LEADERS' THOUGHTS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 154, 29 June 1912, Page 14

LEADERS' THOUGHTS

PUBLIC QUESTIONS SHOULD A BISHOP TRAVEL? JFHOM O\JR OWN CQBBESPONDENT.] LONDON, 10th May. j The Bishop of London, in hie diocesan address: "Ought the Bishop of London to take any missionary journeys at all? To judge by the remarks of on© who signed himself 'A London Priest* m'big print and the- layman who said ditto in small print, the Bishop has committed a serious offence in going to Khartum. The suffragan bishops, archdeacons, rural deans, and prebendaries who saw him off at Victoria did not seem to think so, nor did the loyal crowd of Church i>eople who greeted him on his return. These journeys are no, holidays. Perhaps it would be better if they were. On the first of the three missionary journeys which I have taken I delivered forty-six sermons and addresses in forty day*. My last expedition, although my mind was refreshed and informed by what I saw, turned out to be one of the most continuous missions I have ever conducted. In regard to my proposed visit to Australia, 1 shall not dream of going unless I have the willing consent of the whole diocese. So far as ritual is concerned, I venture to say that during the whole of my three months* absence not on© thing was done in the dioueso which -would not have been done if I had been present." CERTAIN VICTORY AND IMPOSSIBLE WAR. Mr. Winston Churchill: "At the Admiralty everything contributes and converges on one single object — namely, the development of 'the maximum war power at a given moment at a particular point. What lies behind this development of the force of war power? Behind it lies all our xight and claims for our groat position in 'the' world. Behind it lies all our power to put our own distinctive and characteristic mark upon the unfolding civilisation of mankind. So long as that quality of our civilisation, go long as the patriotism and organisation of our country are sufficiently high to enable ue to produce the maximum of force at a particular point, there is no reason why we should not hand on undiminished to those vvho come after us the great' estate that we have received from those who have gone before. The best way t& make war impossible is to make victory certain — (cfieers)— and I am glad, to be able to assure you that we see no difficulty in maintaining the main securities of the country and in providing an effective margin for our security at all the decisive points, without adding very greatly to the very generous provisions which Parliament has made in tie past year,, and which it will doubtless renew in the years that ar© to come." PAYING OFF OUR DEBTS. Mr. Asquith : "During six years from 1906 the aggregate gross liabilities of this country were reduced from £789,000,000 to £725,000,000, or by £64,000,000 in other words at the rate of £10,500,000 a year. In that period of six years I think we may say, without undue arrogance or self-complacency, that our position and action compare very favourably with those of any other European State, What has happened , elsewhere during the same period? The debts of France and Italy nave been reduced respectively by £17,000,000 and £8,000,000, while that of Germany has been increased by £83,000,000 and that of Austria by £112,000,000. Ido not want to enter into any controversial topics, but Ido not think, if we compare our action with that of any other nation, we have any reason to be ashamed. I do not urge that as a reason for slackening or relaxing our efforts, for I hold that the _ reduction and redemption of debt in time of peace is one of the first duties incumbent upon me. .... But rarely in the experience or memory of any of us have the relations between capital and labour been more severely strained. May I say in all seriousness that the recurrence of incidents such as these make 3 it our duty to look beneath the surface, not to be dazzled or misled by mere figures or averages, to distinguish between the money and the real value of advances, whether in wages or profits, and, above all, to study our economic fabric, not piecemeal, but as a whole."