LATE LONDON NEWS.

Mataura Ensign, 6 July 1910, Page 7

LATE LONDON NEWS.

Y KING EDWARD'S FUNERAL

LONDON, May 27. It was not the note of inconsolable woe which dominated the emotions of yesterday's gigantic gathering (says the 'Daily Mail' of May 21, referring to the funeral of the late King). The realisation of a sense of personal loss by the death of one with whom each of his subjects felt himself or herself to have been in an intimate personal relationship had given place to a larger natural emotion. As the 'day of his death had receded the personality of King Edward has become a sweet and fragrant memory to be cherished with fond affection. They were not lamenting his loss with tears yesterday. They were recalling his greatness with admiration and pride. They spoke of him as ay King, endeavored to realise the mighty power he wielded, the weight of his word in the councils of the •world,' spoke proudly of his political authority. "He left England in a better position than he' found it," was one old man's comment. It needed the pomp and splendor of pageantry to realise for them their present attitude of mind. And when at length the funeral music became faintly audible and the head of the slow-moving procession came into sight the grander sense of national mourning overcame their personal griefs. The glowing spectacle of military power in slow, stately march, the glitter of the cavalry, the gorgeous uniforms of the military deputations 2 the sight Jt our own most distinguished generals and admirals, the succession of high dignitaries of Spain, the gleam of gold and in all that preceded the coming of the gun-carriage, upon which the casket appeared not in sombre mourning but in the gorgeous magnificence of the standard, the crown and the insignia of monarchy—all these to the bareheaded myriads looking on stood for King Edward's living majesty and glory. WHAT IRELAND WANTS. Mr Redmond's presence on May 22 in Cork, the stronghold of Mr W. O'Brien, led to a fierce conflict between sections of their followers, as a result of which over a dozen men had to be taken to the local infirmaries. Mr O'Brien, addressing an All-for-Ireland demonstration in the afternoon, said that now their opponents had' thrown away the scabbard he would do the same. His opponents ■would never again drive him. from the field in defence of a cause in which alone he could see any hope for the salvation of Ireland or for her deliverance from the secret ring of half a dozen politicians who were the ruin of her cause. He declared that Mr Redmond would be remembered in history for two things only—Mr Redmond's 24 \ years' purchase and Mr Redmond's Budget. By the first he had sold the farmers, and by. the other he had sold the Irish tax-payers to the British Treasury. , Mr Redmond spoke at a mass meeting afterwards. It had been said, he remarked, that by venturing to come ' to, Cork he was insulting Mr O'Brien, ) bu| he did not come to insult any man. •:' Tfciijf policy of the Irish Party might be sufomed up in one sentence. It was to force Home Rule to the front in Ireland, Great Britain, and.in the British Parliament. Referring to the constitutional aspect, Mr Redmond said: "Do not allow us Irishmen to be guilty of the hypocrisy of pretending to the English people that \\V regret the demise of the Sovereign as affecting Irishmen in the same way as the demise of the Sovereign affects the people of England. The King of England is a constitutional monarch. He is the head of a free Constitution. He governs through Ministers elected by the people. But, fellow-countrymen, the King of Ireland—(loud cheers and cries of "Yourself" and "You are our King")—the King of Ireland is not a constitutional Sovereign, he is not the head of a free Constitution, he does not govern through Ministers elected by and responsible to the people of Ireland. Therefore, from the- constitutional aspect it is impossible for us to regard the demise of a British Sovereign in the same way as it is regarded by the people of England. (Applause.) The moment this is changed, the moment we get a free Constitution in Ireland, the moment the King of Ireland becomes head of a free Constitution governing this land through Ministers responsible to the people of Ireland—when that moment arrives, the people of this country—and they are by feeling and instinct and nature a loyal people—will become the firmest, the most loyal supporters of the free Constitution which they possess."

THE PLUVIOSE DISASTER

A great disaster, the most serious in the chequered history of submarine navigation, has befallen the French submarine flotilla. Yesterday the Pluviose, one of the largest and most powerful of French submarines, a' vessel of 350 tons and 700 h.p., was run down by the French Channel steamer Pas de Calais off Calais, and all in her perished. The crew numbered 24, but two additional officers were on board, so that the total loss of life is 26. Among the passengers of the Pas de | Calais who reached London last night was M. Gaggiotti, who was in the saloon of the mailboat when the collision occurred. He said: "At first it seemed to us but a little thing, a bump upon allosg s or some other trifling accident to the paddles. I threw down my pen and ascended to the deck. Crowds of my fellow-passen-gers were gathered about the paddlebox watching the paddle as it slowly revolved so that the officers might discern the nature of the damage. So for several minutes we stood. Leaning over the side gazing deep down into the water one could just descry some bif object rising almost directly beneath us. A few more seconds and we were horrified to see the bows of a submarine rise suddenly in the air, with a pathetic little pennant dropping down from its highest point. Some of the women who saw it fainted. "In a few moments a boat had been launched. Too late. Hardly had the boat left us than the bow of the submarine suddenly sank back into the sea."