AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1305, 7 December 1911, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

"NO YELLOW PERIL." THE EASTERN' RACES TOO OLD. There is no yellow peril, according to Dr. Kunim. "Tho Yellow Peril," ho says, "is really a yellow bogy. Old races can. never become a permanent danger to races which are in the full strength of their manhood; and the peoplo of tho Far East have all tho marks of old-age. It is quite? possible that tho Anglo-Saxon civilisation now appropriated by Japan is nothing but a foreign new cloak donned by an ancient personage, and that it will not impart to that personage tho qualities of modern civilisation." "Then what about the .success of Japan in tho war against Russia?" "1 believe Russia was beaten, not by Japan, but by her own internal troubles. "And tho new movement in China P" queried the interviewer. "It is simply a sign of old age," replied Dr. iuitnm, conclusively. "If Great liritnin went out of Egypt to-mor-row, tho Egyptians would fight each other, and become a prey to any outsider. Ido not. wish to deny that China, Japan, and India will in tnc future have their share in tho world's work, and will perhaps produce great scientists, men of letters, and arts. All that 1 wish to assert is that they will not oust tho. AngloSaxon raco from tho position it occupies to-day." "You believe, then, that tho chief peril will bo, not from the yellow man, but from the black man?" "There need not necessarily be any trouble at all from the black men," said Dr. Ktimm. "They are children to-day. They differ in that respect from tho Orientals. They aro easily led, thoughtless, and improvident, but they are straightforward. It is tho custom 'on tho part of some people in these days to look upon tho negro as an animal "and a beast, and nothing else; but thero is another side to theso questions." A STRANGE RIVER, SUPPOSED VOLCANIC DISTURBANCE. A strange occurrence took place in Curdie's River, Victoria, n few days ago. All tho water became quite white, with froth upon it, which afterwards turned to green slime. Largo numbers of .fish in the stream died. Tho water gave,out a peculiar odour, and cattle refused to drink it. A similar thing happened about 20 years ago. It is supposed to bo the result of a volcanic disturbance in Lake Purrumbe.te, in the vicinity of Mount l.eura. There is an extinct volcano near Camperdown. It is said that divers were sent down into the lako on a previous occasion to investigate, but the water was so hot that they could not stay in it. After the present disturbance the water in the river became clearer than it had been for some time. Slime that had covered tho water during the disturbance had collected into patches, which clung to the stones and the soil on the bant. It has beca noticed for a considerable time that in malting excavations into Mount Leura for the purpose of obtaining scoria for ballasting footpaths, tho deeper tho excavation, the greater the heat of tht> material. Swagmen have frequently camped iu such places to obtain warmth LORD ROBERTS'S MESSAGE. TO THE BOYS OF AUSTRALIA. Lord Roberts has forwarded tho following message to the boys of Australia who have beou enrolled under tho compulsory service provisions of the Defence Act, through Rev. 11. J. Rose (colonel), senior chaplain of the Commonwealth Military Forces

"Englemere," Ascot, Berks, Sept. 23,1911. ". . . I gladly comply with your" request to rend a message to tho boys who are to become the first fruits of that sreat service of compulsory military training which thy Commonwealth has so-happily inaugurated.

"Tell them, then, that a. great opportunity has been given them, of whicli I hope and believe they will make the most; that this training which they are undergoing will help them towards the formation of their characters, and that this is by far the most important thing they can attend to at this period of their lives, for without character no man, however, talented, however clever ho may be. can ever succeed in life.

"Their aim and object should to to make themselves truthful, honest, upright, fearless, clean in mind and in body, tender to women and children, and kind and considerate to all with whom they may be brought in contact. If tlicv u-ili take their training properly, an these qualities should become, theirs, and they will set an example and fix a standard which their successors must try to reach. Ask then) to place this ideal before themselves, to accept their training eagerly, not grudgingly, asd to remember that.it is not only a duty, but an honour and a privilege, to be able to defend their homes, their country, and the Empire, should the necessity ever arise.—Believe me, yours very truly, "ROBERTS, F.M. "Rev. H. J. Rose, Colonel, Senior Chaplain."

SYDNEY TRAINING COLLEGE. AN EPICUREAN EXAMINATION., Pending the establishment of a Chair of Domestic Science, the Sydney Technical College is turning out annually a number of trained cookery teachers," who arc subsequently engaged in teaching tho girls in the public schools the great secret of husband management, contained in tho advice of "Feed the brute!" (states the Sydney "Daily Telegraph"). Unlike teachers of purely intellectual subjects,, the work of those teachers is capablo ol being tested in material form, and after a two years'. course, which ranges from cooking hash over a wood firo to cooking dainty French dishes electrically—it is the custom for the candidates to prepare a dinner, which is judged by the higher officials of the Department of Public Instruction. If the job were made ptrmanent, there would be more npplismti than for the position of beer-taster in a brewery; but it is only nnnually that the hard-working officials of the Department havo tho opportunity of varying routine work with epicurean judgment. On December 1 such, a judgment was delivered at the Technical College, the occasion being the supreme final effort of eight girls who havo successfully completed tho two years' course. As succulent soups succeeded spicy hors d'oeuvre, and were followed by fragrant fish, the mark roso from very good to excellent' pliis. As tho various courses went 011. beatific smiles wreathed the faces of the judges, and thero was unanimity as to the really marvellous results that are being obtained from tho technical cookery students under Miss Munro's direction. _ Of tho eight successful candidates—Misses Palmer, M'Brvde, Linklater, Keele, .Kent, Brown, Ab'bott, and Bray—three are daughters of teachers, and two others of public officers, a fact which sliows that the service at least is wakiii? up to the advantages of underpins the eollefre cookery course. Scholarships are granted in connection with'' tlis Technical Cookery School, and the examination was conducted on December 2.

FEDERATION OF LIBERALS. The Conference of Liberal Organisations of Australia was brought to a conclusion at Melbourne on December 1- The conference sat; in private, but it w'as' announced that the confereiico ratified the vi«ws of tho sub-committee in regard to the Federal platform, which is to lie submitted to the State organisations for ntiiicatinn, and these suggestions are to lie considered by the conference <o he held in April next, in Melbourne, which is to bo convened by tho Federal Union. A provisional committee was appointed to consider tho proposals to be submitted to tho conference.

The State Legislature of Kansas is discussing a Bill by which it is proposed to prohibit the wearing of tights on uio stage or in public places. Tights, it is suggested, should bo supplanted by skirts reaching not less than 4in. below t he kneecap. The wovd "knee-cap" is apparently. f<> offensive to the promoters of the Bill that throughout the docimimit Uio word "patella" is used. Fines of-.£20 for e.njch offence, or in.default tvto mouths' imprisonment, >ire proposed. Woods' Great I'epncrmint Curo for Coughs and Colds, never fails, Is, 6d,*