CURRENT TOPICS

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11884, 6 May 1899, Page 7

CURRENT TOPICS

The melancholy death of Mary Moxhara emphasizes the great need for an inebriate asylum. The poor old woman came to hei g tragic end solely because there were no means of protecting her from her worst enemy—horself. Had there been in Christchurch an institution in which the wretched creature could have been detained, whether or not she was willing to remain there, she would certainly not have met the fate which befell her;- she might even have been transformed from a nuisance to herself and other people into a respectable member of the community. As matters are, however, there is no place for uch unfortunates but the grave. This is not. very creditable to the country, even though Mary Moxhara and her land are not a class whose absence is a. loss to the community. Common humanity demands that some better means than we have at present for dealing with'these poor creatures shall be provided, but the 'j I call of humanity has not hitherto received I much attention. It is true that we have the gaol and the Samaritan Home, but ! the first is worse than useless as a reformative agent. The Samaritan Home and similar institutions are of little more value because they have no powers of detention. Their inmates can, as this poor woman did, leave them whenever inclined to do so. It is, however, not desirable that these Jiomes, being private institutions should be allowed the power of compulsory detention; indeed, they, should not be called upon to do work in which suoh power is necessary, for that 1 work is the duty of the State. The; reasons why the. State has hitherto failed in its duty ■ are neither numerous nor cogent, though they have been to prevent our politicians from '-taking action. They may be summed up as public apathy and false economy, backed up by the active discouragement of a certain section of temperance reformers who can see no virtue in remedial measures. I Sensible people will admit • that such | reasons are utterly inadequate; and that Parliament should promptly make provision for proper homes for inebriates, and thus remove a staiir from the good name of the country. At - the time -of the Fashoda incident the French Press, gave vent to many ill-considered uttjitfc for abject absurdity it may be doubted if any of | their remarks equalled an article which appeared in a recent number of "Revue '(iesDeux Mondes." The writer is careful j H;o; hide 'his identity, perhaps because he J

AN INEBRIATE ASYLUM WANTED.

FRENCH INVASION OP ENGLAND.

jia'.i secret misgivings/; concerning his Production. It may be said without further preface that he has revived the venerable proposal for an invasion of England. M. de Blowitz, the Paris correspondent of the London " Times,','; '.'.declares that the author, of the suggestion must have lost his head ; but he certainly writes in the clear, concise language of a person who is many degrees removed from insanity. His idea is that England could be invaded by a French army of, say, 160,000 or 170,000 men. The troops could be conveyed across the Channel in little, flat-bottomed steam barges. These vessels could be constructed simultaneously in 'the various dockyards and collected at different -points in the channels, and rivers which intersect the French coast. They would be armed with a quick-firing gun in the bow, and each would be capable of carrying a field gun fully manned ; and horsed,, and one-half, or a whole company of infantry. They would make a dash together on the English coast. There would be, the writer considers, little danger of the pinnaces being sunk by cannon-shot, because they would bo divided into watertight compartments. If a hostile ship endeavoured to ram them it would be blown up by a torpedo, which would form part 0 f the armament of each boat. The problem of getting the vessels across the Channel presents no difficulties to the ingenious Frenchman. He passes airily over such an insignificant obstacle as a British fleet; and he professes to believe the coastal defences of England a negligible quantity. The troops, he fancies, could be landed as easily as. a party of tourists. The passage from Calais or Dunkirk would occupy only three or four hours, and within seven hours the invaders would find themselves in Brighton or some other town on the south coast, : ; Once on English soil all difficulties would be praeliually over. Opposition would soou be subdued, and the inhabitants of. Perfidious Albion would be compelled to grovel at the feet of France. The writer is candid enough to admit that the undertaking might result in a loss of 10,000 men. But what is that, he asks,' but of an army of 170,000 ?. Of the ultimate outcome of the expedition lie apparently entertains not the semblance of a doubt. He may of course be perfectly sincere in his conclusions, but it is difficult to imagine that his scheme would be regarded seriously by any but the most reckless of his fellow-countrymen. The Anglo-French entente, which seems somewhat more - probable now than it did a little while ago, has. doubtless been helped forward.by M. Zola, who declared that ho had found Perfidious Albion a pleasant place of residence and its people considerate and " charming." Now, another Frenchman, whose name has lately been as prominent, if not as honoured as that of the great author, has said the same thing. Major Esterhazy, who, like M. Zola, was compelled through the exigencies of " l'Affaire Dreyfus " to seek an asylum in England, was lately interviewed- in London by a representative of the Paris " Matin," to whom he declared that he was afraid he would have to leave England, as " life was horribly dear." The notorious Major continued :—■'!. am sorry, for I am admirably suited here for the, quietness, and find the English to be charming and well-bred people. It is, indeed, a pity that they so detest France as to be enthusiastically Dreyfusite. But I am overwhelmed with acts of thoughtfulness and kind attentions. They understand within a shade or two the part I played. They are a people who know what are the foundations of a nation's greatness. What splendid soldiers they have ! Have you ever seen the guard relieved at St James's Palace ? I know nothing finer." " But," asked the interviewer, " you are not going to remain in England ?" " No; certainly not. How could I ? I repeat that I must gain my living and that of those belonging to me. And then these fogs break my chest. I have, you know, already been in the third stage of consumption. I recovered by a miracle. I dream of warm countries and blue skies. T shall probably go to the Soudan." " Alone ?" " Yes, quite alone. It may be that before long I shall be heard of gloriously. The French have not understood me; other nations will understand me." Be that as it may, Englishmen will probably not be sorry to get rid of M. Esterhazy, even, though he is charmed by their appearance and manners.

ESTERHAZY IN ENGLAND.

Perhaps no small maiden of nine summers has had so much -written about her, or is better known throughout all English-speaking countries than the little golden-curled, blueeyed girl whose droll sayings and childish ingenuousness brightened the last days of England's Grand Old Man. Dorothy Drew "has. done no deed of. heroism, her father and mother, are comparatively unknown save as Dorothy's parents, yet by reason of the strong affection that existed between Mr Gladstone and his merry, lighthearted grandchild, her name will always be linked with that of her grandfather, and will always be brilliant with' reflected glory. The small maiden had a talent for droll sayings, and even at the tender age o*f four she showed her innate Eadicalism. " You mean the House of Commons," was her invariable remark when the Upper House was mentioned, and she used to amuse Mr Morley by her references to the Lower House as " the place where Grandad goes to do his lessons." It was also " the place where Grandad goes to do his nasties," for Dorothy thought that a place where people kept constantly jumping up must be a gymnasium, and gymnastics was abbreviated accordingly. No one can doubt that Dorothy learned much of her wisdom from the talks her, grandfather used to hold with her on any subject in which he was deeply interested;. and he must have told her about the Armenians, for one day not long ago she asked, " Do you think the Turks will be sorry grandpa is dead ?" and then added sadly, "I know the Armenians will." The Queen, who had heard about Dorothy, sent for her to come and see her in the Jubilee month, accompanied by her mother, Mrs Drew. The little maid enjoyed the experience without in the least degree losing her coolness and self-posses-sion. Her observant eyes . saw everything and forgot nothing. Many instances, of Dorothy's quamt sayingsare recorded by her grandmother and mother: She. refused. one morning to get up, and when Mr Gladstone asked the reason he was told that the Bible disapproved of early rising, and said it was a waste of time. .This certainly was startling, even to one who knew his Bible as well as did her grandfather; but the. small maiden pointed triumphantly to the second verse, of the one hundred and twenty-seventh Psalm, which read, "It is vain for you te rise up early."

" ABOUT ' DOROTHY DREW.