JOHN BULL, REFORMER.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 45, 4 February 1911, Page 1 (Supplement)

JOHN BULL, REFORMER.

Our Foreign Office has given Persia warning that if order is npt restored within six months a British force will occupy the southern portion of the country for the purpose of keeping open the trade routes between India and the Persian Gulf, and to>afford due protection to those using these great highways of commerce. Evidently. John Bull is in for. another tough piece of work. At present, we cannot send our goods to India .by the "Persian routes caving to the fact that the freebooters of that country are continually raiding the caravans and plundering the trains, that portion of the country being, indeed, in a state of anarchy. John Bull has said flatly that he cannot allow- his valuable interests tn be trifled with in this manner, and that if. Persia will not do its own cleaning work he will step in and do it himself-

Now, the world realises one thing—that whenever John takes any matter of this sort in hand, he makes a thorough good job of it, and he is in no hurry to quit. Other cotintries are wondering how long the Persian cleanup will Itot, if he begin?. John Bull always has some bother or other on hand, and he has tackled bigger jobs in the way ef reforming nations than any other Power. As a reformer he has been decidedly successful, though it is doubtful whether he has not received more kicks than ha’pence. It is very rarely that gratitude is shown him by the nations he has befriended, while the Continental peoples are never tired of holding him up to contumely for what they te rm b“ rank impertinence in interfering with other people’s affairs. True, other countries have taken a hand from time to time in putting other nation’s houses in order but the bulk Of the work has ever been done by stout old John. Egypt- was in a deplorable state when John decided to do a bit of springcleaning. The country was hopelessly bankrupt the population had been terribly lessened by war and famine, and altogether the country appeared to be ruined. France agreed it was time that someone stepped in to put matters on a proper basis, but when the actual hard work had to be done, France was content to look on whilst poor John took off his coat and did it. It is admitted bj’ all that he did his work well, as Egypt to-day is amongst the most prosperous of nations, and has every promise of a brilliant future. Unfortunately, the Egyptians are amongst the last to admit that any gjatitude is duo to John Bull.

Turkey has been the source of a vast amount of trouble to him. Time after time he has had to step in and administer affairs. That country has cost him millions, and within the last fifty years he has had to enforce his claims above half a dozen times.

At present, he takes a hand in managing the Turkish Customs, in looking after the Turkish Navy, and in seeing that the trouble-loving Turks do not cause too much bother to their neighbours John also supplies the officers for several special bands of Turkish troons.

China has also been a great worry, and here again. John has had to administer the Customs, or rather to SKipply officials for doing the dutv. When Sir Robert Harb was appointed nt the head of the Chinese Customs, as Comptroller, ho found everything in a deplorable condition, whereas now the body is one of the most admirable government departments which could be imagined. This department, of course, has control of the revenues of the Chinese Empire: hence the heads of the department wields a power practically as great as the Emperor. For a considerable time, Sir Robert Hart managed the whole of the country, while at the present time there is probably no other man for whom the Chinese have a greater respect, and certainly no other European.

It w»uld take far too much space to give even the names of the minor nlaces which John has had to reform These vary from South American Renublics to the cannibal backlands of West Africa.