CASUAL NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 245, 13 September 1935, Page 8

CASUAL NOTES

(By the “Watcher.”) THE WAR CLOUDS. Every effort is being made by England to meet the situation so as to avoid war in Abyssinia. Whether these will be successful remains to be seen. Mr Anthony Eden must be having sleepless nights. Mussolini still adopts (at home) the belligerent tone he lias adopted all through, and is doing more. Men are still being despatched to the front. But he has done more than that. The Suez Canal, which largely belongs to Great Britain, might be closed against him if the worst came to the worst. In that case Ins communications would be broken. He has therefore stationed a large number of submarines in the Mediterranean Sea. whilst Britain (in case of eventualities) has a fleet of 24 warships at Malta. Not only so, but tne La - ian Duco is cultivating a sudden friendship with the German Fuhrer, Hitler, in order to be able to snap his fingers at the League. Still we muss not give up hope, nor cease to pray that the peace may not be broken. One proposal that has been made is that Italy should be given a mandate (such as New Zealand holds over Western Samoa) over Abyssinia, but in the first place it appears to be quite clear that the League has no power to give mandates over the territories of members —only over colonies and dependencies; and in the second place it is certain the Emperor of Abyssinia would not accept such a proposal. What Mussolini wants for Italy' is “a place in the sun”—a colony or dependency such as England has so many of in all parts of the world, to which he can send immigrants, and from which lie can draw raw materials for industries, and make a profitable trading concern of. We presume ho would work on French, not English, lines. Cur methods arc distinct. We make no profits out of our colonics. As far as possible wo require them to pay their way. If they do that they can keep the profits" Also we give them, as far as possible, the rights of local self-gov-ernment. The French do none of these tilings. They look on colonies as geese to be plucked for the benefit of the home country. We imagine that is what Mussolini wants to do with Abyssinia. However, he appears to bo finding difficulties in finance. The bank rate has been raised at Rome to 5 per cent, and various moves havo been made to try and keep money in the country, but you can go only a short distance in a war without a full exchequer, and finance may bo the rock he splits upon. THE COMING ELECTION.

In New Zealand the air is full of rumours, and soon the election will be in full blast. The Address-in-Reply debate has staggered along in the House but there was no “punch” in it. Mr Savage opened it as a no-con-fidence debate, but his speech was disappointing. Evidently he has no policy of a constructive character to declare. He and his party want office, and tncy rely not on their own policy or proposals," but on the omissions and commissions of the Government. This method does not get them far. They will require, in order to get a working majority of five, to keep all the scats they now hold and win twenty new ones. And iliat is not likely; in fact it is most improbable. We cannot, however, shut our eyes to a most significant fact. It is stated that 36 candidates have announced themselves as' Independents. We have never known such a tiling to occur in New Zealand politics before. It looks like dissatisfaction with ■ the Coalition on the one hand and direct opposition to Labour on the other. The question arises, what policy will these Independents support? Will some one formulate a policy and hoist a flag around which they can gather? The next month or so may give the answer.

Mrs Knox Gilmer (Mr Seddon’s youngest daughter) is working hard in Wellington North, and presumably will be an Independent. She has done wonderfully good public work in the big city in many ways, but will meet solid Labour opposition in Mr Chapman, the sitting member; whilst Mr Treadwell, the well-known solicitor, boldly proclaims himself a Reformer, not a Coalitionist. From Auckland a rumour came the other day that Mrs B. B. AVood, Sir Joseph Ward’s only daughter, may stand for Awarua, her father’s seat for many years. If both ladies were successful it would be a. singular coincidence, would it not? Sir Joseph Ward’s sons do not appear to take kindly to the hurly-burly of House polities. Sir Cyril, who inherited the Baronetcy, sticks to his business at Christchurch. His younger brother, A r incent, got returned for his father’s seat at Invercargill but refused to face a" second contest, so the Coalition Government promptly made an Honourable of him by putting him in the Upper House. A NEAV KIND OF CHEQUE. In the very early days of Palmerston North a clergyman settled in the district—never mind his Church, that doesn’t matter. He was a characterone of the kind of whom it was said, “AA’lien he’s in the pulpit you think lie should never come out of it, and when lie’s out of it you think lie should never go into it!” It was whispered that he and his wife lived in separate rooms and all communications wore by letter! AVell,. the time came for linn to leave, and lie was badly in debt. One of fiis creditors, the day after his departure, received a cheque and took it straight to the bank. I had the facts from the banker. The banker took the cheque, an open one, looked at it and burst out laughing. “When will you take this, Mr'Blank?” he asked. “Oh, now, of course,” was the reply. “But look at it,” said the bankerJ handing over the cheque. The figures were correct, but the body read, “Pay Mr Blank one kick in the !” Crushing the cheque ill his hand, he fled. This is an absolute fact. The parson returnod to England,' became rather notorious and died many years THE ALL BLACKS. The New Zealanders, after nine days’ rest, begin their series of English matches at Devon port to-morrow urday). They have been working hard to get fully fit and may be relied upon to give a good account of themselves in their opening match. 'Lwo considerations in their favour are that in England football is for this season only in its opening stages, hence they are not likely to meet “seasoned” players, and the other will be a mixed team, the members of which are not accustomed to one another’s play, being drawn from Devon and Cornwall. The 1924 team also started their tour at Devonport, and won by 11—0. AVe shall all be quite satisfied, and shout “Kanuipai” (very good) if the 1935 team does as well. Their next match is against the Midland Counties at Coventry on September 19 (next Thursday) and two days afterwards they play Yorkshire and Cumberland combined. Both these matches are likely to be real tests.