POLITICAL POINTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue LXVII, 30 January 1904, Page 12

POLITICAL POINTS.

Tho Parliamentary Committee of the English Co-operative. Congietw has issued a luuiiife.sto to co-opciative i>oeiel.ies pointing out the disastruiis ell'tet which Mr. Chamberlain's Protect ion proposals would havo upon puee.s. It is estimated that the cost of Hour and other articles aifected by tho coin-tax vould be incie.isoti to co operativo purchasers lo tho extent ol JD500.000 per annum, dairy produce £JOO,OOO, and men I. £200,000. Air. yiflon, the Canadian Minister of tho Interior, recently dehvoied si {stirring addieas beforo tho Canadian Club. Ho justified the action of tho Canadian Commiijsimiei'« ir refusing to sign the Ahuska boundary award, and declaicd that it was not a revolutionary idea lo tiuggest that on another similar occasion thi'ciBritish Commissioners could bo appointed Jroni Canada. It would remove all grounds of complaint against Gieat Britain, would givo Canada a sobering sense, of responsibility, and would tend lo mako Iho negotiations smoother and more free from friction. Koforring to the Venezuela arbitration before Tho Hague Pence Court, President Roosevelt in his in.ess.ago to Confess sayb — "Tho nations now appearing will find it far eosior to upncnr there a second time, while no nation can imagine it* juit pride to be lobsened by following the example now presented. This triumph of Iho principle of arbitration is a- subject of warm congratulation and offers a happy augury for the peaco of tho world. There teenia good ground for tho belief that there, has been a real growth among civilised nations of a sentiment which will permit tho gradual substitution of other methods than tho method of war in the. settlctnent of disputes. It is not pretended that as yet we are noar a position in which it will bo possible wholly to prevent war, or that just regard for national iutercst and honour will in all enses permit tho settlement of international disputes by arbitration j but by the mixture of prudence and firmness with wisdom we hope it is possible to do away with much of the provocation and excuse for war and, at least in many ca.ses, to substitute somo other and moro rational method for tho settlement of disputes." Mr. Moody, Secretary of tho United States Navy, commends to the^ consideration of Congress tho formation of a general staff, the fortification of Guam, Midway Island, and Subig Bay in tho Pacific, and the establishment of a naval baso in tho latter and of a dockyard at Olongapo, an annual authorisation of new vessels, tho equipment of one or more vesselK with turbines, and tho equipment of all largo ships with wireless telegraphy apparatus. I Tho British Consul in the Congo State recently completed a tour through tho | country to enquire into tho stories of Belgian atrocities. Secrecy is maintained rcgurding ■ his report to the Foreign Office, but it is stated that the tour was productive of ample confirmation of tho reports concerning tho abuses existing in the Congo State. It will bo shown, on the undeniable authority of a British official, that tho most horrible outrages are I still being perpetrated undor the rubber | regime, nnd that slavery and barbarism in tho most revolting forms exist today. For the present the lips of those who j havo witnessed these things aro sealed, but an Englishman who was with the British Consul during the whole of his tour sums up the situation as follows: — "Tho most terrible slavery exists. Tho administration is atrocious, and, if there i» not speedy intervention, it will bo too late.' President Roosevelt, in his Messago to Congress, dealt, among other things, I with the supervision of trusts, and recommonded equal, treatment for employer and employed. Ho expressed satisfaction with the Alaska boundary settlement, and eulogised the work of The Hague Tribunal in the interests of peace. Finally, the Prosident defended the action of the United States Government in recognising the Republic of Panama, and said the canal route was irrevocably decided ; tho only question was whether thero should be an Isthmian Canal or not. A leading Vienna paper recently published an article from an Austrian in tho s I Transvaal describing tho work which \ Great Britain has accomplished there since the war. The writer says that this work is absolutely unique, and Great Britain is certainly a nation which knows how to govern. Ho declares that the old hatred of tho Boers towards Great Britain has changed into v- feeling of sincere respect, if not even of affection. The Cologne Gazette, rocently published tlio following telegram from St. Petersburg : "Tho British expedition to Tibet and Lord Curzon's tour in tho Persian Gulf- are exciting public opinion in Russia to an extraordinary degree. Everywhere tho apprehension finds expression that theso events will not only restore Great Britain's diminished prestige, but will enhance it to such an extent that Russia has every reason to bo concerned for her own position in Asia." — Reuter. The officers who wcro concerned in the oMaHiituttion of tho late King Alexnndor and Queen Dragn ol Her via insist thut ajl Servian officers should be given to understand that thu crcnt of 10th Juno wu» of national benefit, and that anybody who does, not approve of it must at onco leave the army. Rigorous treatment of tho unti-regicideb is also demanded. Anotlier outbreak in Macedonia in tho spring is regarded as inevitable. The limes correspondent believes that, contrary to tho genera! iinpio*sion, Turkey will, now make ovoryAoffort to bring tho Austro-Russian reform scheme into operation without delay, and so, by co-operate ing with the two Powers, throw tho responsibility for tho now rising on tho Bulgnriana. They wish when tho rebellion breaks out again to bp able to way : "You cannot blamo ' us, for. wo havo followed your advice and adopted the measures you havo recommended. The attempt' towards a treaty of arbitration between Grent Britain nnd tho United States has somo good names behind it, nnd is warmly supported by the President, tho Secretary of Stole, nnd tho pre.-w throughout America. There is, however, small prospect of the Senate ratifying ifc, Its chances witli that august body are stated to bo in invore© proportion to its practical valuo. Iho agreemont now proposed is -not intended to go further than recently agreed upon by Great Britain and France. In a recent' speech in tho Reichstag ou German foreign policy, llerr Bcbel, tho Social Democrat Leader, said it wa» obvious that Germany was "running after" certain Powers, particularly tho United States and Russiu. He instanced the reception of young Mr. Cornelius Vuiiderbilt, upon whom a general commanding an nriny corps dnd a provincial Government President had been told off to attend when that American gentleman visited Manenburg in West Prussia. And what about Russia? Prince Bismarck had said thnt Germany ought not to pursue n, policy of subservience towards Russia. Nowadays they were "crawling on their bellies" beforo that Power. There were dozens of Russian police officials in Berlin, and M. do Pichvo exercised almost more iniluence here than in Russia. Russia Was really a barbarous State, «» wa.-i illustrated by tho massacres of Kishinefi' and by the rirowuings of Blagovestchensk. It w«« a degrading policy for Germany to miiku horsi'lf the tool of a Power liko Russia. Kxtensive preparations were in December hurriendfy being m«de by the Russian Government authorities to meet the contingency of a general Armenian revolt in tho Caucasus. Moro troops were boing despatched to Caucasian areas, and several chiefs of districts hitherto attached to tho police administration were to be succeeded by men of military rank-