NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 124, 18 February 1921, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

By common consent the steps taken towards establishing a Court of International Justice constituted the crowning achievement of the Assembly of the League of Nations at its first meeting at Geneva, in November and December last. Emphasising the importance of this tribunal as a unifying factor in international affairs, one British commentator pointed out that not even the most .irreconcilable Senator in the United States was antagonistic to the Court; “How could America oppose it,” he asked, “when America has drawn up no fewer than seventeen treaties calling for compulsory arbitration in the event of a collision of interest with signatory countries?” Under the arrangements now made it should not be long before tho Court is actually constituted. In tho first place twenty-two States, members of tho League, must ratify the project. It is assumed that this will be done during the present year, and that it will then be open to the Assembly at its nextmeeting to elect Judges. This would pave the way for the formal inauguration of the Court shortly afterwards. Though recourse to the Court is not compulsory it may still servo a useful purpose as providing a means of facilitating the peaceful settlement of disputes between nations. The ideal of a compulsory settlement of international disputes through a court of justice instead of by resort to arms still remains to be striven for.

Probably Mr. F. S. Pope is right when he says that musical evenings in the home do not meet the requirements in the way of entertainment of young folks as they used to in “the good old days.” It is a regrettable fact that home life, broadly speaking, is not what it used to be. There is less of it for one thing. But Mr. Pope surely is unduly pessimistic in his fears that music in Wellington is likely in a few years to sink to vanishing point. Last year’s list of musical events in Wellington might almost be said to constitute a record. The year commenced with the visit of th® New South Wales State Orchestra —the finest band that ever visited these shores, and whose performances were welcomed everywhere with enthusiastic appreciation. The Wellington Professional Orchestra also registered a splendid season, marked by steady improvement on sound lilies. Tho Choral Urjion gleefully records a record year anil balancesheet, and the Operatic Society found the public warmly responsive. Tn the domain of pictures, the most popular 'houses are those equipped with orchestras. So far as we are aware no falling off is recorded in the number of candidates for tho music examinations of the R.A.M. and Trinity College, and the number of new teachers of music of good qualifications who havo pitched their tents in Wellington during the past year with most encouraging results hardly suggests'that music here is dwindling away to vanishing point. Still, it is always difficult to live up to the reputation of the good old times.

The statistics of civil aviation in Great Britain are already on an impressive scale. One of yesterday's cablegrams mentioned that since the inception of civil aviation about twenty-one months ago, British aircraft have flown 1,556,000 miles and carried 106,712 passengers. Probably, if corresponding details were available, the rate of progress here indicated would compare not unfavourably with the early development of railways and other forms of transport. Apparently, however, there are some grounds for the uneasiness expressed by the London “Times” in regard to the immediate prospects of civil aviation in the United Kingdom. AA’riting recently in the London “Observer,” Major G. C. Turner observed that the. statistics showing the uuraber of passengers, mails, and goods carried by air in Great Britain indicated a decline, whereas in France the corresponding statistics revealed a steady increase. “Yet,” he continued, “Great Britain still possesses the best aircraft designers, can still build the best machines, enjoys a wonderful prestige, and has some of the most remarkable discoveries and inventions in her hands.” On the other hand: “Such services as are run are almost entirely oy converted war aircraft, in spite of the fact that more recent designs would show a far better balance-sheet; and the organisation everywhere is so stniwed that reliability is far less than it might be.” This is rather a gloomy picture, and most people will agree with Major Turner that to submit to a. continuance of the decline he describes would be unworthy and absurd. It is no doubt difficult to reconcile the liberal support of civil with the prevailing demand for Governmental economy, but this can hardly be more difficult for Britain than for France or Germany. The*latter country was forbidden to import or manufacture aircraft for nine months after the Treaty of Versailles came into force, ami apparently is now intent on. making up for any time she Ims lost where aviation is concerned.

In the course of his very interesting address at Hie opening' of (he annual cont'erenee of the Welfare League yesterday, the president. .Air. C. I’. Skerrett, referred to the enmity which the league had aroused in the ranks of the Labour extremists. The league should congratulate ilstlf on this evidence that it is serving the purpose for which it was formed. Ifjt had not incurred the illwill of the extremists it might reasonably have felt that its propaganda was missing the mark. It is quite natural that the extremists should misrepresent the attitude and work of the league and endeavour to hold it up as an enemy of Labour unionism. That is necessary to their continued dominance. Everyone who differs from or criticises the ex-

tremists is 'branded by the extremists as an enemy of Labour, as many sane unionists know to their cost. Lenin and Trotsky are doing (he same thing in Russia to-day, but with this difference: Those who venture to oppose the’exlremi&ts there do nnl as a rule live long, which perhaps explains why our local extremists hold up Russia as a shining example to the world.