(From Our London Correspondent.)

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7366, 18 January 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

(From Our London Correspondent.)

LONDON, November 23.

Four times in 45 years have foreign Powers premeditated an invasion of Australasia (says the "Evening News"): —

l. In 1556, when Russia sought to fit out naval expeditions in America to destroy Australian commerce and land at Melbourne.

2. When France in 1859 threatened war re the Orsini affair, and formulated a- scheme to land an army of 10,000 men on Australian shores. 3. When Germany, before annexing a part of New Guinea, demanded a province of Northern Australia. 4. In 1885, when the Home Government cabled to the Governors and Premiers of Australia that Russia contemplated the conquest of New Zealand.

Everyone remembers the Russian scare of '85, when the Penjdeh incident seemed likely to lead to war, but that the Russian Bear had serious designs on New Zealand, while negotiations were pending, and that our Intelligence Department had its eyes wide enough open to discover those designs, is just a little difficult to swallow. It would be easier ' to believe that the rumour came not from the Mother Country, but from tne colonies in whose waters Russian cruisers • were prowling.

Judge Backhouse's report on the Compulsory Arbitration system in. New Zealand is welcomed here as the first impartial statement of an outsider on the system. Hitherto those who have written or spoken on. the subject in England have been more or less interested parties. Hence Judge . Backhouse's views are receiving a good deal of attention. In the "Westminster Grzette," Mr Anton Bertram, after stating tnat "the thought of such a scheme being applied to our vast industrial system is calculated to stagger tne imagination," summarises the report, laying stress on the clear crippling of the boot trade and the increase of the cbsl of the products of industry and the cost of living generally. Mr Bertram thinks that the two cases cited by the Judge j "uiy his apprehensions as to what will happen when depression comes and the awards reduce wages, 1 and considers "extraordinary the establishment of the principle of preference for members of unions." Mr Bertram does not consider that Judge Backhouse rose to the full possibilities of his great opportunity. He might have collected a mass of facts and documents of the greatest sociological interest to the whole civilised world instead of contenting himself with digesting his general impressions.

Our American friends are rather fond of pointing out to John Bull how much better they do certain things than he does, but a certain little incident in connection with their new colonies in Polynesia suggests that J.B. is not the only party whose habitat is constructed of vitreous material. It seems that a certain American commander was accused of being intoxicated on a certain ■ day when he should have been engaged in administering the Government of the little Polynesian islet over whose destinies he presides. He was ordered to be tried by courtmartial. Thereupon two warships were dispatched from San Francisco, bearing three rear-admirals and the other legal necessities for giving the alleged offender a fair trial. Ingenious American press statisticians figure the cost of this expenditure — including coal — at some £30,000. A

New York paper is probably correct in stating that this "constitutes a record,' and that no nation has ever before expended such a sum in order to de-

termine whettier a "particular man

was drunk or sober at a particular • moment." The American nation has many records to its credit, some of which we would like to hold. Here, however, is one which we are quite happy to leave in. their possession.

"Maggie Meyer" is a dangerous name to mention just now to a certain colonial officer, whose modesty is only equalled by his gallantry. It was in the Vryheid direction that the officer's brief but embarrassing encounter with the Boer Amazon took place. With a body df mounted infantry he had stolen quietly into a deep kloof in the morning mist. Seeing, two tents on a ledge a little below him. he crept scealthily towards them. A Boer half-dressed, rifle in hand, was putting the bridle on a horse. "Hands up," shouted the officer The Boer dropped his Mauser and took a flying leap from the ledge into the steep slope of thor^. bushes below. A revolver shot at the disappearing figure caused another Boer in deshabille to bound from the tent and put 'up a record for the long jump. Then, to the astonished officer, appeared an apparition "fleeting as 'twas fair." A glimpse of "frillies" and hose through the morning mist, a challenge to halt, a Diana-like leap, a hurried revolver shot, and Maggie had "mizzled." Her identification was disclosed by a subsequent examination of the tent, where all her wardrobe was • discovered, lingerie, rifle and bandolier marked "Maggie Meyer." The officer, I un-

derstand, chivalrously bade his troops leave the frocks where they had fallen, but he fears that the desire of his men for mementoes of the rencontre will have compelled the fair Maggie to make shift for a while with a costume whic would absolutelj' shock me "Bulletin's" theatrical critic.

Australians are not likely to be proud of the latest Australian victory. "Colonel" Arthur Lynch, who has just been eleci-ed for the red-hot Nationalist city of Galway b.y a majority of 774; over Mr Horace Plunkett, owes his victory to his constituents' boasts that he organised and commanded the 2nd. Irish Brigade, which fought, or professed to fight, for the Boers. Lynch has remained in Paris during an election reminiscent of Charles O'Malley's daj'S, and is not likely to shew his face at Westminster. If he did steps would doubtless speedily be taken to trj r him for treason, on his own confession, and disqualify him. Proof would be simple, for in his brief biography in "Who's Who," •ioubtless supplied by Lynch' himself, appears the damning phrase, "Colonel of the Irish Brigade • No. 11. on the Boer side during the South African war."

An old colleague of the "journalist conspirator and renegade" gives a picturesque character 'sketch in the ■'Express" of the "dreamer, poet, and champion of lost causes," whom ha describes as a youthful visionary, tall, lanky, and typical Cornstalk in appearance, with a keen hatchet-like face, high forehead, and large closelyset eyes, fiercely resentful of pressure that would keep him to the beaten path. According to the candid colleague Lynch fell -into the hands of the Fenians, and "in 1894 went to the U.S.A. to help in O'Donovan Rossa'a physical force campaign. On his relurn he talked passionately of bombs that could wreck London bridge, and be concealed in a cigar case. He became marked "dangerous" by the special department of Scotland Yard which deals with dynamitards, drifted to Paris, and finally became a colonel of a riff-raff of pot-valiant rebels.

The King is said to have expressed^ desire that the congregation at his Coronation shall be British citizens. Me has resolved upon this course because many Transatlantic and Continental personages are offering large sums for a seat on the occasion. He has decided that the mere fact of any «eat being sold will dispossess both the holder or the nominee of the right of occupying it. The King has been greatly chagrined at the extent to which the right of occupying seats in the Abbey has*, been bartered. Evidently the Yankees are trying to work a Corner in Coronations. The New Yorkers have been using the Coronation as a means of self-adver-tisement, and the papers have been full of accounts of the dresses that .Mrs This and Mrs That are to wear at the ceremony. The "New York Journal" gravely asserted that the reason why the. Kohinoor was to be set in Queen Alexandra's crown was because she was afraid that her own jewels would be outshone by those of a wealthy American, who had ordered a coronet similar to the Km press Josephine's, to cost £250,000. It is understood that it is not the intention of the King and Queen to use on Coronation Day the State coach which was refitted for the first State function tha-t followed His Majesty's accession. The view is taken that this magnificent but closed vehicle would not be suitable for ihe great procession through London, which is to be a feature of the Coronation ceremonials,- for His Majesty's eoachbuilders have been directed to prepare a splendid open carriage, which will be used for the procession. The design is most elaborate, and the carriage will be upholstered in rose pink or crimson satin.