BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 28, 2 February 1907, Page 13

BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

SP.ECTATOB SUMMARY (Week ending Bth December, 1906.) PRESIDENT ROOSEVEL'S MESSAGE. President Roosevent's Message to Congross was read on Tuesday, and has produced a far-reaching and profound impression by its wisdom, its fearlessness, and its sincerity. We would particularly note Mr. Roosevelt's insistence on the i United States , Navy 'as tho surest guarantee of peace, and tjig warping which accompanies his welcome to the second Peace Conference at tKe Hague. "Peacp js normally a great good, and normally it coincides with righteousness ; but it is righteousness, and not peace, which should bind the, conscience of ft nation, as it should bind the conscience of an individual ; and nejthev a nation nor an individual can surrender cpnsoience into another's keeping." Equally striking is ,the President's' reference to the epidemic of lynching and mob violence. '*Moba frequently avenge the hideous crime of rape 6y themselves torturing to death the man. committing it; thus avenging in testial fashion a bestial deed, and reducing themselves to a level with the criminal. There is but one safe rule in dealing' with black men or with white men ; it is jfche pame rule that must be applied in dealing with rich men and 'poor mfcn,— that is, to treat each man, whatever his colour, his creed, or his Bocial position, with'evenhanded justice on his real worth as a man." the stranger within the gates: In a very striking and fearless passage the President deals with the Japanese question in California. It is the duty of the United States, he urges, not only to treat all 'nations fairly, but ospecinlly to remembef their obligations to the stranger within theiv gates.' "It is tho sure mark of a low civilisation, b low morality, to abuse or discriminate against or in any way humiliate such stranger who has «qme here' lawfully and who 3s coaiductjng" himself r properly." Tho aititudo of hostility to the Japanese,, though limited to a few places, h? pronounces to be "most discreditable to U3 as a people," adding that it may be fraught with the grayest consequences' to the nation. After a generous tribute to the wonderful development of tho Japanese and their many fine qualities—^ courage, generosity, patriotism, and courtesy— he declares that it is a "wicked, absurdity" to shut them out from the public schopls in California. Tho President suggests that Congress should pass an Act specifically providing for the naturalisation of Japanese who come intending to become American citizens, and further earnestly recommends that tho civil and criminal statutec of the pnited Sta,tea be' so amended and amplified as to enable the President, acting for the United States Government, to enforce the rights of aliens under TreaMeo. "Even an the lav/ now is something can be done by the Federal Government towards this end, and' in tho matter now before m.o aifecting tho Japanese, eyorything that it is in my power to do will be done, «nd oil of tho forces, military and civil, of the United States which I may lawfully employ will be so employed. . . It is unthinkablo that wo should continue a policy uador which a given locality may bo aljowcd to commit a cnma against *a friendly nation, and the "United Statea Government limited', not to preventing the commission of tho crime, but, in tho last rosor£, to defending the people who havo committed jt against the consequences of jtiieir own wrongdoing." GERMAN "COLONIAL" lifETHODS. Tho debate in tho R-eichstag has developed into a violent attack upon German colonial methods and an equally violont " defence Mutterings' of tho storm wore heard on Friday week, when tho Clerical Depnty, Herr Eruberger, in a long speech commented upon the'recont disclosures. The firm "" of Tippoiskiroh, tho shipping house of Wo'cruiann, and other smauer fry had been coining money out df Germany's colonial difficulties. Tho' freights for tho two days' voyngo'from the" Capo to Luderitz Bay had been 37.50 marks a ton, while from Hambnrg to Vladivosldck, a voyage of sixty days, the charge wa3 only 23.50. He also criticised the concessions of land in South-Wesfc Africa, and the excessive expenditure caused by the system of Supplementary Estimates. Herr Dernbttrg', 'who must bo beginning" to sigh for the peace of private life, replied as effectively as cpula bo expected from ono who had been in office only two months. But tho real trouble began on ' Saturday, wben Herr Bebel, in a speech of three hours, repeated the old charges and made, many pew ones. He accused tho Governor of tfie Cameroons and certain officers there of barbarism and corrupt conduct, which' tho Government wai trying" to shield. If Herr Bebel's charges be true, tfie Congo State has no ,wprae record. Then he • turned to the case of Dr. Peters, who, jn spite of having bcen^otad gujlty and dismissed the serYio^ tpn yc/ir* ago, was now being rehabilitated by the authorities. He alleged 'that Herr Hellwig. who had prosocuted Dr. peters, had been compelled" to resign by his superiors. HERR REBEL'S CHARGES. At this point, jn a scene of great contusion, Herr B,p)bel was called to orde*, put he insisted <jn concluding his speech, ending wjth the terrible, indictment : "It is not ?°F the sake of civilisation that our colonial poljcy is conducted, but in Older to satisfy the lust of power of tho governing classes." Pr. Arendt thereupon rose to defend his option in the Peters cafo, and tho foreign Secretary mado afi opicial explanation. Tho dobaie was resumed on Monday, when Dr. Pc'tors's alrpady tattored reputation was subjected to fnrpher rending, and Herr Dornburg declared that Ilerr Hellwjg's resignation had nothing to do with that case. Another Clerical leader, Herr Roren, shifted the matter' of discussion to West Africa, and dealt with the atrocities of certain officials in Tocoland. It is one of tho most horrible stories we have over road, and prcducod a powerful effect upon the House. Herr Dernburg, who seems to have been taken by surprise, had no explanation to offer, and the debate terminated, pith an angry wrangle botwebn him and the former speaker. Wo have no desire to play the 1 part of Pharisee, for all colonising Powers have dark places in their records ; but we would point out that it is impossible in Germany's case to erect any effective safeguards against abuses, since her bureaucratic colonial rule is not adequately supervised by the Reichstag. A distrust of popular criticism always ends in scandals. THE CONGO. The Congo question was further discussed in the Belgian Chamber on Thursday, when M. Beernaerfc, the cx-Pre-mior, delivered tho mos.t important speech of the dobato. Having been associatecf with the Congo enterprise from its earliest days, and having supported King Leopold through many difficulties, he spoke with unique authority. In substance "ho agreed with M. Hymans's Ordor of the" Day asking lor full infpramtion And annexation. He declared that tfye Congo State was bound (9 Europe by special contractual "obligations. P6 ,d,eclarsd himself utterly opposed to forced labour, and condemned

the system, by which, the government and tne exploitation "oj th'p country 'were placed in. the same 'hands. '.Annexation was the 1 duly **rejn'eqy,'"and"i)ip King could not make such annexation' depend upon any 'conditions about the IJomaine Prjv'e. The 'first step' must be ' a thorough investig'&tiop, in order that Belgium 'mighV understand the liabilities sho L was undertaking. Mr. Beernaert's speech is the clearest and most statesmanlike utterance wh>ch we have ' as yet had from a responsible Belgian statesman on the subject, and we trust that ho may carry the Chamber with him in hi£ poiic-ys. 1 ' u&tu INMA^TS IN T3E TRANSVAAL. On Monday in the House of Commons Mi\ Church'jll, in'i'eply' to a question, announced 'tljat 'tho Imperial Government "had ag'r'ced'to tho request of the British Indians j» tho Transvaal, and had veteod tho' Asiatic Law Amendment Ordinance of last' September. It is a very difficult subject, but. in our opinion the Government have acted wisely ._ Ondoubtedly the 'majority of the white inhabitants' of the Transvaal desire to impose disabilities upon their Indian fel-low-subjects. "The claim'of theso latter is not to enter the Transvaal' f rte of r'esjtrictians, but to secure the enjoyment of ' certain olementary civil rights by British Indians who are already in residence. On the merits there is no answer to their case. It is ridiculous and unjust to deny whatsis given to the'meanest white to members 01 a race who sit on the Viceroy's Council and the Indian Bench.' Such a differential treatment cuts at the root of all Imperial unity. At the same time, we- understand the feeling of the TransVoal trader who fipds the ground taken from his feot by men' who live'barely' and hardly and sell cheap.' It is open to tne Transvaal under its now Constitution to pp.ss'fres,h legislation on ' the matter 'which could not well be vetted. Wo agree, therefore, with The Times that' tne Govcrnmont should carry their views fco" their logical conclusion, and introduce into the draft Constitution' 'a' !1 reservation in favour of Indian residents. '' ' ' PLURAL VOTING AND JtEIJISTItI- ' ' ° BUTTON. ' * " '" In tho House of pommons on Monday, on the thirct reading bf the iPlural'Voting Bill," Sir Henry Kimber nioyed an ainpadmont tjaat the Bill" should not b? prO*cee,d.ed ' with, as 'the subject ' wilh ■^hich it dealt ought 'not ' to be cpnsiderod apart from the general question" Of the electoral franchise and before steps were taken to abolish tljo gross anftmalies in " tho existing distribuiion of electoral power. Thai is, of course, a perfectly sound proposition, and we are glad to note that Sir Henry Kimber, whose name has been so honourably connected with the attempt to do electoral justice to England., should havo pressed it on Parliament. We arc bound to say, however, that he ,was very poorly supported in tho coy-mo of the debate. Tho question is ono whicli should have called forth the wholp fighting strength of the Unionist Party, for here is a democratic principle at utake which thejr opponents, though professing %o be .democrats, aro afraid to adopt. Yet, instead, there was a meagre attendance and an extremely half-hearted representation of the caso for coupling ''Oae vote ono value" with' "One man one vote." The none-Front Bejicjf spaalscro were ineffective, and Mr. Lopg and Mr. Balfour wordy and perfunctory. Mr. Balfour, in was plain enough from his oym liandlinsj of tho question when he was in. office, has .no real desire to do electoral justice to England, and merely gupportod Sir Henry Kimber in, order io harass tho Government. As it was, tho amendment was rejected by 333 to 104, — a m-r-jority of 229. TBADE UNION FUNDS. * In the House of Lords on Tuesday the Lord Chancellor moved the second reading of the Trade Disputes Bill.. After giving a general sketch d its' policy and tracing its history, he commended it to tho Hcuso on its own inorits as just and honest measure. Lord Lanodowno admit^oot that legislation for iho protection of Trade Union funds was' inevitable, but stj-pngly conUemnxsd the method which the Bill adopted. The Bill "did exactly what the bad said the Government would never do — it placed certain classes outside the law. He concluded, hevreyer, with the' extraordinary anouricemenO' that it was not a question on which the House of Lords could well make a ptana ; that he himself should not vote against the Bill ; but that he and his friends would disclaim all responsibility for fhe consequences. We agree with Lord James that this is a course" singularly lacking in moral courage. We do not see how the Lords are going to amend the Bill" in Committee after passing the second reading, for it is the principle of the Bill, not a few details,' which is at issuo. Certainly Lord Lansdowne's speech gives no lead for such omendation, especially after Mr. Balfonr's melancholy declaration iq tho House of Commons. The question is one on which tho Lords w.ould have .the bulk of the thinking classes in the cation bohind them, and to miss the opportunity js not only bad party tactics, but bad statesmanship. THE RIOTOUS STOKERS. The court-martial of Lioutenant Collard, R.N., was concluded at Portsmouth on Tuesday. Lieutenant Collard, who was charged with having improperly given tho order '"On the knee !" and with having used abusive language, defended himself with great force and spirit, denouncing the atUtude of the sensational press, exposing the glaring discrepancies in the evidence for the prosecution, and positively denying that no hud uttered any abusive words or used the ordor as a punishment, or had apologised or paid compensation to^tho stoker 4s top. He refused to admit that there was anything humiliating in the ord«jr. He had given jt himself for five years, and jejeforo the mutinous outbreak in barraclss had never beard any complaint against it. In his .evidence on oath ho admitted, however, that he was the fipst to use the order in barracks for the purpose" of checking inattention. The court acquitted Lieutenant Collard of using abusive language, but found that by ordering one single man to go on the knee, by ■Way of reproof, contrary to tho custom o£ the Service, ho had committed an act to the prejudice of good order and naval disciiflinc, and adjudged him to bo reprimanded. J'nb'lic opinion will endorse tho vcr.dict, which amounts to no mor.e .than this, that an error in judgment was committed by an officer admittedly extinguished for his .efficiency and devotion to the best interests of the Service.