CURRENT TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14332, 28 March 1907, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS.

We have ' heard a great deal in recent years about the desir-

AMERICAN BARBARISM.

ability of a "return to Nature." It lias remained for Mr (J. K. Chesterton to disoover that the Americans are returning very emphatically to barbarism. "Almost every trait which is specially and solely characteristic of America/' ho says, " Ls a. savage trait. America woe the last of tho groat Christian nations to keep slaves. America is almost tho only on© of tho great Christian nations in which one can still find primitive war shootings and stabbings not under the rules of military service, and not oven under the dignity and etiquette of the duel; mere private killing, as it might have been among the cave-men. America, is the one place in the modern world which has returned to the hearty old human custom of burning a man alive in public. America is the one place in the modern world in which there is a mere racewar, ia war uncomplicated by any question of religion, undignified by any principle of patriotism, a mere brutal war of breed against breed, of black against white." There is a difference, Mr Chesterton explains, between the burning of heretics and the burning of negroes. Heretics were killed in a savage way for " philosophical " reasons; the negro is killed in a savage way for a, savage reason. Even on its brighter side, it seems, America gives strong evidences of retrogression. The American face, Mr Chesterton contends, is growing more and more like tho long equine face of tho Red Indian; and the excessive importance of illustrated papers and magazines is a mere return to the picturewriting of the savages. As for the ingenuity of American inventions, and tho rapidity of American communications, Mr Chesterton does not regard, these as being necessarily proofs of progress in civilisation. Many barbarous instruments of torture were embodiments of ingenuity; and as for communications, civilisation is to be judged by the value of what is communicated not by tho speed with ; which it [reaches the journey's end. i

It is customary to say the king as nice things about kings, t/ingttist. and King Edward, who has many aocomplishments, affords the flatterers plenty of opportunities for praising him. When ho was in Paris recently, ho was "speaking French like a native." He has had) such an extensive experience of publio speaking that one would expect both the matter and the manner of his utterances to bo well above the average. According to "M.A.P.," he has a "strong, compelling voice, which is almost unrivalled in clearness and penetration." His master of elocution was a clergyman, but there is nothing " preachy " about Ms style. His accent, wo are told, is " thoroughly and uiir affectedly English." In his young days his speech was distinctly German in tone and quality, and it was realised, of course, that it would not please the people to haves a king speaking with a pronounced foreign accent. Queen Victoria herself assisted in hie educa-

tion in this matter, requiring the young prince to read a long passage of English to her every day. In matter, the King's speeches are always happy. This is as much the case in impromptu replies as in formal set addresses. He speaks in several languages with facility, and on occasions when foreign delegates to learned gatherings in London are received by his Majesty, it is often tho case that individual delegates will find themselves chatting freely in their own language with their distinguished host. His Majesty reads widely, as becomes the head of a great nation, and has followed closely all the recent scientific developments. It is stated that when lie was sixty-one years old, tho King applied himself diligently to the study of Hindustani, a language that few men would care to approach for any but sternly practical purposes. A remarkable memory renders the mastery of a new language comparatively easy to him, however, and even the difficulties of Hindustani soon disappeared before the industry of the Royal student. The development of his memory, it is related, was one of the special sides of Ms Majesty's early education, and it was with him a nightly task, never omitted, to repeat to his tutor the names of people he had met during the day, and the circumstances of the meetings.

In his work on " The Labour Movement in Australia," Dr Victor S. Clark, an American so-

cotoxiAi; . uirEßiAusar.

ciologiat, presents his views on tlio attitude of the people of the Commonwealth towards the Motherland and the Empire. The doctor, as a result of his personal observation in the various Australian States, has come to the conclusion that the working men of Australasia, while not hostile to Great Britain, probably attach less weight to the Imperial tie than do the Conservatives, or upper classes. He adds, however, that ■sny alienation of sympathy that may exist is important only upon the sentimental basis. The real ties between bhe Motherland and the colonies are cemented too strongly by business and traditional tiea to be easily broken: "The relation of the Empire to the Australasian democracies," writes Dr Clark, "is too sagaciously arranged to be materially affected by a divergence of local politics." The American writer is of opinion that the '' White Australia" cry is against commonsense. He does not consider it extraordinary that a white race should desire to keep its land clear of the Asiatic element, but lie holds the opinion that the Commonwealth is simply not in a position to enforce any regulation in this direction, and should not, therefore, adopt an uncompromising attitude. " Australia," he adds, "is, moreover, following a policy that ignores to eome extent' natural and economic laws. The Government would redeem a virgin and tropical wilderness by Saxon labour, and domicile within the torrid zono a race of workers whose physiological adjustments from remote antiquity have fitted them for colder climates." Dr Clark thinks that an attempt to exclude the Chinese and Japanese from the Australasian colonies must, in the long run, become an [mperial question, to be considered and decided from the Imperial standpoint, and he evidently holds the opinion that when Imperial issues are at stake, colonial susceptibilities will have to go to the wall.