RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 39, Issue 27, 26 October 1945, Page 6

RANDOM NOTES

(By i ■,

Kickshaws.)

A dear old lady says that now that all the U-boat pens are destroyed the Germans will have to sign the Peace Treaty in pencil. * » ■ » Matter, it is stated, has been created in America. Judging by the dust, housewives in New Zealand declare that there must be some secret matter maker around here, too. “Why should the adoption of a definite measure tn beer for a fixed price be ‘fraught with so many difficulties, asks “Thirsty.” “In England they sell an imperial half-pint, or pint, or quart of beer, and in Continental countries they sell a litre, or 2-litre flask of. vino. It would play havoc with the rationing if the grocer gave three different measures of sugar for one coupon.” Kickshaws intends to write and ask Kickshaws about it, because he can’t for the life of him see why either. « » » The decision to abolish a military bias in Japanese schools makes interesting reading in view of the efforts to reintroduce it in 1925. Nevertheless, even in those militarily ambitious days there were some Japanese who foresaw where it would lead. This is what the Japanese newspaper “Asahi” said early in 1925: —“Some educators insist that martial education must be given children. It is these educators who propose the appointment of army officers, in active service, as instructors in military training, in secondary schools and technical colleges. If we read through the text books for primary schools, we soon find that they are full of stories of valour and military achievement. It appears that •educators dislike beautiful and peaceful stories, such as are found in Aesop or Grimm dr Anderson. —Excessive emphasis upon military training is liable to occasion vieiousness.” The “Asahi” tW as indeed prophetic. Few will disagree. If the educators against whom they wrote had studied Aesop maybe they would have appreciated the danger of grasping the shadow for the substance. Well, the rising sun has set, but the Japanese war lords cannot argue that they were not warned, even by thoughtful people in their own country. .7 « » ♦ Most countries, appear to go through three phases—irresponsible childhood; martial adolescence; and then either uncurbed military expansion and ruin, or a happier middle road guided by wise leaders. Up to over half a century ago Japan was in the military phase with an even chance that she would break through to something more stable. In the feudal regime under the Tohugawa Government the ruling classes were composed of samurai. They took upon themselves the responsibilities of government and of defence. Moreover, during the age of feudalism in Japan, as in all other countries, the national spirit and the martial spirit were the same. Education in those 1 periods is almost entirely military. It seems strange that a nation such as Japan, which worships its own antiquity, • i should have latterly /fallen into -such childish errors and such childish lack ot judgment. Today as a result pf. this over-emphasis on iin out-of-date military bias, Japan has ceased to be-a pewer with any influence. It would geem that too much-insistence-on “might is-right eventually leads to disaster,; partly because greater brains are suppresseq and short-term nitwits with a flow of ,words are able to take charge. >• 'Let us hope that the Allies read correctly the fundamental reasons behind the rise and fall of Japan.

A member of the House of Commons „ now in Australia advocates New Zealand linking up with a Federation of Europe. Just exactly on what grounds this member pf Parliament makes the suggestion is not stated, but partly, ft seems, because in his view the British Empire is going to disintegrate when India. gets her independence. He fails, however, to explain why New Zealand should have any better chance pf permanence in a federation of Europe extended 10,000 miles across the world to a Pacific community such as ours. Judging by the past political and military history of Europe it is a good place to avoid. Efforts to produce federations of Europe have been in the air ever since Great War I, if not before. The League of Nations at least indicated the difficulties. Admittedly Europe, as regards population, has very nearly a full house.' She Will require food, hilt New Zealand can supply that without'having to associate with a set-up as unstable as the British Empire has proved stable. Anyway, who says-that the British Empire is going to disintegrate? Let us hope thpt the secret of its success becomes adopted by something bigger than a collection of European States who for centuries have ■been quite unable to produce any form of coherent federation. There are surely sufficient hot potatoes in the Pacific without New Zealand grasping one ot the hottest in Europe, specially as it belongs to a po.tato patch miles away from our real political interests.

The sweeping electoral gains of the three French parties, all more or less equal in strength, present a big problem. it is stated. The people of France have declared virtually that the Ihird Republic is dead and have given a mandate for the creation of a hourtli. Institutions prior to 1940 no longer apply. It is almost certain that some form ot transitory regime must be Treated to exercise power till a new Constitution has been worked out. Thus the people of France have made a clean break with the rickety past and their future rests with themselves.. Nevertheless the very fact that one aspect of the rickety past appears to have survived——a multitude ot evenly balanced parties—does not augur well for the future. The wheels within wheels, the schemes, and counterschemes, the propitiation of one party and then another, do not seem to have been eradicated. Unless the people ot France can discover how to produce a stable form of government the future is as uncertain as were French politics in the pre-war era. #

The Fourth Republic of France has as possible foundations the material of three constitutions, none of which lasted any time as time is where constitutions are concerned. The American Constitution lias survived them all. lue unwritten British Constitution was working, crenkily at times, but with a virile flexibility, long before the Mrst Constitution in France. The French First Republic began in It Jo. It gave place to a Consulate in 1802 and Napoleon 1 in 1804. In 1814 came a king, Louis XVIII, followed by Charles Xin 1824 and Louis Philippe in 1830. Hie Second Republic was born in 1848, giving wav to Napoleon 11 in 18u2. The Third Republic was born of utter military defeat at the hand of Germany in 1870. The Third Republic expired ot indecision and rot in the abysmal days of 1940. A life of 70 years cannot be considered long for a Constitution. In fact there are statesmen who have men longer. Alaybe the French will learn by experience and the Fourth Republic will embody all those things winch make foi stability which the Third did not haie.

The Third Republic reached. its end in a decade of fast following ministerial reverses. Alinisters appeared only to be displaced. The impression ot extraordinary instability was no phantasy. Mavbe 'the child that was born as the Third Republic was ailing at birth It was a curious hybrid of the monarchical and republican parties an uneasy mixture of the British monarchical system and the American Republic. Uutortuuatelv even political hybrids seem to inherit the worst rather than the best features of their parents. Hie I-rench President, though elected for a definite term wits a sort of cross between the Kin"- of England and the American President without the powers of either. Furthermore, the Constitution of the Third Republic was regarded by its framers as purely provisional. It thus suffered from all the defects of provisional things. It could be patched and amended without reference to the people. Thus there was no obligation on the French parliament to respect its own Constitution. Perhaps one of its weakest aspects was the fact that women voters were rigorously kept out. Usually it is women who keep a country .from onto tho political rocksj nn<l their omission may have hastened the end.