NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 256, 28 July 1927, Page 8

NOTES OF THE DAY

Comissar Voroschiloff startles the world with his war warning to the Russian Baltic Fleet. Before the end of next year, according to this Soviet authority, there will be. a world war. He wains the Russian (Fleet to be ready, in fact, he. says, is ready now. but it ought to make itself more efficient. Is this merely the meaningless thing which is usually said to fleets and armies after summer manoeuvres? For consider the Notes addressed to I rance and Italy by the Soviet Foreign. Minister last March. These Notes —just within the extreme limit of polite diplomacy—were protests against' the French and Italian treaties with Rumania, guaranteeing that kingdom its present territories. These territories include Bessarabia, which the Soviet has always insisted is Russian by race and should, therefore, be Russian in law. This Soviet, protest has been interpreted two ways: either as a sign of war-like intention, or as a fear of war forced on the Soviet from outside. ’ * * * * Turning the corner as the Prime Minister said to the Farmers Union Conference, we are not likely to come butt up against armies marching out of’anywhere to reduce the world again to chaos. On the contrary, we can enjoy the turn, and read with pleasure Mr. Coates’s homily to the farmers on the need of borrowing for reproductive works, on the self-supporting character of much of the public debt, and on the readiness of the Government to meet the farmers in conference to talk over, not their griefs, but things proper for the improvement of their position. These things ought to be faced in a good spirit of optimism. In that spirit we are glad to see the farmers assemble for their annual “pow-pow.” Numbering nine-tenths of the producers their “pow-pow” counts for much. X' * * * * The long Samoan debate was unnecessary. In the debates of last week the upholders of constitutional principles, even' for subject races not understanding their meaning, had made their attitude clear. Why, then, beat the air again? Is constituted authority to prevail—or not ? *'* * * It is sixty years and more since Lord Napier of Magdala led a British force into Abyssinia, stormed King Theodore's castle, and taught that ferocious dusky and extremely able potentate the length and strength of the arm of British justice. Till yesterday that arm was 'respected without question. To-day we learn that a British caravan, travelling through Abyssinian territory, has been wiped out by Abyssinian soldiers. The excuse seems to be that the caravan did not give sufficient notice of its approach. The excuse is worse than the putrage.