THE WEEK.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LII, Issue 9188, 7 September 1906, Page 4

THE WEEK.

J There is apparently no change in the seething condition of Russia. The record of crime is lengthened day by day until its sum of atrocity becomes appallipg. |No one appears to be safe anywhere. At I a wedding a bomb was dropped, three of | the guesto being kille* ftd 13 • wounded. At a funeral an aenned* *• affray occurred with the troops, the result bedng that six of the mourners were slain and 22 wounded. on tfhe wholesale murders of the pofiee; officers are qtiittang the awv vice, thereby weakening authority still further. The tales of violence and coldblooded brutality which, come from tine Balkans make one shudder, whilst the thefts occurring on every hand, the outrages and disorder, the murder and pillage, constantly suggest that the people of Russia are really unfit to be trusted with the precious right of self-government for which they strive. Th© Czar's advisers have again and again declared that the time ie not iipe in Russia for a constitution, and if we may judge by the reckless savagery displayed by certain classes of revolutionaries there is a good deal, of truth in the contention. The effect of all the horrible outrages has been to kill sympathy with the struggle for enfranchisement and to impel the right-thinking part of the population to support the Government and shrink from a cause which they otherwise might materially assist. There is an almost universal agreement outside of Russia that the aspirations of the Russian people are a natural iand necessary development of modem thought, but this campaign of bloodshed and disorder will effectually

drive away an enormous support which would undoubtedly have been accorded to an orderly revolution. If ihe desire for a constitution is irve pressible in Russia it is also asserting itself in other countries— Persia, South Africa, India and China. That tihe most conservative country under tbe sun should have been transformed bo miraculously as to advocatethe Western system of government shews how vigorously China has been rubbing her eyes of late years. Within the last two years a Commission of mandarins and high officials has been sent on a. tour to investigate through ! Europe and America, and has reported to ' the Emperor and Dowager Empress the results of its labors. This apparently is the immediate cause for the decree that the Emperor has just issued, promising' in the first place administrative and financial reforms, and pointing to a subsequent | conceagiDP of constitutional privileges as ' soon os> the people are ready to receive them. The promised constitution is not tihe only sign of China's awakening. Some of the many evidences of social development are summarised by a contemporary writer^ who points out that in Pekin, Rafter three renturies of hummocks and pitfalls." th» roads are being laid -with concrete, tfce foreign quarter as being built i» European style, broughams and rickshaws atre taking the place of sedan chairs, oil lamp* have appeared, and electric lights and trams are soon to follow. #ewjspapera are springing into existence on all- tides, and the authorities, instead of 'suppressing them as of old, are actually establishfing public reading rooms, where they may be expojeded to the ignorant lower classes. The Chinese alphabet, with, its thousands of complicated ideographs, is bedng redo*-. *d to a comparatively simple Code of fifty letters. Native publishing mr© sending out thousands of works on history, geography, and other :educntAonaJ topics The Government is not only encouraging the movement against the landing of women's feet,- but is building railways and making steel rails in its own foundries and arsenals. This is progress -, China can no longer be called the Unchangeable. A most significant change in the rela* tionship between Great Britain end Germany appears to have been wrought by the recent interview between^ King Edward and the Kaiser. That interview, according to influential German new*- i papers, with the most momentous event of the monthi. For many months past tiio tension between these two great Powers has been -very strained— the Revue likens, tlhe position of a year ago to* that existing between Prussia, and Austria in 3866— and the tension has periodically increased by inflammatory speeches from th© Kaiser .- The new understanding will be sonaarely welcomed by all English-speaking peoples, and if the way has now been made clear\ ! for the settlement of outstanding differen«es between Britain and Germany humanity will have an additional reason, for gratitude to Edwaird the" Peacemaker. According to the Daily Chronicle iha Government intend submitting proposals for the establishment of an Irish National Council, which will sit in Dublin, consist- 1 ing of 150 elected members, including 48 elected for larger areas, on a £20 franchise. The representation of Ireland at Westminster wifl not be touched. It ha» { already been^-announced that the Government intend to introduce legislation io give the Irish further association witfc the Government of Ireland, and it is understood that the legislation will be introduced next year. Presuming that th* Chronicle's forecast is correct it is interesting to note that Mr Gladstone's Home Rule Bill of 1886 abolished Irish repie eentation at Westminster, and set up an Irish Parliament in Dublin, composed of two orders. In tihe Bill of 1893, edgbty Irish members were to be retained ai Westminster, but were to be deßatnred | from voting on matters of purely English interest. The Standard Oil Company has been indicted by a grand jury in Chicago in connection with the granting of illegal rail-: way rebates. According to J a recent Presidential message to Congress the Standard Oil ' Company benefits to the amount of £156,000 a year at the expense of th© ; railway, which heavy toll is said to be -ultimately shifted to the shoulders of tihe consuming public. The spoil enjoyed by. Standard Oil is only on a par with that which goes to fatten most, -of the great; American monopolies.