NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 572, 29 July 1909, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

' The decision'.of the British Government'to proceed with the four gent" Dreadnoughts,-hinted at by Mr. M'Kknna in his speech on the Navy. Estimates;,, will .cause little surprise but much gratification. :The Spectator and other English journals deduced from Sir Edward Grey's speech in that debate that the Government's' mind was made up in the matter. ■'■• It will be remembered that out of the conflicting.estimates that clouded the naval controversy a couple of months ago, , , the one clear fact emerged that by 1911 Britain's superiority over Germany in Dreadnoughts would be 20. to 17. 'The decision to put the four extra vessels.in hand; at once will enlarge that narrow margin very notably, pro-, vided that Germany does not accelerate her rate of building. As matters stand, Germany will have ;33 Dreadnoughts when her programme is complete. She will have completed; in 1913;' Britain will now have 20 completed in 191 L Her position in 1913 will depend on her 1910 and 1911 programmes. Unless more than four Dreadnoughts are provided for in those years, the margin;- of'British superiority in 1913 will, be, very small. This .is why Lord Charles Beresford wants: the immediate construction of ton Dreadnoughts, 36 cruisers,, 24 "anti-destroy-ers," and' destroyers. The four newvessels —which..Mr. Asquith. explains,, are independent of next year's programme : and colonial add eight millions, to Britannia's bill. It is quite apparent, from the tone of Mu. Asquith's and Mr. M'Kenna's speeches, that Britain is in for some colossal naval expenditure. . And it is impossible lor the colonies any longer to refrain from taking a real part in'bearing the burden. As we have shown in .earlier ar-, ticles, a general contribution by the white .peoplcfi'-of'thb.'-o'yerecoe: Empire, on ■ a jamais that would rcfluiie h&u-ai«iiiillion a

year from New Zealand, would pay for six .Dreadnoughts, Britain can oanily build against Germany, and she will do what is wanted whilo British statesman* ship is what it is. Tho overrun Dominions should bo prepared lo find the canh to build against Italy and Austria, .tho allies of Germany.

The weakness of thoso who are opposing tho granting of tho 'freehold ■to Crown tenants is their inability to find convincing 'arguments to buck up their rhetoric and their appeals to the Govornmsnt to.stand firm—to'stand ■'firm, let it be noted, against public opinion. Despairing 9f educating the public into agreement with them, they generally eontent themselves now with asking the Government to prevent public opinion, in some way .or other, from becoming operative. We are bound, to say" that these I tactics are less unwiso than such i-ad caplandum arguments as our evening contemporary has had to resort to. It concluded an article on the subject last night with tho , following sentences:' — It is unfortunate that an amendment propo&ng to give tho freehold to "every farmer iu New Zealand..no.matter what his tenure :or from whom hold," Inptcd'for want of a seconder. To attempt to. apply-, to priyato : lands tho principle which tlio .Farmers' ■Union proposos 'to apply to , tho lands of tho ; Crown is the boat way of demonstrating , its monstrous absurdity."';"' ' .The casri must indeed be desperate which 'requires for its support the assertion ■ of identity, between the landlord State 'dealing with its own lands and the State dealing with the. lands of the private landlord. It would be intolerable if the Stato were to decreo that a .private landlordmust grant the option of purchase to his tenant. That is too obvious to require demonstration in detail../ But if the State onacts that its own tenants shall bo granted the option of purchase, it interferes with, nobody's property but its own: it merely gives a certain privi-. lego to' its': own tenant.'. .That privilege, we hold, it' is to the ultimate interest of the . State to give;; but we need not now go into the whole : economic question involved. If it the freehold,- tht> : Stato .would bo inflicting no-greater, in-; ■ j ustico ■" on ; anybody, than ■ ..wonld,;. bo caused by_ a, private,landlord who in- ' formed his tenant that he. might, purchase his holding if he chose. The" State; :is boyond compulsion. ; To talk 'rjf- 1 tho State being .robbed by; Act of Parliament is.absurd; ; tho State makes its own Xi Acts' of, Parliament. .■'lt cannot/rob V itself, surely.'-'i We. do not deny I'that the- State can : furnish itself with bad 'A^ts. 1 B"t that is not'the question involved- in the attempt to confuse tho issue which., wii have "quoted above. '.' . r !

Like manyiother recent.visitors to Australia,. Me. John,Duthie found: that'our friends, across the '.waters are: ..painting ■ things in New Zealand :a. good.: deal blacker than they, really l ~arc.'..'Mit. Duthie. appears to have resented.' this, , and wo have no doubt that his vigorous outspokenness has disabused the; minds of a,good many of those with.whom be'came into-contact. We do not agree, however;' with;his. views' as to, the reasons. fo,r.,the; present attitude of ; Australian - ; opinion towards "New. Zealand; affairs. It in'av to. some extent be" due to the 'pubiic'ity. r give:i to the prevailing'state of unemployment, but; wo are inclined..to .think that;tho reason lies .deeper. ■Wβ have been : for 'a very long timea very* boastful neighbour to Australia.. Wo; have for. yeara jpast I held ourselves up to' the admiration of; ,our.-..countrymen in, A.ustralia'iancl, olse1/where. Our prosperity', has been, blazoned, (forth, and wehave v Dro.(;Ji(|:iiflcd;purserves .as leading tho. world , ".in a variety of ways. ;We : have '.attracted /.population :frqm Australia 1 in : this: way, arid *w6 have ;diverted her also. r In : .fact,'at.-.times"piir'self-satisfaction must have jarred the- susceptibilities;■ of':,pu"r .'npiglibours- : vei\v severely;'-' Is' ''it '■ to"' be wondered at, therefore,;that 1 our friends in Australia should take advantage'of :pur_ temporary check and make the most of. : .1»».;, Of course;.we;';arc • vcp'yy, 'good friends, 1 , but we are in a , senEo rivals also, and. for' the moment has 'the. 1 .advautage., But matters are;straitthton'lngVout in.New Ze'aiaiid, faiid with 'the; coming summer Australian opinion may ;• suffer a ..change.. .Could the. Governinent' be forced to press on a policy of opening up the vast areas of idlo Natiyrf land forsettlement by Europeans we should veri-l turo ;: to prophesy on' this : point : with' greater, confidence,' , -.■■..'■■ : .'':' .-•: -

We print to-day another admirable'address -by Sir Charles Lucas, whosc : opiriions,'and his of 'presenting '.' thciii, .we would' commend to- our public men. v Public speech in New.. Zealand has '-'a tendency to become so loud; coarse, and ! shallow. But,of. greater .value,, even than Sir Charles's ;practical Wesson in the art of saying things gracefully and well, is the substance of what .he said. When he..spoke yesterday of the British drift.from deeds to'words and advertisement,■•he, must have : touched' thoughtful and t conscientious , Nbw Zealariders on; a tender, spot.. Humility /and, quiet .earnestness.: are' , virtues ; of 'which. New ' Zcalanders stand most sorely'ihhoed. "■ When I P_ J - Q-. Ward angrily denounced our applause df Bishop Junys'seeverc comments upon the blatancy : of tho ; average New; Zealander's attitude,' he. shdwod ; to what a' point New; Zealand's •self-satis-faction . had been'; developed. We should like: to see Sir Charles's 'view's on ! the importance .of. substituting', deeds' for. words placarded over the liead of every New Zealander's bed, in order; that they might receive wide and' constant attention.' .Yesterday -But .■Charles, made, a most valuable observation upon the;future, of 'Imperialism and the Empire. In bur own way we have endeavoured to oppose the enthusiasm of some of our Imperialists to construct what we: have called a "patent Empire," and we therefore welcome our visitor's excellent state : ment of the. truth that impetuous people constantly overlook: W ; ■, -?.'•', ': V ■• "WhaWer comes, if'' it. is good it* will be the result of a growth, !»nd not of a contract, and, nsfar\as:l read British history, nothing good is gainod except by continuity, by slowly broadening down , from precedent to precedent, and it 'lyill como by instinct rather,than by set policy. I speak advisedly, as one who has been over thirty years in tho Colonial Office. I beliovo that tho'motive power: must come from outsido '■'. government, ajid not from 'within." . : ' / ■'■■.. "v -' . That little extract is worth a hundred of the average; "Imperialist" speeches and "loyal :"■'remark's." . ■•• '"V. -'.■.'■ •/■