WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 259, 2 August 1928, Page 8

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

NOTES AT RANDOM

(By

T.D.H.)

Vaccination, it is reported this morning, causes sleeping sickness.—Now we all know where that tired feeling comes from.

Mr. Baldwin is insisting that the members of his Cabinet must speak with one voice.—Mr. Churchill will no doubt be agreeable, so long as it is his voice.

The Peace Pact is to be signed in Paris. —The same place, curiously enough, where Uncle Sam signed the Covenant of the League of Nations.

History, they say, repeats itself. Before the war it was the Germans who were talking of blood and iron and a place in the sun. Now it is the Italians. France, the Italians hold, is effete and decayed; Britain is on her last legs, and the stage is set for Benito Mussolini to play the part of Julius Caesar all over again, and have Italy running the world. Some time back we quoted some remarks by Signor Mussolini about the desirability of making all roads lead to Rome, as they used to do a couple of thousand years ago. Last year Italy’s dictator announced that Italy must aim to mobilise and arm a force of 5,000,000, men, must double, treble, or quadruple its navy, and must make its air force “so strong and numerous that its roaring motors will drown all other sounds, its shadows hide the sun over Italian soil.” etc. After that the band will begin to play and things will happen.

It is a little curious to find that this is almost exactly what dear old General Bernhard! was telling the Germans in pre-war days in his immensely popular books. “An intense longing for a foremost place among the Powers and for manly action fills our nation,” wrote General Bernhard!. "Every vigorous utterance, every bold political step of the Government, finds in the soul of the people a deeply-felt echo, and loosens the bonds which fetter all their forces. . . . When their spirits are turned towards high aims they feel themselves compelled to contemplate war bravely, and to prepare their minds for it.” The Government, declared the old Prussian cavalry geneial, must “continually point to the necessity of war as an indispensable agent in policy and civilisation.”

It will be interesting to learn whether Signor Mussolini holds the practical Bernhardi view that the War Minister and the military heads “must be allowed a certain influence over policy, in order to adapt their measures to its needs, and are entitled to call upon the statesman to act if the military situation is peculiarly favourable. As Signor Mussolini’s hat covers the heads of most departments this co-ordination is easily effected in Italy. General Bernhardi was very particular that no miserable considerations of twopennyhalfpenny honest dealing, and so on, should cause the State to “miss the golden opportunity” of smashing a troublesome neighbour.

Although the amiable General Bernhardi was a strong believer in what he called “remorseless realism,” it is not to’ be supposed that he would be a party to any breach of the principles ot such a treaty as the new Peace Paet outlawing war. He was extremely particular on this very point, that no war should ever be fought except in self-defence. The sphere of morality was, he held, entrusted to the diplomats. The diplomats, he laid down with emphasis, must avoid anything that would result in Germany being obliged to attack France. Theirs was the job of “so shuffling the cards that we may be attacked by France We must,” he pointed out. "initiate an active policy which, without attacking France, will so prejudice her interests or those of England, that both these States would feel themselves compelled to attack us. Opportunities for such procedure are offered both in Africa and in Europe.”

General Bernhardt has often been quoted us one of the leading lights among Germany’s numerous pre-war fire-eaters. The above extracts, however, completely dispose of the base assertions that he at any rate desired an offensive war. No pains, in fact, were too great in his estimation to secure that every war should be wholly defensive. His countrymen have been the first to express their readiness to the new Peace Pact outlawing .offensive war, and it seems that such a step must have had the full Bernhard i approval even in pre-war days. All the higher principles of morality warn us never to fight except in self-defence — even if you have to spit in the other fellow’s face to set him going.

It is not of Archbishop Lang, but of another bachelor prelate that the story is told of a certain hostess, who remarked to his mild young chaplain: “I hope you can contradict the story which we have heard of our new bishop, that he hates ladies.” The chaplain, in much confusion, hastily replied: “Oh, that is quite an exaggeration, but I do think his Lordship feels safer with the married ladies.” Wife: “When we were married I thought you were a brave man.” Husband: “So did a good many other people.” Wife: “Remember now, meet me nt the Biltmore for lunch at twelve.” Lawyer: “Very well, dear, but please be there by one, as I have an appointment with a woman client at three

and can’t wait any longer than two, if I am to meet her at four.” THE WANDERER. O I have journeyed fain and far Beyond the cliffs that ward the sea, Have dipped and filled the water-jar In springs remote as Araby; I who a wander-man have been Would be a wanderer again. And tread a winding footway in The leafy depths of Kirkland Glen.

I know that ripened raspberries cling In crimson globes along its rim; I know that hermit-thrushes sing In beechen copses dense and dim; I know the stealthy walking-fern Tiptoes across the mosses there, And that the bee-balm soon will burn Its torch above the maiden-hair.

In loamy hollows I would find The luscious mushroom gille'd with pink; There would be borne along the wind Delicious fragrances to drink; So if you think of me at all Be it not in the haunts of men, But, to tlie rover lure a thrall A wanderer in Kirkland Glen! --Clinton Scollard, in the "Stepladder.’’