BY THE WAY

Evening Star, Issue 16909, 5 December 1918, Page 7

BY THE WAY

[By Cabel Cuoas.]

It is said there is still a strong feeling in Germany in favor Of the ox-Kaiser. No doubt those who stand to lose most by tho revolution would welcome, the reinstatement of tho bulwark of _ their privileges, tho guarantee of their _ predomine'nee and prestige. The higher castes must be buzzing about hi a most distracted way, like a hivo of bees that has lost its queen. They have been i so long accustomed to tho reverence and j "odly fear of the multitude that it is no wonder if they feel that the bottom ! has dropped out of human affairs. But '■ things have gone too far to afford any hope of a re-crudescenco of tho old Potsdam regime. If the Kaiser were restored to-morrow, ho would hardly know either himself or Germany. Ho could never accommodate himself, to tho now conditions brought about bv his criminal follv. The spell is broken. He has had his "run, and it is now the people's turn, and they will see they get it. Moreover, even supposing that the reaetionary forces were strong enough to prevai., they could never replace the chains that have been cast off. At most they could onlv succeed in cleaving the population into violently hostile and irreconcilable camw. whose antipathies would, keep the country in a state of continual turmoil. On the other hand, It will be an ill day for Germany if the Empire is resolved into half-a-dozen or more independent republics. That would bo a reaction indeed that would go a long way to restore the condition of things that existed prior to the Confederation of North German States in 1867. It would revive old animosities, and recall tho mournful period when, while other nations were appropriating the immense territories of the earth that only awaited the agriculturalist, the past oralis t and tho trader, tho crowd of German .States were so cngTossed in local rivalries and squabbles that that the seas were almost as destitute of German keels as they are to-dav. Such a restoration of the old disabling conditions would mean tho ruin of Bismarck's monumental life-work, and there could be no permanence in it. That immense achievement would all have to bo done over again, with no series of successful and enormously profitable wars to supply the heat necessary for tho welding. Indeed, it is quite conceivable that disruption might ultimately lend to war to bring about the United States of Germany. Bavaria is taking a very decided part, and is revealing -something of her oh! animosity against Prussia. In tho war between" Prussia and Austria in 1866 Bavaria fought on the side of Austria, and had to pay Prussia £3.000,000, am! cede some strips of territory. As Bismarck anticipated, tho victories of 1870 " dissolved many prejudices," brought such substantial gains, and invest*! Prussia with, such glory that the four States of Southern Germany readily consented to join the Confederation. The Grand-Duchies of Baden and HesseDarmstadt led the way. but the Kingdoms of Bavaria and Wurtemburg presented a more difficult problem on account of their dignity and importance. But Bismarck was equal to_ the occasion, and, though with special privileges, these last outstanding States entered the Federation which united all Germany. But that was not enough. The term " Confederation" suggested the idea of the old disunion, and the glories recently achieved were felt to have struck tho note of Imperialism, and to demand some worthy and commensurate, political syir.bolisation. The mood of the country was all for a German Kaiser. William 1., as King of the predominant State, to whose military organisation ar.d efficiency tho victory was mainly due. was unanimously chosen fcr the Imperii!! disrnity. but derlined it from a sense of loyalty to his fellow-sovereigns, bean;: willing to aicoept only at their special request. It was at this juncture that Ludwig, Kins of Bavaria, acting tip tho spokesman of the efh°r Princ?s. overcame William's scruples, and thus removed the last obstacle to tho proclamation of the German Empire. Last week I had a note on A. M. Pooley's ' Japan at the Cross Roads.' It is an arrestine book, and reveals many a curious parallel with Hohsnzoilern Germany. A few extracts in illustration may be acceptable. A few years ago Baron Oitra, Minister of Home Affairs, daclared : '" That the majesty of our Imperial House towers high abovo everything to bo found in tho world, audi that it is as durable as heaven and earth, is too well known to need dwelling on here. If it is considered, that our country neeecls- a religious faith, then, I .-ay. let it bo converted into a belief in the religion of . patriotism and loyalty, tho religion of Imperialism—in other words, to Emperor worship." Says the author : " Woo to the official who dares to even smell of heterodoxy. Woe to tho man, woman, or child who presumes to think contrary to the <<n?ed of the bureaucracy. Thorny is the path of the professor who strays from the orthodox, and dares to investigate for himself." Pent to Europe to prospect for ;i C-onstitntion, Marquis Ito spent a whole year examining the "political conditions in England. America, France, Belgium, and Germany. His enthusiasm for the English way of doing things could not survive the discovery that power lay entirely with the people. But "in Berlin he found something extremely to his liking," and when ho got b"ack to Japan it was tho Bismarckian Constitution that he had ever in mind -whan he and bis carefully-selected colleagues set to work on a Constitution for Japan. These collaborators—.reactionary clansmen, aristocrats, and officials—did their work only too well, the result, " far from being an instrument of freedom and progress, emerging as a document cloaking under fine language and empty phrases the traditional policies of tho Shogamate and the oligarchy which ruled in its place. The representative institutions provided for in the Constitution are absolutely bogus in practice." "Tho principal duty of the Japanese people under the Constitution is to elect representatives to say 'Yes' to tho Government." ******* " A couple of years ago a very prominent lawyer who has "held high office in America was banqueted by a barrister's club in Tokyo, and presented with a copy in English of the Constitution, with jtto's commentaries thereon. A day or two afterwards he met one of his hists and said to him, ' I have read tliat book of lie's with great p!c.""'ire and greater interest. There is one thing I wish you to enlighten me on . Where do the people come in in your Constitution ! ' 'Ah ! ' and the Tokyo lawyer smiled, ' that's tho clever point in our Constitution. They don't como in at all, in practice. It's what you call 'a bone without marrow.' " Of tho great statesman, Prince Yamagata, who Tin-" wielded such immense power in Japanese politics, it has been said that his " acknowledged policy has been the repression of public opinion, consistent and determined opposition to popular representation, the development to the uttermost of bureaucratic government, and control by the military party of tKe colonies. * *' He " the people as a regiment to bo drilled, and the axistoorsiis as tho only ruUng clara." We shall hear more and more of Japan, perhaps in some respects as much as will satisfy ua. She has been called the England of the East, but she has a long and "toilsome and dangerous way to travel before she has justified that designation. It would. be very much more in harmony with her actual condition to call her the Germany of the East. She is, however, our staunch ally, and whan her time of storm and stress comes, as come it will, when tho slowly-evolving democratic forces have reached their majority, and knock loudly at tho door of" the Government and _ demand a hearing, it may be the privilege of Great Britain and' America to help to make her pathway plain, and to see her safely through a peaceful transition, if they have not too much on Jjand tbem?*uves.

i _ 15ie Labor platform for tho coming electionsat Homo covers so much ground that one is boiuid to find something in it to j agree with. But these Labor manifestoes always irritate mo by their smug phari- , aaism and tho airy peremptoriness with which orders aro * issued, as if nothing could bo easier than carrying them out, their wisdom meanwhile being taken on credit. Ono gets tired of this aggressive frivolity of Labor in dealing with big questions, and devoutly wishes it would condescend to think about them and try to help tho community by suggesting- a few workable principles and methods. Take tho land question, for instance, which I agxeo is the crux of all economic reform. 'J'ho only material asset of a country is j tho _ bit of '.he planet it occupies. It is against all reason that that precious asset, I which can never be increased, should be . allowed to get into tho hands of private I indivduals. If it is eo allowed, the owners j of tho land have, in tho nature of things, jan absolute whip over those who own I none, and .ire hound to pi'osner with tha 'prosperity of ths country, the whole of : the national activities going to augment | their wealth. In New' Zealand, for in- : stance, we have no moral right to part with tho freehold. ,We do not own the country; we are but the present occupiers who, while using the, country f:>r our own life r.iKl happiness, aro stewards of tho heritage of millions yet unborn. Hence tho vrontr involved in private ownership and the riiling of the mineral wealth of a country for private gain. Now, among other things, t*ho Labor election programme demands tho nationalisation of land and mines. But tho moment the question is looked at seriously it is scon to bristle with, difficulties which to many mean the impossibility of doing anything. Land has always been a marketable commodity, and many of its present owners have paid its full "present value How is all alienated land to bo resumed by the Government, so that the publie estate may be held and handed down for the public benefit? Can Labor, that specialises on this particular demand, inform us? Surely we are not face to face with the idea of a wholesale and violent confiscation! The reckless and irresponsible way in which Labor shouts its demands makes me at times impatient for tho coming of just some Huch economic experiments—say, a full-rigged Socialism that will exhaust the long catalogue of demands put forward in the nam© of Labor. And for this reason : that it would put rig up against realities, and by tho Jiaid logic of facts slop the clamor of men who have no sense of tho limitations that belong to everything human under every conceivable arrangement. It would mercifully not only do away with Capitalism, but also with Labor as an organisation. Everybody would then belong to Labor, end wo should be rid of all tho snarling, suspicion, and ugliness that go so far to disurb and spoil industrial relatifins now. There would be no class to strike against; discontent would ibiurieh; strikes would bo illegal, as a blow at the public interest and an act of mutiny and rebellion. * * * # * * # Wanted, married people to whom Providence has denied the happiness of parenthood to open their hearts and their homes to little orphans suddenly bereft of fathers and mothers through the epidemic. The parental instinct goes to the very roots of life and happiness, and where, it is denied its rightful satisfaction a supremely important department of joy and discipline is wanting to experience, "and the instinct itself tends to atrophy like a disused muscle. 'Fortunately, however, it is frequently so strong that it exercises itself in a beautiful way upon tho children of others. At other times childlessness acts in ways that are not so lovely, and that need not be specified But hero is a. deiinito call to the rest human feelings. It is not enough to sav that there aro plenty of recognised institutions to -care for tho fatherless and mciherless boys and :rirls. Such institutions axe jrre_at blessings, n.nd all honor to tho men iind women who, epidemic or no epidemic, are every day of every week putting heart and brain into the work. But you, and you, and you! Why not be a father or mother to one of these little on.:s '! You would not believe how soon a little child cast upon your kindness and care can find your heart. No doubt you think you see difficulties, but ifyou have the heart-hunger, and are still young enough to undertake such a new responsibility, pray consider the call.