The Evening Star TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1916.

Evening Star, Issue 16092, 18 April 1916, Page 4

The Evening Star TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1916.

It has taken nearly twenty-one months of this most cruel, farA Peace reaching, and foul war that Means to bring the great Disaster. majority of mankind to

a realisation of - what such war means to themselves as individuals. The measure of our ignorance has been the measure of German success. What has kept this world in which we find ourselves safe, and that has so far beat back its return to that condition of pure brute savagery which men unite to call primeval, is that with every fresh aggressive movement and every new declaration of intention from Germany there has almost simultaneously sprung into being • fresh evidences of the universal horror and. indignation that fin the hearts of men and women, as well as of their determination that this vile thing which has sprung upon them from the darkness of the Pit shall no longer be. Mankind as we have known it, and as we believe it still is,' could not continue to exist side by side with Germany. As well might we look for a compromise between that which is good and that which is evil, between that which is of God and that which is of the Devil. This is why Lord Bryce told the Franco-British Inter-parliamentary Committee in Paris that "there will not and cannot be any "separate peace. No free nation can "make any compromise with a Govern- " ment like that of Germany. A Europe "at peace cannot co-exist with such a "Government"; and why the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs (M. Sazonoff), in the fire of his righteous wrath, declared :

Prussianism is so vilo a thing that we dare not leave its destruction to a hypothesis. England, France, Russia .are responsible now for the future of Europe, which means the future of civilisation, the fate of the world. We can, and we shall, destroy Prussianism. It may take a long time. We are prepared for that. But no inconclusive peace' No peace with a risk attached to it. Prussiamsin, which .is a deadly poison, must be flung clean out of trie human body. We dare not leave it there to work once more for the destruction of

nations. And this, too, we may add, is why the average Briton, when he reads the loathsome sentiments and insinuations that are permitted to have free utterance in the House of Commons and in the Press, through the lips of our Snowdens, Maedonalds, Trevelyans, and ronsonbys, is tempted to question whether the British Empire deserves to win. It is only by mentally separating and distinguishing these moral perverts from that Empire that we are able to attain that serenity of mind it is desirable we should ceaselessly strive to make ours.

_ We repeat that it has taken the majority of our fellows everywhere many months to secure a firm foothold in a rapidly-changing world, and among the tottering foundations of much ° that hitherto they have regarded as being as firmly established as are the everlasting hills. To the few such hesitancy and doubt have appeared more tlian strange. For if there be one thing of which there can be no doubt it is the war itself. This, as Mr Lloyd George long ago said, is the supreme fact, as it is tho supreme outrage, of all. The sack of Belgium is a fact, the sinking of the Lusitania, and of dozens of other passenger steamers is a fact, and the murder of Misß Cavell is a fact (so, not improbably, is tho alleged conferring by a university of the degree of "Doctor of Divinity" upon her murderer, General V o n Bissing, a fact), but we grow restive and feel ourselves inhabitants of a strange and fearful world—poor gropers in the dark, seeking vainly for a ray of mental light—when -we hear of men \vho question these things, who ask for "scientific demonstrations," who boast of their neutrality, or who—may the. All-merciful Father forgive! them !—have dared to defend them. We are advised that there were at least some parents in Dunedin who declined to let their children subscribe to the Nurse Cavell ambulance fund that the editor of this journal recentlv raised with such signal success because Miss Cavell was not a heroine. A heroine, said these unhappy souls, is one who does that which is right, and admittedly Miss Cavell had disobeyed the law.

We do not propose to re-examine the question Who began the war ? The question, in our judgment, and with the evidence that is open to the world, is not only fatuous but an insult to our intelligence. Yet at the same time it is one that will continue to be asked by the myriad multitude who know not whereof (hey speak. For many months the great Republic of the United States has fared badly in the eyes of the world. Her misfortune has been in having as her official head and authoritative voice a President wlio permitted himself to be swayed between two opinions. Mr Wilson was as certain as was his great opponent and censor, Mr Roosevelt, which was ;;he side of national honor and individual duty, and which was that of dishonor and personal deterioration, and the greater half of his Presidential term has been spent _in endeavoring to keep clear oi_.both.

It was an impossible undertaking. No President lias been the subject of more vulgar vilification in Germany and among American-Germans at home) than has Mr Wilson, and no President has failed so utterly- to reflect the beat American thought and to gain the moral and intellectual support of the beat people. That a majority of his countrymen approve and applaud him for keeping the country out of the- war is possibly true. But none knows better than President Wilson that majorities are not everything, and that they certainly cannot decide moral issues. Thp' American university professors, lawyers, politicians, bishops, writers, judges, and) others who have signed and sent a manifesto to Britain wishing her and her Allies "God-speed," and praying that they may free civilisation from the eurso of Prussian militarism—these number only 600, and the Presidential electoral roll runs into the millions. Y«t no thoughtful man or'woman doubts which is the side of right. Thero is a certain cardinal abroad in Belgium to-day who is the overlord of a dis_persed and ravaged flock, who lias watched his faithful priests torn from him, and knows that their poor bodies have been hacked to death, who lias seen the altars of tho Most High, at which ho and they were wont to minister, polluted and destroyed, and of whom tho German gutter Press to-day refers as " this same "cardinal who from the very beginning "has shown so hateful an attitude to- " wards the Hermans''—who stands forth to-day, stripped and shorn as he is, more reverenced and esteemed in the eyes nob alone of his harried people, but of Christendom, for the quite simple reason that, rejecting overtures, he dared to denounce the German Kaiser and his Huns for what they were and am To President Wilson was given tho like opportunity to choose, and his choice was on the side, of silence, of strict neutrality, and of being too proud to fight. We do not envy his feelings, but we do rejoice that that America of which we so seldom hear has at least placed itself on record and given its judgment upon this most unprovoked and wicked war.

Under this caption we discussed recently tho proposed nonsensical "The Parish/ renaming of many streets Pump." within Greater Punedin,

and urged, along with indignant ratepayers, that the municipal authorities should reconsider the amazing schedule, and make a new selection wholly free from petty vanity. Not that there was any objection nt the time to the agreeable |n'actice of honoring distinguished men awl rewarding (even in so cheap a manner) honorable service. And we would still give to the. City Council as guidance in the "difficult task" of renaming many ill-named streets Carlyle's sage advice: " Find great men if you can ; if you can- " not, still quit not the search; in defect " of great men, let there be noted men, " in such number, to such degree of jn- " tensity as the public appetite can toler- " ate." Can it lie contended seriously that even a long, earnest, and quite an honorable association with parochial government (some people unkindly call it municipal muddling) produces distinguished men or constitutes a service worthy of permanent reward ? Surely not. The fact that the City Council have not hesitated to propose the abolition of names of local men that once were municipally distinguished proves that they know at heart that civic greatness is no more than as froth of the sea.

It should be acknowledged however, that the council, in deference to protest, have certainly improved the proposed schedule of names which will be submitted to the meeting of the municipal authorities to-morrow night for confirmation as a special order, and have eliminated a considerable proportion of the ridiculous clement in the original list. It is a. great improvement, for example, to substitute Patmos street for Murphy road, which was previously submitted in lieu of the satisfactory name of Bishop's road, although it is possible that the thoroughfare in question may yet, by popular abbreviation, become akin to a good Irish name—Pat street. Granted that the revised schedule is an appreciable advance on the original list, there is still scope for further improvement. There is, for instance, a marked tendency to discard regal names. Kings and queens appear to have gone out of favor. Why not pay tribute to King Albert of Belgium, a typically bravo man and a genuine fighting monarch—representing a nation that has actually saved Europe from the destructive Hun? It is strange, too, that the wonderful alliance of nations against the enemies of freedom has not inspired the municipal nomenclators. Why not have an "Entente Drive"? We shall havo it in Europe some day, never fear. The.most regrettable feature of the partial revision of the council's schedule is the obstinate adherence 'to Green street and Wilson street for a part of the Main North road and a part of the Main South road respectively. Undoubtedly the services of the councillors whom the council delight to honor havo been excellent, but tho excellence should be recognised in another way. Main roads will always be best known and most easily followed by their respective directions. To the south by the Main South road, to the north by the .Main North road, not by Wilson street and Green street, should be tho only guidance of travellers. There is keen opposition to tho proposed alterations in respect to these principal thoroughfares, and the council ought to refer the schedule back to the responsible committee for further revision. We desire to emphasise the objection of North-east Valley residents at the annual meeting of householders last night, and to urge the council to consider tho desire of the people in preference to the delight of individuals. It is to be regretted, too, that the council apparently did not keep faith with the Otago Early Settlers' Association, whose interest in street nomenclature is earnest and fitting. The City Council will do well to defer confirmation of the proposed schedule of street names, and have a third " shot at it." The third time is lucky.

The Polar exploring vessel Aurora, lying at Rattray street wharf, was electrically lit last niglit and visited by a number of persons who paid a small fee- for the privilege, the proceeds on this and previous inspections being in aid of the Red Cross funds. Over £l5O has been thus raised in Dunedin during the Aurora's short stay. Early in the evening the Dunedin Male Choir went to the ship and gave Captain Stuihou.se and his crew a sing-song. As tho singers made a rather large party and the accommodation on the decks is limited, a stage was rigged up in the adjoining shed, and there the concert went on till 10 o'clock, when the skipper asked the performers aboard for supper. "About a.'month ago I suggested the idea of having a hostel or sort of Union Jack Club for Australian and New Zealand soldiers in Cairo, where they could go and get a decent bed and breakfast when on leave," says General Godley, in a letter to the Minister of Defence. "I am glad to say the idea has been taken up. A building has been secured, and I hope it will soon be a going concern. It will be a great boon to many men." Th"s item of information was announced by the Defence Minister, wires our Wellington correspondent.

Mr Paulin's forecast:—S.E. to ■ N.E winds and fine.

At 8 o'clock this morning the tug Dunedin caught hold of the Antarctic ship, the Aurora, and commenced to pull her down to Port Chalmers. There the Aurora is' to be dismantled, putting out her gear and stores into John Mill and Co.'s shed. According to present arrangements the vessel is to stay at Port Chalmers till October. Prior to leaving for the Antarctic she will be put into the smaller dock, thoroughly examined for structural strain, supplied with a new rudder, and made in every way seaworthy. Port Chalmers has a reputation for doing such jobs well, and as Mr John Mill is personally interesting himself in the matter we may be suro that the Aurora will get all she wants in the way of examination and outfit. Nobody can tell, until her lower streaks are oxposed, what repairs are necessary as tho result of her being pinched stem and stern in tho ice. It Avas a very disquieting state of affairs on board when under the pressure of Bft thick floes the mam deck visibly hogged six or seven inches. In that fix, tho crew blessed the faithfulness of tho British shipwrights who had specially strengthened the vessel's frame. Captain Stenhouse proposes to pay a visit to the Bluff this week, and whilst there ho is to pay off one of the hands who is leaving for Australia.

The Rev. "W. Scorgie, Moderator of tho Presbyterian General Assembly, went to Chnstchurch to preach at the anniversary services of St. Andrew's Church, of which the Rev, A. Thomson is minister, and tho collections for the day amounted to £615. The annual meeting of the Otago and Southland Presbyterian Synod, opening to-night, is the jubilee meeting, the first having been held in 1866. The Rev. Alex. M'Donald (of Otautau) is the Moderator, and the Rev. A. M. Finlayson the clerk. Time was when the Synod's sayings and doings were of widespread public interest. Aow, largely owing to the union of the Northern and Southern Churches, this and the other synods throughout the bounds are little more than financial courts. Nevertheless some prestige attaches to the Otago Synod, and the sittings are sure to be of practical service to the Church's interests.

A spring of pure -water flowing right out of the rock at the rate of 6,000 gal a dav was unexpectedly opened up a fortnight ago by the electric digger at Shiel's clay quarry on the hill overlooking Forbury road. Numbers of the neighbors are using this water for table purposes, and the -Messrs Sine] liave been glad to allow them to do so. It has also been noticed that during the recent drought the spring on the second beach at St. Clair was l'reelv patronised by families, who found this supply a godsend at a time when the Citv service was of indifferent quality. For the 22 allotments comprising the Hilderthorpe settlement, about 10 miles north of Oamaru, the full number of applications was as follows:—Three for allotment 4, four for allotment 5, three for allotment 6, three for allotment 8, one for allotment 12, one for allotment 17, ten for allotment 21, and ten for allotment 22. Allotments 21 and 22 are ordinary small farms—-No. 21 containing 209 acres at a half-yearly rental of £43 17s 6d; No. 22 containing 233 acres at a half-vearly rental of £4O 19s. The areas of' the' small allotments range from 9 to 24 acres, and the half-yearly rentals frmu £4 Is to £lO 0s 3d.

Mr I. Glialmer presided over a short meeting of the Dunedin Fire Board yesterday afternoon, Messrs Wilson. St'rouach, and Arkle also attending. The General Committee recommended" the payment of accounts amounting to £643, and reported a credit balance of £4,552. Thenreport was adopted.

In moving the adoption of tho School Committee's annual report at North-east Valley last evening, Air T. Arnold called attention to the fact that out of the 150 names of ex-scholars appearing on the roll of honor 13 had made the supremo sacrifice, and had died for their country's cause. He trusted that at the-termination of the war the names of the fallen heroes would be inscribed upon a, brass plate, let into a stone pedestal/and erected in <"rout of the school, so as to be visible *rom the Main road. Their names are honored, and should be perpetuated. The sugges tion was received with marked approval by the meeting. The Petone Woollen Mills resumed work yesterday morning. The writer of the article on 'Wanted : A Fruit Missionary' desires to gratefully acknowledge a box of strawberries, accompanied by tho necessary sugar and cream. He does not know 'the name of the sender of this gracious sift, and it is as wonderful as it is gracious. It appears to have come from Central Otago. The strawberries Ave re large, luscious—altogether delicious. It is" a marvel to get such fruit at this season of the year. It confirms tho impression made on the writer when he visited the Otago Central some time ago : that the people of Dunedin have no adequate idea of the vast fruit-growing and health-giving possibilities of this district. Some day it will be realised. Only one must ca'ro for the people who are living now and won't be living when the "some day " comes. Meanwhile, the "Fruit Missionary" advocate wishes to thank very heartily the sender of this delightful footnote to his article.

In the Juvenile Court this morning a, 15-year-old boy, on remand, was charged with assaulting a girl, and also with indecent exposure. Chief-detective Bishop said that accused was a boy who wanted to bo put under proper supervision. He. had no control over himself. The lad was committed to the Burnham Industrial School, to be brought up in the Methodist form of religion. A girl of 17, also on remand, was charged with stealing a purse and contents valued at £3 3s 7d, the property of Helen Sparks. The facts were that the giij stole tho purse from tho ladies' waiting room at the railway station. Her mother was dead. His' Worship said that the girl had never had a. chance. Tho Chief Detective: "That is so. She has had no home and no one to care for her." His Worship, convicted the girl and committed her to the Te Oranga Home, C'hristchurch, to be brought up in the Methodist form of religion. Two men were charged with dnmkenness in the Police Court this morning. William Burridge and Timothy Steven Keene were each fined 10s or 24' hours. A nine-year-old boy named Donald Fisher Hutchison had a narrow escape from drowning in the boat harbor at Pelichet Bay yesterday afternoon. He was fishing off a punt, when lie slipped into the water. Another boy gave the alarm, and a Harbor Board employee, Thomas Olsen, got the boy out very little the worse- for his immersion.

Professor Boys-Smith, having submitted *plans for sufficient accommodation of a new Home Science School, the Home Science Committee recommended tho University Council to-day to forward the plans to the Government, together with, a request, for a vote of £7,000 to allow of the work being proceeded with. 'Hie council were further asked to consider whether a, site for the school might be found on Tauna Hill.

Dimedin grocers urged to take united action to induce all housewives to nso No Rubbin<* Laundry Help for washing clothes.—[Advt .J Overheard:' "My word! but Watson's No. 1,0 Whisky is a treat! Must be well maturea.—[Advt.] Speight's ale and stout are acknowledged by tho Dominion public to be the best on the market.—[Advt.] On Wednesday evening a public meeting will be held in the Coronation Ha.ll. giel, in connection with tho Otago Patriotic Association's appeal' on behalf of the woHc of the Y.M.C.A. among the New Zealand troops abroad. The Mayor (Mr A. F. Quelch) will preside, and short, addresses will be given by the Rev. R. S. Gray and Mr H. K. Wilkinson. A first-class musieai programme -vill be presented by well-known Dimedin performers, and it is expected thai a meeting of more than ordinary interestwill reeult.

Watson's No. 10 is a little dearer than most whiskies, but is worth the monev LAdvt] Railway arrangements for the Easier holidays will be found on our front page. No lady should be without Martin's Apiol and Steel Pills. Sold by all chemists and stores throughout Australasia.—fJAdvt.l The principal pastrycooks announce in another column that their premises will be closed 011 Good Friday, Easter .Saturday, orid Easter Monday.