BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 148, 23 June 1906, Page 13

BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

SPECTATOR SUMMARY, (Week ending Saturday, 28th April). ITALIAN~P*OLITICS. On Tuesday in the Italian Senate Count Gqicciardini, the Foreign Minister, in reply to an interpellation on the position of the Triple Alliance, ma4e a declaration on Italy's foreign policy. He began by referring to the Algeciras Conference, where her position had been exceptionally delicate, and her task one of conciliation and mediation. That work having beea happily accomplished, her attitude towards foreign affairs remained the same as before, — a loyal adherence to tho Triple Alliance, th» maintenance of the traditional intimacy with England, and a sincere friendship with France. Italy's main foreign interests in the Balkans and Africa, were safeguarded by the Triple Alliance and the special agreements which she had made with France and Austria. As for England, when the Alliance was first suggested Italy had declared that in po circumstances would she renounce her ancient friendship with that nation, based not only on political, but on moral grounds. It was her friendship with England which especially made her adherence to the Alliance important. But, Count Guicciardini concluded, being on good terms with one nation need not, mean being on bad terms with another, and he welcomed the better understanding which seemed to be growing up between Germany and England. In any case, the traditional relations between Italy and the latiej would continue,— "an element of peace among thp nations." GERMAN ADMINISTRATION. The illness of Prince Bulow }s being made an excuse for raising the question of reform in the higher offices of the Imperial Administration. An things stand, every Imperial Department is overworked and understaffed, since the Empire has developed interests which were not contemplated at the time of its creation. Prince Bulow, who was appointed primarily for his knowledge ol foreign affairs, is also, as Chancellor, supreme in all Departments, with the result that a load falls on his shoulders too heavy for one man to carry, and work of great importance is congested and delayed. The a^im of the reformer)? is to de-Prussianise Imperial admipis; tration, and to prevent 1 that absolutism of the Emperor on which the absolutism of the Chancellor depends. The best solution would probably be to separate Imperial officials wholly from Prussian administration, to have specifically Imperial Ministries, and to increase the Constitutional oversight of the Reichstag. The present preponderance of Prussia means that certain of the high officials have a dual character, and therefore double duties;. The Times on Wednesday published from its correspondent an account of the growing impotence of the Reichstag, apd the physical exhaustion of some of the heads of Departments, both of which sprang from Departmental disorganisation. Clearly the Bismarckian Constitution stands in need of being brought up to date. THE GERMAN MARINE. The Times on Monday published a long and important, article an the development of German maritime interests, based upon the Report on the subject presented last year to the Reichstag by the Ministry of Marine. After showing the enormous increase of German transmarine interests, the Report points out that one-fourth of the foreign trade is with the United Kingdom, and that in a naval war Germany, if defeated, stands to lose everything, The growth of maritime commerce therefore must involve a parallel development of national defence. The German Admiralty, at any rate, recognise how serious a war with England would be for their country. The plea for an increased naval expenditure is based, not upon the ordinary expansionist arguments, but upon solid economic grounds. The growth of German overseas interests is the best security for peace, and a navy formed to defend these is not a provocative, but a reassuring development. It is just conceivable that at some future day, when navies are recognised as only the police of merchantmen, Europe may be able, by mutual agreement, to cut down her naval armament. Meantime, the British Parliament must regard it as their supreme duty to maintain the command of the sea. Unless we are invincible at sea, the life, not only of the Empire, but of the potion, must be short and precarious. BRITAIN IN INDIA. The special correspondent of the Times lately in India cpntributed two remarkable articles to the issues of Monday and Tuesday on "The Growth of New Political Forces in India." After explaining the causes which have concentrated Indian discontent on a purely political propaganda, the writer deprecates any effort to underrate the power and extent of the National Congress Party, which controls the vernacular Press and numbers among its adherents practically all the members of the liberal professions. Amongst its leaders, are men claiming respect by their unsefish devotion and patriotism, however misguided and misapplied. The. misfortune is that they should have .drifted into acute antagonism towards the British administrators of India, who as a class are not a whit less devoted to the interests of the people of India, and that while their authorised programme need not bo taken to imply disloyalty, they have not openly disavowed the unauthorised underground propaganda, of the extremists, which is animated by a spirit of subversive lawlosness and intimidation. To the employment of the natives in the higher executive positions the writer holds that tho objections are for tho present insuperable. The foundation of the British rule is its impartiality towards all castes, creeds, and races. The Briton stands outside all these, as the Indian cannot stand. Besides, this polioy, if carried to its logical consequences — i.e., the undermining of British authority— would be absolutely suicidal for t^e very class pf Indians who are chiefly responsible for it. The Times correspondent concludes with the following weighty words: — "One of the greatest dangers for India, not merely from the British point of view, is the growth of an intellectual proletariat. It cannot be more surely averted than by tho' creation of an intelligent and highly trained middle class competent to develop the vast agricultural, commercial, and industrial resources of India in the spirit of modern enterprise and science." THE CONGO BLOT. An important correspondence relating to the proceedings now being taken against the Roy. Edgar Stannard jn tho Congo State was published in Wednesday's papers. Replying to a letter from Mr. Morel, the secrotavy of the Congo Reform Association, Sir Eric Barrington writes, on behalf of Sir E. Grey, to sny that His Majesty's Government are alivo to the' danger that, Mr. Stannary's caeo may bo prejudiced by his inability to securo witnesses, but that they rely on tho presence, of the British Vico-Consul at Coquilhatvillo during tho proceedings to minimise those drawbacks. They have telegraphed to Consul Nightingale inquiring what arrangements are being made to secure competent counsel to defend Mr. Stan1 Gird, an_d J-hg letter gqosittdeo. $ith the.

assurance that if Vice-Consul Armstrong's report shows that the proced* ings have been unfairly conducted, the Government will have to consider whether the time haß come to establish a British Consular Court for the protection of other British subjects against whom similar charges may be brought under the new law respecting libel and slander. Mr. Morel, while gratefully acknowledging the prompt action taken by the Government, points out that as there is p.o Bar or independent practising counsel on the Congo, there is little or no chance of Mr. Stannard's defence being adequately carried out. Furthermore, he asserts that of the three supreme officials whose administration was condemned by the Commission of Inquiry, two have returned to Belgium unmolested, while the third, who was convicted by the Report of failing to prevent the illegalities committed in his district, is now prosecuting for libel 9 British subject who assisted the Commission in arriving at the truth. THE COLONIAL OFFICE AND THE EMPIRE. At the annual dinner of the Colonial Institute on Wednesday Lord Elgin made a speech which we trust will convince the Empire of a fact of which we ourselves have never entertained the slightest doubt,— viz., that the Colonial Office is in safe and patriotic hands. Lord Elgin pointed out that what is essential to the proper conduct of the Empire is the securing of "sympathy witft and support to the man on the spot." There must be co-operation between the Colonial Government and the Home Government if the best results are to be achieved. After a passage of warm prajse for the loyalty to the Home Government shown by Lord Selborne, Lord Elgin made an interesting personal reference to the present Prime Minister of Natal, whom he described as "a kinsman, a near kinsman, a playmate of my boyhood, to whose family I am bound by ties of affection and gratitude." In these circumstances, he asked his listeners to understand how utterly repugnant it would be to him to throw any obstacles in the path of Charles Smythe, the Prime Minister of Natal. The Government of Natal • had his entire sympathy in the difficult position in which they found themselves, and he highly appreciated the tact and discretion which they had displayed in the present crisis. We do not doubt that the spirit which inspired Lord Elgin's speech also inspires the Government as a whole in their attitude towards our Colonial Empire. WOMEN'S FRANCHISE. The discussion of Mr. Keir Hardies motion in favour of conferring the Parliamentary franchise on women led to an unfortunate scene in the House on Wednesday- night. After several Speeches had been delivered on both sides — including a vigorous attack on the proposal by Mr. Cremer — Mr. Herbert Gladstone announced that the present Government proposed to follow the example of their predecessors, and leave the question open. He was followed by Mr. S. Evans, whose clearly manifested intention to talk the question out proyoked a continuous and steadily increasing storm . of cries and interruptions from the Ladies' Gallery, which at length reached such volume that the Speaker gave orders to have the Gallery cleared, — orders which were unfortunately impossible to carry out without the intervention of the police.. We do not wish to attach undue importance to the episode, which, while unquestionably prejudicing the cause of women suffrage, can give no satisfaction to those who, like ourselves, are strongly opposed !to the movement. No one can wish his cause to prosper merely through action on the part of his opponents which tends to render them ridiculous, least of all when those opponents are women. RADICAL ECONOMY. On Thursday night the Opposition, led by a group of Radical fanatics, opposed with no little clamour and acrimony the payment of a salary of £2,000 a year to the Lord President of Ihe Council, Lord Crewe. If Lord Crewe is competent to be a member of the Cabinet and to take charge of important Government measures in the House of Lords, as we have no doubt he is, it is a preposterous piece of sham economy to refuse him a salary. For ourselves, indeed, we consider that all members, of the Cabinet should receive the same salary, and that it should be that now paid to Secretaries of State, — i.e., £5,000 a year. It is absurd that the Secretaries of State should receive more than double the pay of heads of offices so important as the Board of Trade and the Local Government Board. We greatly regret to see that Mr. Long, who was leading for the Opposition, joined with Mr. Weir, Mr. Paul, Mr. Morton, and Mr: T- P. O'Connor in resisting the proposal. The Opposition seem determined to miss no opportunity of showing that they have no claim to be considered as the Conservative, the moderate, or the Constitutional party. After Mr, Long had completed the pitiable exhibition made of themselves by the Opposition by refusing to allow the amendment tp pc withdrawn, it was carried by a majority of 98 (232 to 134). We tru,st the Government will realise that they need expect no mercy froru the extremists in their party, and will have the courage to defy them. THE EDUCATION CONTROVERSY. AH the evidences available point, unhappily, to a bitter struggle over the Education Bill. Tuesday's papers contained a letter addressed by the Bishop of London to the Rural Deans in his diocese denouncing the Bill as a measure of compulsory confiscation in which the provision offered for the object which Churchmen are bound to guard — the education of the children in the Christian faith according to the tenets of the Church of- England as set forth in the Catechism — is "meagre and unsatisfactory." Tuesday's ' papers* also contained the report of the Annual Conference of the Independent Labour Party at Stockton-on-Tees, at which the president, Mr. Snowden, M.P., vehemently attacked the Education Bill as pleasing no one but the Nonconformists, arjd involving tho establishment of their views as a State religion. The Government, in his opinion, had made a complete surrender to the clamour of sectarianism, and the Independent Labour Pony would give tho Bill unqualified opposition. The Bishop of Manchester has also issued a manifesto vehemently condemning the Bill. We do not propose at tho present Btngo of the controversy to add any further comment beyond urging extreme donommationalists to reflect upon tho tremendous rosponsibility they assume by adopting a course which lends momentum to the drift towards secularisation.

Musically, "The Little Michus" is inferior to "Veronique," is the opinion of the Sydney contributor to Melbourne Punch. Following the exumple of so many modern composers, Messager has neglected the singers; with, the reeult that the work under notice is v good deal more interesting from the orchestral than it is from *the vocal standpoint. It is another instance of a, first-class musician inverting the orthodox order of openv by placing the statue in the orchestra, and the pedestal on tho stage. Looked at from the comedy etandpoint it must be acknowledged that "The Little Michue" is ever so much ■ brighter than "Veronique." It is "in the neighbourhood" of opera bauflfe, while "Veronique," with a few alterations, might be classed in the second. grada of ipmantic opera-,,