WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 6, 2 October 1926, Page 8

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

NOTES AT RANDOM

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T.D.H.)

Yesterday’s reference to the ending of the seventy years of diplomatic correspondence about the half . 111 ~,9? acres of New Zealand that Mr. William Webster wanted, but didn’t get, makes it interesting to recall that about forty years back, when Sir Robert Stout was keeping up the New Zealand end in the case, it was Mr. Robert, Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, who was telling New Zealand it ought to behave and pay up. Mr- Lincoln, whose death was recorded just the other day, was at that date United States /Ambassador in London, and it thus fell to him to transmit the demands. for the million pounds Mr. Webster was anxious to have New Zealand pay him. In one reply Sir Robert Stout commented on the threat, effing character of the American, communications'. “In private society m a civilised State,” he said, “it is not usW to threaten your antagonist with reavers and bowie knives.”. . . Nobody talks back to Uncle Sam 'We Suit nowadays. ■

Diplomacy is always a tessturely ness. where things mustn’t be busted, and it was away back m 16®. W their Excellencies rhe Ambastsdcrs first began ta&ipg over tfiefr coffee and linqners ateot the af* fairs of Mr. Witter. WfenCTCr thev happened to think, of it raw. carried on the conversation at right down to 1911. Mr. Webster the meantime had stolen out of down below into his last land allotment, but the diplomats were determined not to wrong Bipi by forgetting about his affairs. In 1911 some, raffit outsider must have been let into the Diplomatic Service, for an event almost unprecedented in these matters had to be recorded—something real actually happened! It was agreed to refer the case of Mr. Webster to arbitration, along with a number of others. Who was responsible for this sad contretemps is not very clear, but there it was, and the ambassadors and the secretaries were deprived of a standing and familiar topic of conversation over the. nuts and wine. However, there was still the delicate business of arranging for the arbitration, and it is illustrative of the indecent haste with which the New Diplomacy does things that this was rushed through in a mere fifteen years. ♦ * •

Mr. William Charles Wentworth, to whose claim to have purchased the South Island of New Zealand for £2OO reference was also made yesterday, was the father of both the Constitution of New South Wales and of Sydney University. The Constitution, however, was not quite as Mr. Wentworth wanted it, for he had laid it down m his draft Bill that there should be a hereditary House of Lords, just as m England. This was struck _ out, despite Mr. Wentworth’s emphatic protests, and life membership substituted. It is interesting to speculate how many noble dukes, marquises, and earls would now be flourishing m New South Wales had Mr. Wentworth had his way.

The latest thing in national aidlives is a film library which the United States Gcrt'ernment' is starting at Washington, in which it is proposed to preserve up to 20,000 films of historic interest. The films will include authentic pictures of American troops in action in France,' the treaty signing at Versailles, Presidential inaugurations, and other episodes of importance. It is thought that in a'hundred years’ time the films will have as much historic interest as the State documents which every nation keeps on record. Some of the American journals suggest that the news reels should be added to the list, so that future generations of golfers may see Bobby Jones m action and tennis players yet to be born watch Tilden at the top of his form. e * * *

In getting President Coolidge to give his approval to this project a few weeks ag'o, Mr. Will Hays, the tsar of America's moviedom, gave a few staggering figures about the size of the industry. It seems that 235,000 persons are now employed at the film studios in the United States. Last year 823 big pictures were made, and over twentythousand short ones. .At the film exchanges enough film is handled every day to make a girdle right round the earth. As for public interest in '.the movies, twenty million Americans visit the twenty thousand picture theatres of that country every day, and the total admission taken every year runs to £200,000,000. These figures give an idea of what John Bull is up against in trying now to butt iff and establish British motion pictures, but the old man is making a struggle, and is now getting out some new British films, with the assistance of an Atnencan managing director, some American stars, and—quite possibly-some American money. When the product of this undertaking arrives we can be patriotic and go and look at it with clear consciences as true Britons.

The other dav T.D.H. commented on the need for' a new Longfellow’ to write a revised version of “The Milage Blacksmith.” A correspondent has forwarded a gramophone record entitled “The Village Blacksmith Owns the Village Now,” as evidence that Longfellow has already. been brought up to date with the service station correctly placed beneath the spreading chestnut tree.

“According to an old, old legend, the Chinese first learned to make paper bv watching the wasp bul.d her nest ” one learns from the first chapter ’of “Modern Aladdins and Their Magic ” bv Charles E. Rush and Amy Winslow. ' “A Chinaman, watching the wasp one day, discovered that she took a bite of wood, chewtd it into paste, and smeared it on her nest. When the paste became dry it turned into' something like our paper. Thus the Chinese learned to make paper from wood long before any other people in the world.”

A New York lady had her Husband arrested as a member of a motor-car bandit gang. She was much affected. “I did not know my husband was a criminal,” she told the police. "He gave me lots of money, but I thought he made it bootlegging.” MARTHA AND SHADOW. Martha said, Shadow is little, Shadow is not Able as I when world is gold in the sun. She walked in the dew of the Mover, and Martha forgot That the day had only begun. Martha said, Shadow is weak, Shadow will flv Wherever T come in the dew and rfnver of morning. . Shadow wa# smaller at noon but wnnM not die. Shadow, not Martha, had a ttme for growing. Shadow said. Martha is little, Martha is not . Able as 1 in evening, and evening « last. Martha said, Shadow is all. T know tjsee. O Shadow! ■'l ,-qrSJ cowl’s inSo Shadow wsS