NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 3778, 3 May 1919, Page 2

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

President of Presidents

According to hint sent by the cableman from Paris, President Wilson is to have a world-honour bestowed upou him—President of the League of Nations at its first session, to he held in Washington. , The head of the American nation' has boon living in Ibe midst of European diplomacy and learning of foreign affairs at first hand during recent weeks. As head )f tho League ho will be ablo to lake further course in Foreign Affairs, through tho appointment of Sir James Eric Drunimond as Secretary of the League , carrying an allowance of U 10,000 per annum—i',3ooo salary and CoOOO for expenses.

An Experienced Secretary, Secretary Drumnioiid has not only much experience in Foreign Affairs, but be is very highly connected, beng the heir presumptive of the Earl of Perth ami married to a daughter d au c((ir.d!y ancient bruise, the Barmy of Merries. So that tbe social • id'o of (be League will be well looked liter In (be hands of the Drummonds. ■jir James, who is only -.12 years of ige, has been ou tho stall' of the British Foreign Ollice for IU years, soon rising to the position of privato socre'ary to the Minister (Sir Edward Grov.) Ho showed such talent in his work that from 19.12 to IfJlu ho acted us one .of Premier Asquitb's prival-o secretaries. Then he went back to the post of secretary t<> the Minister oT Foreign AIL-iirs ' (latterly Mr A. J. Oalfoiir.) "Explorations in Civilisation." Randolph Bedford is one of the best known men in Australia, as he is probably tho most versatile. A lew years ago during one season of tho year in Sydney, he put up a record: a three-act melodrama. ("The Unseen Eyo") was played in ono of the theatres, the Lono Maud was running n Bedford novel as a social, tho Bulletin was publishing a series of his stories, .and two of the Sydney daily papers were publishing liodfordian couj tribulious. Ho had been a successful j explorer of Unknown Australia, an adventurer in mining prospects, a i member of Parliament, and a member of that exclusive and expensive body, the Sydney Stock Exchange. The many New Zealand admirers of bis literary work will be happy in >\\e intimation that Mr Bedford has gathered together his story contributions of the past, and they are to be published between the covers of books. I'lio first of these. "Explorations in Civilisation," is to hand from Angus ■md Robertson, of, Sydney (Carthew and Son). This book comprises 210 pages of tbe impressions of tho big Australian during his travels in the Old World during 1901 to 11)01, originally contributed to the Sydney Bulletin. F.vevy letter from historic places in Europe is tbrillingly• impressionistic and alive with tho cleverness if IL Bedford. Tv those who have in view a visit to England and Europe we strongly recommend "Explorations in Civilisation" as part of the '.'(iiipment wauled „n t U(J voyage.