The Star Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley. FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1914. THE WEEK,

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 24 April 1914, Page 4

The Star Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley. FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1914. THE WEEK,

The visit of the King and Queen to Paris is not only the most picturesque incident of the week, but the most important open-air interlude that has appeared on the international stage for many a day. It is not a visit that is, merely formal and official, as such visits sometimes are, for it is a sincere expression of England's appreciation of France's goodwill to England, and also of ,England's goodwill to France. Though the peoples have differed in the past, international changes, new national needs and ,new human idoals, have latterly been bringing them into intimate .human sympathy and political fellowship with each other, and therefore the visit of the King and Queen is, humanly, -a matter of course. It is also of exceptional value for three reasons : first, beeaus-3 /its gives natural and approximately adequate expression to the mutual goodwill of the two great peoples; secondly, because it will enable all sections of the two populations to feel the reality of that goodwill, and prompt them to spread it and do what they can to ensure its permanence; and, thirdly, because the rest of the world will learn from the occasion how real the friendship is, and must reason thence to its vital importance as an international factor of proved stability. On the one hand, as President Poincare said at the banquet at the Elysee, the visit shows that the Entente has proved permanent and efficacious, and is one of the surest guarantees of the political equilibrium of Europe; and, on the other hand, as his Majesty the King put it on the same occasion, it bears luminous witness to the intimate and cordial relations which enable France and Britain to co-operate in the humanitarian work of civilisation and peace. The unsatisfactory state of the health of the Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria must at present have some influence on international relations in Europe. Still, the influence is assuredly less than it would have been some years ago under similar circumstances. The Emperor is still the sovereign of his people, and in some things his opinion counts for as much as it ever did 3 but the real directing influence in Austro-Hungarian affairs has for a number of years been in the hands of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the Emperor's nephew and heir. Nor has this influence been fugitive or surreptitious, for it has been exercised with the Emperor's own knowledge and consent, partly on account of his Majesty's age and frequent illnesses, and partly because.the Archduke has gained his ends by constitutional means and by securing the Emperor's support for his special plans or fresh departures in policy. It is well known that the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina was accomplished by the late Baron Aerenthal, chiefly at the instance and largely with the assistance of the Archduke." It has been said that the annexation was planned to a point from which retreat was practically impossible before the Emperor was made fully aware of it. But another account is that the Emperor's health at the time was not very good, that he was not kept in ignorance of that detail in Baron AerenthaFs (or the Archduke's) foreign policy, and that his assent, though it may not have been formally expressed, was implicit under the circumstaonces. And since Baron Aerenthal's death the Archduke's influence has been as real as it has been internationally unobtrusive in Austro-Hungarian affairs. If, therefore, the Emperor were to die, the effect on the international situation would probably be slight, though it might perhaps tend to make Austrian foreign policy (especially with respect to the Balkans) more exacting than it has been under his rule. j Though there has been a vast amount af discussion on the subject, matters in connection with Home Rule for Ireland have not advanced much since the second reading of the Bill was carried (for the third time) in the House >f Commons on April 6, by 356 to 276. Therefore there is not much

that can at present be said on the subject beyond recalling that the first second reading of the Bill was carried by the House of Commons on May 9, 1912, the majority being 101, and a third time, on January 16, 1913, by 110. The measure was rejected by the House of Lords, on the second reading, on January 30, by 257 votes. In the 1913 session the Bill was read a second time by the House of Commons on June 10 by 98 vr-tes, and a third time, on July 7, by 109. It was rejected by the House of Lords, on its second reading, on July 15, by 238 votes. During the present session the first reading was passeed in the House of Commons by 93 votes, and, as stated, the second reading was carried on the 6th instant by 356 to 276.

It is not quite the unexpected that has happened between the United States and Mexico, and even the incident that has led to the new situation might have been foretold, in character if not in specific detail. The strenuous opposition of the States to General Hueittja might quite naturally have been expected to lead to some more or less irresponsible yet unsupportable insult being offered by some indiscreet .Huertan supporter to some citizen, soldier, or officer of the United States; whence it would follow that the States would demand satisfaction in a form which Huerta might very likely decline to give. Then a naval and military demonstration, tantamount to a declaration of war, though not nominally so, would inevitably ensue on America's part. All this has all along been, prima facie, premisable; and it has literally happened. Nor is the end yet in sight. Vera Cruz has been taken, and though President Wilson has affirmed that "even the seizure of Tampico and Vera Cruz would not be an act ©f var," yet academical distinctions are apt to count for little in the long run under conditions like those that now prevail in the American-Mexican relationship. For the present, at anyrate, it will probably be prudent to refrain from prophecy.

There is, however, one thing that may be said with safety—that.almost any change in the control of Mexico would be a benign contrast to that country's recent and still current conditions. President Madero was murdered on February 23, 1913, and ever since Mexico has been in a state of anarchy. General Huerta, who succeeded Madero, was recognised by the British Government in the following March, but the United States has consistently refused to recognise him owing to his connection with the assassins of his predecessor. General Carranza has been at the head of the revolt ever since the Huertan regime began, and he also has failed to secure recognition, President Wilson preferring to let the two parties fight it out for themselves. Of late the forces of Carranza and his second in command, Villa, have had an uninterrupted series of successes over the Federal troops, and they are now round Tampico, which is also the centre of the international disturbance. Huerta has held the southern part of the Republic, but his troops have not been paid, and their loyalty has been in question to a considerable degree. He made himself Dictator of the Mexican Republic in October, when he issued a personal decree, formally announcing the dissolution of Congress. He asserted that his action was due to interference with the prerogatives of the Executive on the part of the legislative branch of the Government. The general result has been a lurid reign of misrule, cruelty, and bloodshed.

New Zealanders who know anything tabout how football! is played in America must have been somewhat amused by the recent announcement that the University of California was giving up Rugby, in consequence of its roughness, and because it entailed a greater chance of injury than the American form. Yet it is generally admitted that football a3 played in America is rougher than any other form of the game, not excluding Rugby. So much is felt in this connection that its ©exclusion from the sports lists of some universities has been repeatedly proposed. Last year 14 people-were killed in the States at football and 175 injured, and since 1901 the total casualties have been —killed, 234; injured, 2601. This would seem to testify to more than enough roughness.