some : depredations; of the ~wßl'flT? I kind that have -to my notice as -having been committed at the' of: WashinßtomrakiSeattle; The. best solution seems to do in a turning ; over of the offenders to the civic authorities, and in their trial in a court of justice. YA'.i v gaol sentence is tho only medicine they, de-j ■ serve, land:it is : oxaotly iwlmt, they should' get beyond the peradventuro of : a doubt. When; a few-of them have tasted tho sweets of a prolonged vacation behind tho , bars; in',' :■ pany ■•with, tho criminals and evildoers;, who aro barren of collegiate accomplishments, perhaps.a better: standard of deportment will obtainvin the halls of learning. From my r view-point, it ■ seems tho only way." ;

A JJutlcter of Battleships. . When he.was a boy in Devon, Sir William White, -the great expert on naval' construction, took part in' Society of Arts examinations;: and still treasures his certificates. He ■ ■/•■'has now' become vice-presideritC-of--'thj^fso-ciety and chairman oftho : council, and in'his address;gave some most interesting informa- .. tion on.naval matters. For if we aro to. . . have ah fteet we must have. efficient naval architects, such as Sir William. Ho said he did not agree with the depreciatory ::;••■■ terms. in ; ? which' British' ■ technical education •was so often described as compared with foreign systems, and he . had 'a . strong co'nyic-, • tion that it was not as bad as it was painted. : As; this nation had in industry, commerce, ■ : .. shipping, and navigation:taught the world so muoh, he thought' it"' should not be ashamed : ;t.to. : learn something'in; itK turn : and wherever thcro might- bo any useful . lesson to be ;V,'; leamed abroad,-' where'those who , had. been pupils of tho British people had - improved upon British methods, ■i'^y;alv:,-'cpnstrudtors- : would be foolish if they did not profit by their experience and ability. .

Mr. Bryan iand his Defeat. .. Mr. William J. Bryan, the defeated Demo- , cratic candidate; -is - the editor; of. the •' ■Com-'' •; writes thus.on his defeat:—"As ( ' for myseliY/kt no one worry., about my future. Tho holding '. of office- is 'a:.mere incident in the life of those who are . devoted to ; , ; reforms. The 'reform, is vthe;;'essential .thing.' \ If one can advance reforms by holding office, ...then the holding of office is justifiable; if one can best advance reforms ,as a. private citi-:. zerij 'then .the holding of office js undesirable.;. The world owes ;ino nothing; I have-been •;■■! abundantly compensated'for'.what I have V. been able to do. My life will not: be: long enough, to repay the people for their support, : and' for'.:the confidence which-they have ex- ' pressed. My gratijiudo, to; those with whom. ■:... I have laboured surpasses language, and the; '. days of tho future will be devoted to work : in the, interest of. tho people ?as I understand.. that interest, and in behalf of those reforms, which seem to mo to be tho best." • . . - : Bulow says: Bach:to Simplicity. During his Jteichstag_.in_in- ■'. troducing th«/.- to perial accounts; Prince: Billow "said:—"We had been poor too long not to succumb to the • temptation.-to -rival our- noher- neighbours in .■: luxury ..and comfortablo living.;:. I will, speak . plainly—l say that' we. ' are living in an age of luxury, and in an age which over-rates-the- .// vaiuo .and-importance, of material enjVyment v ,' -which anxiety.'every' one. of' u's" who Ti'dsfat. heart' the-true'oivilisa- : ; tion 'of the mind and spirit-of the'-"-hation, : ' which is its- highestavokare../But .these are r tho faults of'a"period' of: transition'.- -AU""'of >. us . must in ; all respects return, to a- more Economical mode of life, and to greater 1 - sim- ■ . plicity.- '.'(Loud cheers,;and cries of ■•' All of us?" on the Left.) Yes, all of us; I except nobody.' Simplicity of lifrf is more honourable and more meritorious, ' and. it 6uits us Germans of all nations better, than the life we -. aro now leading." Lord Brassey and tho Navy. " - "If any man deserves to be regarded by 'tho country., as; the national; umpire upon ' this Lord th<S„ " Observer." "He has given life-long devotion and study to the interests of the fleet; .; he has' no"'personal ends "to serveand his disinterestedness is'no'more undoubted than his competence. The Warden of the Cinque Ports broke silence in a speech' delivered. . .reoently -tb the Kentish Association, and explained the facts as'" followsAt ho 'former' time had tho British Navy -been more ready for-any emergencies that might arise, by a . bettSr, distribution; of■the, ships',"; the., gather-' • '. ing together of"tlie:great.'fleets; nearer home, more ; 'gunn'pry-. aiid; improved ments for mobilisation; and their organisation had been brought up to the highest perfec-

tion. In administration Sir John Fisher had done tho day's work of a giant. The nation's anxiety ,was' not as to the present position, but as'to the future.' We beliovo that this emphatic and 1 impartial testimony epitomises the truth, tho whole truth, and nothing, but tho truth. Lord Brassay deserves national gratitude for a plain word spoken in season." . ' ,

Valparaiso to Rio Dfreot. "From Valparaiso to Bio by rail I To the majority of people, unversed in the details of rapid progress that characterise t'ne story of railway development in South America during recent years, such a declaration may well seem absurd," writes the "Buenos Ayreß Herald." "Yet it iB nothing of the sort, as a staring yellow railway time bill of the 'Tren lnternacional' serves very forcibly to remind us. 'Its ostensible function is, merely to' acquaint' the travelling publio with the fact that they may now travel from Monte Video, via Paysandu, Salto, and Uruguayana, to Rio Grande or Porto Alegre, on a train leaving the oentral station of tho Uruguayan capital at 9 p.m. every Sunday. Train times, tho usual .regulations regarding passengers luggage, sleeping : and breakfast cars, etc.; etc., that is all the yellow bill conveys to the mind at first sight. Not until we study, its route and connections, in conjunction with a good'- map;- preferably one that shows the whole of Chili, Argentina, and that part of Brazil which lies below; lOdeg.' 5.,. can we realise in its', entirety tho international importance of the now service." Not that the rail across South America is quite complete, but, "3s regards the various hiatuses ,tho connecting links are being forged as rapidly as may be,". up South Brazil in an unexpected; way v "Linking, un the lines of .Chili, ' Argentina,; and Brazil means mutual oomprehensiou as well as mutual communication,; and ■with; comprehension -will come respect for one another's difficulties, moral; physical, and commercial. It is not too.much to say,'' adds the"' 1 Herald," "that the:multiplication of. railways linking State to.State, and province to .'province; will be one of the most potent force's for peace as well as'rfor prosperity-that' South' . America has , yet known." '. . . . / .V"-'-;.'-No Japar.oss for Hawaii. < The Japanese' Government is about to forbid its citizens to proceed to the Hawaiian Islands (says'the "Japan Chronicle"). This is to : avoid their subsequent journey to the States. They have been in the habit of sav-ing-money and' then migrating to the States. Japanese, are, for the most, part, lovers of ;homOki>A,.j;J?rofessor.:'Ghamberfain- ■ says that ""they-'lortg for "Japanese food, for the Japanese not springs, for 'such. Japanese social pleasures as : 'go j'witK' the'twanging of'.the samisen,; for, the thousand and. one little amenities .and - facilities of Japanese life. Officials sent even tothe provinces of Japan their'hearts, out yearning ;for Tokio." The . "Japanese Chronicle" points the'-Japanese have plenty of room at home in which to expand. "For Example, the Hokkaido is still only sparsely populated —850,000 people ,to an area, largely cultiv- ■ able,; of 5000 square ii,' as against 35 millions to the mainland .of Nippon with an area of .I.4;ooo.square', ri._; 'This' ought to provide Toom for the .surplus population for. some years to come: Then, there is the Japanese part of Saghalieh and Formosa, the latter with more than 2000 square ?ri and a population ,of a little over, three, 'millions. .From the point of view of agriculture, therefore, Japan cannot jbe.;said ;tobe'-.over-populated, ; and there are 'many districts in the three main islands where :th'e';area of cultivation -.could.he extended'at'a-comparatively small outlay, There would seem, reason to believe that, the causes - which led to the great increase of population: in Japan during the last quarter of a century are now ceasing to operate, .and that as-in ! : Franee,, in England, and to a •less degree .in : .Germany and. the Eastern States; of America, population will-no longer show -a 'tendency to increase; beyond means of . subsistence. In that case the problemof emigration, will be solved." V <~i :

Transvaal . : : Mr.- LV ReyWsba'ch,;; speaking at the| an-| nual; ' tHb'-'Sonth African Association of Eingineers held in Johannesburg on;No-1 vembcr -1, said that "those w;ho : werel more closely connected, with the mining industry had realised for .a .number.of years that a portion , of ; the wealth which was taken out of the ground in South Africa should be, utilised in' the laying ■ of: a . foundation upon ' iwhich '.future generations;.could be built up.'hi; So reports the "Trniisvaal Leader." "The .World at largo had realised that, based; on'; the improvements. ;6n;-the ,Witwatersrand, both industrially (i.e., improvements created by engineering : talent) and financially (i.e., '; improvements ;created by tho men - at the 'helin of affairs),; thi6 country offered a splendid field for the investment-of surplus capital. It was beings realised-more every day that ores which only a short time ago were considered ;hot to be , worth extracting,, as they would iiot'i pay, for| the cost of mining - and 'trea'tmerit/to-day, 4 undCr improved conditions, offered, if treated on a sufficiently large scale, a vast field!for investment, enterprise, ind engineering and'commercial talent. As ii direct consequence of this he had: no doubt that within; a comparatively short space of 'time' reach of,our doors almost, whioh for many year? had laid idle, and which, had not; been j thought worth while touching, would'be' taken in hand, and would bo oxpjoited profitably." Lord Av'ebury , and the Houss of Lords. Lord Avcbury gavo his impressions of the House of Lords to the Edinburgh Merchant Company recently. "He said nothing that offended :the;,canons of .the occasion; yet ho oleverly contrived to advocate opinions, political .and'fiscal, about which there , is. acute the "Scotsman." "It was- so nicely done that probably few of his audience - felt that 'they ■ were being .confronted;; with... issues., which may mean the disruption,, of,our Parliamentary system and | the 1 prejudice 1 "of our 'national prosperity. It was sometimes said that the House of Lords was hereditary; and the Houbb of Commons was representative. This was no doubt true, but not the whole truth. When he looked; across to the . benches opposite, a majority ! of the , Peers, generally twothirds, were men- who, from ability, from •services;.tq; ; tlw or for other reasons, have .been.'raised to the Peerage. First,, there were the Bishops; of the - Ministers, Lord Morley,' Lord Wolverhampton. Lord Fitzmaurice, Lord Allendale, ana, others—in fact, half the Cabinet Ministers on the Government bench—'lfad been; made Peers. On the; back benches more than half were born Commoners,, and had been themselves raised to the Peerage. How far could the House of .Commons be called representative ?. The two essentials of: any; reasonable system of representation: were that the majority should have .the, power,, arid that the minority should'be heard/ But . our system secured neither." ,

R^bFj^^mJ^.Censclehoe, ' : "Pr€sident';:ffiJoSevelt . lias; given utterance to a fine protest against those who would limit freedom _of conscience in the United "States. During"the 1 recent election he received many letters protesting against Mr. becauso ho "is a Unitarian, and also suspected'of sympathy. with the Catholics." ,In, reply,.tfl.ono,of these Mr. Roosevelt says: )'YoU";ask, that Mr.. Taft shall, 'let the worlds know-wliat his religious belief is.' This is"purely his own private concern, and it;is,ff"itta%r.',lj!}tween him t and his Maker, a ,matter for his own conscience, and torequire it';-'to_be mado;public under penalty .of ]>qlitical v discrimination is to . negative tile first principles of our. government, which .guarantee, complete religious liberty,. and the;right to each man to act in religious affairs as his own conscience dictates. The demand for a statement of a candidate's religious belief can have no moaning except that there may be'discrimination for or against' him because' of that belief: Discrimination against the holder of one faith means retaliatory, discrimination against men :of. other;faitis i -the inevitable result of our real freedom of conscience and a reversion to the dreadful conditions of religious discussion which, in so many lands, have proved fatal to true liberty,' to true religion, and to all advance in civilisation."'