TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 108, 8 May 1909, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Yesterday the versatile Mr. Roosevelt was a slayer of lions Mr. Roosevelt in Africa ; to-day he and is counsellor to the the Japanese, lions of his own country. A cable message shows that the ex-President's thoughts are not solely confined* to the "big game" of the African wilderness ; he has an eye for the big game of international politics. Hence between the chronicles of his prowess among the wild beasts comes a note of cautious advice to his countrymen. He has dictated a safe policy for the nation to ensure a proper respect for the starspangled banner in the Pacific. Impetuous California, not long ago, was eager to quarrel with Japan, and it required some firmness on the part of the Federal father to curb the ti-ouble-some State child. Japan smilingly declaTed that she trusted in the "traditional friendship" between the two 'countries, for which she had last year's convention as a guarantee, and she graciously overlooked the scowls and howls of California. Mr. Roosevelt counselled commonsense to the extreme anti-Asia-tics in the West. He clearly saw that it would not suit xVmerica to be embroiled with Japan, and Nippon, too,' for that matter, was rather constrained to offer the other cheek than the other fist. Mr. Roosevelt pleaded for sanity then, and asks for it now. He strongly requests that Japan should be given a chance to control the outflow of cheap labour to the American Pacific coast, and if Japan was unable to keep the stream within bounds, then it would be America's task to dam back the current. That is a line of argument of which Japan must admit the reasonableness, -ill*. Roosevelt goes further. He says, practically, that a Dreadnought's whisper is more revered than a politician's roar, and he therefore urges his country to continue the building of fighting ships. These, he contends, will be necessary to safeguard the .American domination of Panama, and protect American interests 'abroad. The interests of the United States are world wide ; therefore, hints Mr. Roosevelt, the power of the United States must be world wide. He desires the United States to be strong enough to hold their own, and an access of naval strength to the United States should not bo altogether distasteful to Great Britain or those parts of the Empire in thesu southern seas. They are out; the " anti-conscription-ists" have Tho taken the " Anti-Conscriptionists." field against tho nationalists. Tho Dofonco Leaguers are preparing to induce tho people to have a care tor their own safoly, mid the enemy, including a " thin red lino " of " classcenscious cosmopolitans," is eager to give the masses a sleeping draught to hold them in their lothargy through all the years. It is not necessary to meet the hemblance of argument that was voiced ar the little meeting last night. Practically the contentions amounted to — " we have no country to defend ; we have no hemes to guard." It would be futile to argue with disputants of that character, but one may feel some surprise at seeing Mr. D. M'Laren, AI.P., in such company. He is associated with at least tbiee " straight out; cosmopolitan international revolutionary class-conscious Socialists " on a committee which hopes to be a Canute with power to order back

the tide of reasonable patriotism. We hnve admired the development of thoughtfulness and common-senße in Mr. M'Laren ii rocent years, but Ms utterance last night showed that he has suffered a relapse on the question of military training al,a 1 , any rate. "I am sure we all feel the serious responsibilities cast upon us in tackling this job," he said. We are sure the "job" must weigh heavily on two or three of Mr. M'Laren's committee comrades, whose voices have often 'disturbed the air roundabout the Queen's Statue, Mr. M'Laren' s logic was no better than the cause with which he has identified himself. He opposed compulscry training, he said, because he "believed it led on to comptil6ory service,and frorri that to conscription. HemigM as well have said that he opposed tk^r manufacture of hemp, because hemp led; t:> rope, and rope to the gallows. Opponents of military training seem to raisunderstnnd the objects of the advocates but when they go to the Town HajFthey may have some of their misapprehensionsr removed. For two years at least the Wellington nr .-x -no Scenep y Preservation Must it Die? Society has been at the . . point of "death from inanition. The drink of popular sympathy has been denied, and the bread of the City Council has been barely enough to keep body aud soul together A very wide field, the almost forsaken lown Belt, grey and scarred, awaits the -society's labours, but the food necessary for the maintenance of that bodys energies is all too meagre, .therefore once more a motion to enable the organisation to sadly end its days will be brought up at the annual meeting, but we hope that the members will be filled with "the glory of going on and not dying." They have accomplished something in life, in spite of the starvation diet, but what can they hope to do in death? There is much excuse for the complaints voiced in the report, published in another column, but the outlook is perhaps not so hopeless as it has been pictured lwelve months ago, when the society's life was saved by a vote or two,' we gave an opinion that the few who wished to see a city beautiful would need to. raise their voices more in public places. The enthusiasts in other cities make a, stir; they compel attention; they talk forcefully about life, and scorn the notion of death. The press has constantly and consistently fought for the beautifiers, but how many people have come forward to beat up the city and shake it out of its daydream? We strongly counsel the Scenery Preservation Society to be a selfpreservation society. The new Mayor has unmistakably announced his desi*e to reduce the ugliness of the city's surroundings. Instead of departing this life so mournfully the society should go to Dr. Newman for some healthful medicine ; no doubt he has a good phial full for the members, guaranteed to send them forth with renewed vigour for the campaign against apathy. By cable six weeks ago we had particu- . lars of the great strike Paris and the of post and telegraph Pigeon-Post. workmen, which temporarily paralysed the services in Paris. It was a local difficulty, and the postal services in other parts of the Republic were not seriously deranged. There was a certain amount of cutting of wires and other destruction of property; but the Government took decided measures and the movement collapsed. To-day's news indicates that the trouble is not over, for a new union has *been organised, and the Government threatens to prosecute the leader's. Correspondents of the London press generally agree that the men had genuine grievances j but the first duty of the Administration was obviously to maintain the discipline of the department and prevent the paralysis of business which must follow a stoppage of the mails. It is reported that the men had much sympathy both on the part of the people and of Parliament, but that they were jeopardising their interests as regards the latter. The London postmen forwarded £1000 in aid of the strike. How far, if at all, the grievances have been redressed does not appear; but it is clear that there is still a serious feeling of discontent. In cases of emergency, a pigeon service, such as is now in contemplation, has proved a valuable auxiliary, though necessarily uncertain. - It was specially useful during the siege of Paris,, in the Franco-Prussian war, when it was almost the sole means of communication with the beleaguered crty. At the best, however, it is a very costly and inadequate substitute for a regular postal service. During the siege, it was customary to reduce a. large sheet of miscellaneous communications to a micro.scopic scale by means of photography, so that a single sheet of thin paper might contain scores of letters. It is to be hoped that conference and mutual concession will issue in a good understanding. The dove of industrial peace wi)l bring about more satisfactory and lasting results than the carrier-pigeon.