BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

Evening Post, Issue 51, 29 February 1908, Page 13

BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

SPECTATOR SUMMARY. (For week ending Saturday, 4th January). THE GERMAN LIBEL CASE. The Moltke-llarden case reached its final stage this week. On Monday the evidence of Professor Schwenlnger (Bismarck's physician) and his wife (tho itiece of Count Moltke), which had been U,ken on commission at Munich on Saturday, made it clear that the information on which Herr Harden had chiefly relied had boon furnished by Frau yon Elbe (Count Moltkc's divorced wife) at Professor Schweninger's houEC. Professor Schweninger also narrated what Bismarck had said of Prince Eulenburg's unfitness to bo the confidant of a reigning Sovereign owing to his mystic and dreamy nature. Evidence was also ! given by various relatives of Count jslaltke as to the mendacity and violence of his wife. This was also borne out by two medical experts, and Dr. Hivschfeld who had testified in her bohaif at the previous trial, now ontirely withdrew his opinion, statiirj that it had been basod upon the evidence of Frau yon Elbe, which sho herself had sub sequently withdrawn or altered. He agreod with thu other specialists that there was nothing abnormal about Count Moltke. Dr. Itenbiol, the Public Piosecutor, while admitting that Herr Havden's motives might have been patriotic, maintained that he had done immeasurable harm, and discredited his country abroad. The only evidence that ho could rely on was that of "a sick woman," and, in conclusion, ho demanded a penalty of four months' imprisonment. Herr Hardens counsel, replying for the defence, maintained tlwt there had been no reason for him to doubt the sanity and veracity of ,Frau yon Elbe, and that he had acted solely in the public interest. Ultimately the case was adjourned on Thursday owing to the defendant's absence through illness. REFORM lisF HUNGARY. Two significant declarations bave been made by leaders of the Coalition in Hungary On Saturday last the Premier, Dr. Wekerle, addressing the Houso of Magnates in support of the Quota Agreement, while attributing tho disas trous financial condition of Hungary to misrepresentations of tho Magyar atti> tude, wont on "to say that "economic independence and the right of separate action must not be considered all-im-portant," Suffrage* roform was generally recognised to be a necessity, though he maintained that the question had been raised as a political weapon rather than from its intrinsic necessity. Simul. tancously Count A.ndraßsy issued a circular in which he enjoins on administrative county officials to learn the languages of the inhabitants of their districts, so that they may be able to understand the desires. of the inhabitants and to make administrative measures comprohensible to them. All true friends of Hungary will welcome in this speech and circular indications of a desire to abandon the uncompromising policy of Magyarisation and to return to the saner and more generous principles laid down by Deak. THE INDIAN CONGRESS. Tho Indian Congress at Surat broke up in disorder on Friday week. Dr. Rash Bohari Ghosc, a Bengalee Modeioto, having been nominated as President, tho Extremists stormed the platform and wrecked tho Congress. Tho Moderates have since held a Convention, in which Mr. Lajpat Rai announced his recession from the Extremists and supported tho election of Dr. Ohoso, ,md a committee was formed to reconstitute the Congress on^ its original lines for the ullimato attainment of colonial solfgovoi'nmont by Constitutional means. Dr. Ghose and Sir Phirosshah Mehta both welcome the split on tho ground that it was impossible to work on tho samo platform \Vith tho Extremists. On the other hand, tho Extremists held" a separate meeting at which Mr. Tilak advocated a more advanced policy and charged the Moderates with dragging back tho Congress to please tho Government. He hoped, however, that the split, which was ruinous to both parties, would only bo temporary, and that unity would bo soon restored. Meantime tho majority of the delegates have left Surat, and according to present arrangements it seems likely that two separate Congresses will be held in 1803. Support is lont to this forocast by tho fact that tho Moderates, who claim twothirds of tho delegates, make no recret of their hope that tho elimination of tho Extremists will induce tho Government to extend its help and active patronage to tho reconstituted Congress. . THE POPE AND~THE STATE. Mr. Robert Roll Eend a very interesting letter to Thur&day's Times entitled "The Popo on Good Government." Tho Papal attitude towards the French Stato is not, ho declares, the result of, the Anti-Clericalism of tho present majority in Franco. "The political policy of tho Pope is tho same every where ; it is a deduction from fixed principles, tho application of which, would be as fatal to a Constitutional Monarchy as to a Republic, for they involve trie destruction of political liberties and the control qf tho Stato by a theocracy." These principles tho Popo ha? more thauoneo exposed, but never quito co plaialy as in the courso of his address to th< members of tho Anti-Slavery Congress recently held at Rcmo. On that occasion Mr. Dell_ asserts that tho Pope said: "A Government, in order to govern well, muct bo despotic and tyrannical." "This remark was suppressed in the official report of the address, but its authenticity is vouched for by Signoi Guglichno Quadratto and by others who wore present and heard tho words with their own cars to their profound astonishment." We do not doubt this statement — granted it proves to bo well founded — will bo j a source of great pain to the vast majority of Roman Catholics in this country. It ia yet another sign of how rapidly tho Papacy is drifting out of touch with the rounder and wiser dements in modern lifo. LORD CURZON. A letter from Lord Curzon addressed to tho Irish Peers appeared in Monday's papers in which ho states that, owing to the attitude of the Prime Minister,' ho is a candidate for the vacancy created among the Irieh representative, peers by the recent death of Lord Kilmaine. We l ia vo alicady pointed out failure of i Sir Henry (Jampbell-Banncrman to roaliso that his pinno duty in the matter was to think of the public interest. At tho samo time, we feel bound to express our rogret that Lord Curzon in a moment of irritation, ipt porhaps unnatural, but not, therefore, tho less to be deplored, should have alluded tjubhely to the fact that tho Prime Minister refused his application to bo called to the Houso of Lords. It may bo o!dfashionod, but we confess that we prefer tho tradition of strict reticence in all such matters. That, however, ia a small point, and docs not in tho least alter the merits of tho case. For ourselves, we Einceroly hopo that tho IriGh Peers will elect Lord Curzon. If they do, they will show thomsolvos to have a higiicr pcnse of public duty than tho Prinio Mini&tar.— \Vo admit that if they ohuoso to tako a narrow view of their functions they may argro that Lord Ciuv.on is not an Irishman, and therefore nothing to them, and that they have a right to do what llioy will with

their own, rather than act as trustees for tho higher Interests of ,tho United Kingdom and the Empire, — That Lord Curzon's experience and width of view j in rogard to India will be of fcroat uho in tho House of Lords we do not doubt, though that usefulness need not in any sense be confined to India. Lord Curzon has, we believe, a very thorough grasp of administrative principles generally, and may be volied upon for the depression of sound views whenever questions of military and naval administration of tho first importance come up toi &e f /tlement "ANTLSUICIDE." Tho Salvation Army has issued an interesting report on the woiking of the Anti-Suicido Bureau started by. General Bcoth on 30th December, 1906. The principles on which the scheme was founded v/eie (1) inviolable secrecy ; (2) f rae consultation and advice ; (3) no financial help guaranteed ; and in all 1,125 men a id 95 women appK^d to the London bureau. Most of tho applicants bej longed to the middle classes, and tho j majority of the women had had a good education. More than fifty per cent of tho men applicants attributed their distress to financial embarrassment or poverty, oleven per cent, to drink, drugs, and disease, and twentyI one per cent, to accidents, sickness, and j other misfortunes. Two-thirds of tho women wei'e suffering from melancholia caused by money worries and the like, and tho remainder from drugs and drink. In regard to tho method of treatment, General Booth observes that each applicant has had to be treated on his or her merits. Monetary help, though not guaranteed, has often been given, and in Eonift cases with the best results. l?or the rest, sympathy, prayer and encouragement have always i>eon useful ; while in the case of those v/hoso trouble has been due to criminal transactions, tho general rule has been to awaken the wrongdoer to the consciousness of wrong, and to encourage confession and restitution. General Booth summarises the rosults by stating that seventy-fivo per cent, of tho applicants have been diverted from their intentiun, and helped "either out of, or through, or on to the top of, their circumstances" ;' arid he claims that the bureau meets a groat need and may be made a />;reat succces. A DEFENDER OP^OATTLE-DKIVING. Wo publish in another column a letvt=;* from Mr. Gwynn» tht- Nationalist M.P. for Galway, in which he attempts to deferd cattle-driving as in no sense involving cruelty. Does Mr. Owynn really believe, and expect us to believe, that tho cattle like being driven, and that the raon who drive them are careful, as ho seems to suggest, that thore shall be no suflering to the unfortunate creatures, who are thrashed along highwayb and through villages, and are left out all night when they have beon driven far enough? The cattlo, being dumb, cannot, of course, tell their sufferings ; nor I ia thero, as a rule, direct physical tcstiI mony to torture, such as when they are houghed or their tails aro cut off. ]\evertheless, the state of the animals after they have been driven, their exhaustion, and the deterioration in their condition show unquestionably what they have endured. Thore is plenty of evidence to bo found of the injury dono to the beasts, and therefore as to tho sulfering inflicted, in tho Irish nowspapers and in tho official reports. Take, as an example of many, a report made by Sergeant Plower, R.1.C., 6f Milltown, on 12th i November, 1907. Speaking of tho con- ! dition of tho sheep and cattlo driven off a farm, he states: — "Some of the cheep wero lamed -and appeared tired and worn-out looking, and tho wool shaggy. The cattlo, which I was after- ! wares informed belonged to Michael Connor, wero tired and worn looking, and one of them was lnmo and appeared to be roughly handled." A CAUTIOUS" POLICY. , No doubt such treatment seems hu< mane if it is compared with that of the thirteen bullocks who wero lately burnt nlivo, on a farm in Wostraeath, and with the malicious, injuries and mutilations which are still constantly reported from Ireland. For example, we note among_ the list of successful claims for compensation for malicious injuries in recent months tho following: — Mutilation of a mare on 17th or 18th September in Kerry ; burning to death of three heifers 15th or 16th Jnno, also in Kerry; loss of a bullock by maiming in Gahvay; mutilation of v cow aud calf in CJare. Later in the year, but not yet adjudicated on, aro claims for tho cutting of the tails of three bullocks at Cooloshull, for the stabbing in several places of a mare at Jiroughal, and for the maiming and houghing of a filly in Cloneybeg. In truth, it is an impossible ta.sk to whitewash the Nationalists in the matter of outrages to animals. We have not forgotten, if Mr. Gwynn has, tho words which Mr. John Dillon usod twenty-eight years ago when speaking at kildare on 16th August, 1880:— "In the county of Mayo, 0 where the organisation is pretty strong, we have many a farm lying idle, for which no rent cpu be drawn, and there they shall Iio; and if the landlord shall put cattle on them, the cattle won't prosper very much." v This quotation is from Iho official rdporb of thu -Queen v. Parnell." What was meant by cattle not prospering very much must havo been perfectly cle,ir to Mr. Dillon's hearers. NO VALID DEFENCE. We aro well awaro that Mr. Gwynn is himself a very humane man, aad no doubt feels as much pain as we do over tho hideous atrocitios of which \V2 have given one or two examples,— examples xyhich unhappily, could ba multiplied literally by hundreds wore we to take tho records of the last twenty-five yeais. it is strange, however, that he does not realise that his attempt to defend (attledviying as humane muiit have the -esu<t of encouraging crime of the kind which ho tells us, and no doub/ quite eincor.lv, that ho abhors. His attempt to shift a portion of the guilt of cattle-m-noiin^ on to the polite is ludicrous. Even if a single case, or two or threo cj-.-es, coulci be proved, it would not alter the terriblo fact that diabolical cruelty to animals has dogged the steps of the National movement, and that such outrages havo received national encouragement either through thfe silence of the Nationalist leaders, or else through such words as those wo have quoted from Mr. Dillon's speech. Mr. Dillon is, no doubt, also a humane man in private I life, but that does not clear him from tho disgrace of being willing to reap the political advantages that enn be derived from cattle-maiming and catilod riving. TVe confess that we very greatly prefer the attitude of those who say boldly that they do not care whether tho cattle sulfcr or not so long as an olfective blow is dealt in the land war, to tho sophistical pleas made use of by Mr. Gwynn.