CURRENT TOPICS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 246, 14 September 1935, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS

(Bv “Wavfarer.”> Under the caption, “Why the British Are Different,” a correspondent writes to the Literary Digest (of Juno 8) the well-known American paper, as' followsSir—ln your issue of May 18 you quoted the Cheyenne TribuneLeader as saying. “Britain is a tremendous entity, the King, save as a svmbol, a nonentity'. A nonentity. What a fallacy! British politics are as clean as ours are dirty. British 2iublic officials are as full of honour as ours aro of “trickiness.” Graft and corruption are practically unknown in British public life, while ours is polluted with those evils. Why tho opposites? Because there is at Britain’s head, not a nonentity', but a man of the very highest honour and integrity ; a man whose life is worth emulating, and whom the nation endeavours to emulate.

Yesterday, was a Friday—and the 13th day or the month 1 An omen of foreboding? Tho su2ierstition surrounding “Black Friday” is popularly sii2)posed to have originated oil Friday, May 11, 1866, when widespread distress was caused by the failure of tlie great London banking house of Overend arid Gurney. Strangely enough, Americans also trace it to a financial calamity, blaming the actions of Jay Gould, senr., and James Fisk, private financiers, in '“cornering” the Wall Street supjilies of gold, raising its juice from 133 to the calamitous figure of 169£ on Friday, September 13, 1869. A major crisis resulted in the securities market. However, the United States Treasury, which had temporarily abandoned the gold standard owing to the great strain on gold, broke the formidable “corner” by purchasing 4,000,000 dollars’ worth of its bonds with gold. But both men had made their fortunes several times over, and Jay Gould died some years ago worth some £20,000,000.

The statement made by Herr Hitler, when jnesented at the Nazi Congress in Nuremberg, this week, with a re2iiica of the sword of Charleihagne, jiossesses a special significance. He said that it symbolised the power of the Ruicn and would always remind him of German liberty to rearm. Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, Roman emperor and Frankish king, was born in i 42. He was the elder sou of Pepin the Short, a Frankish king, and nis wife Bertrada. He became king of the Franks in 771 and in 800 founded tlie Holy Roman Emjiire. He lined over nearly all western Eurojre, and was noted for his work as lawgiver, administrator, and builder; above all, for his interest in supervising the work of the Church and seeking to S2)read the Christian, faith. Education was another of liis interests. He died in 814, and was buried at Aix-ia-Chapelle. While liis ambitious programme is hardly analogous to that of the Frankish king, Herr Hitler, with liis numerous decrees, must easily, qualify within the ambit of a'Tawgiver.”

Plans are under discussion for enlarging the historic Stationers’ Hall in the Cicy of London at a cost of £75,000. This work has been made necessary by the fusion of the Uorshijjful Company of Stationers with that of the News2>aper Makers. The hall stands in the site of Abervagenny House, formerly known as Pemoroke Inn, and at one time the residence of John, Duke of Brittany. It dates from 16/1, having been rebuilt after destruction-by the Great Fire.

The long story of the Stationers begins in 1-103, Henry IV king, Chaucer not long dead. It was incorporated by charter of Queen Mary lin 1556. In those days of jmgeantry, the comjiany’s state barge took the river, manned bv blue and yellow-gowned liverymen, and hung with the shields of arms of members of the Court of Assistants. For some 150 years the Archbisho2> of Canterbury and tho Bishop of London held veto, and disloyal or “heretical” hooks were “damasked” or burned in the garden.

Yet in 1647 Stationers’ Hall entered “a bake called Master William Shakespeare his historye of King Lear as yt was played before the Kings Majestio . . . by his servantes 2>laymg usually at- the Globe banksyde.” And in 1623 Stationers’ Hall ju'eseuled to the Bodleian at Oxford a Ist Folio SliakeS2>eare. Here were held many meetings of the revisers who compiled tho Authorised Version of the Bible. The Great Fire destroyed the hall and it was rebuilt in 16il, and tne card room added some 100 years later. Linking the past wit'll the future among the company’s treasures is the composing stick used iu London by Benjamin Franklin. Every apprentice to the “art and misterie of printing” receives from the comjniny a Bible and Prayer Book.

A European army which lias no modern guns, no aeroplanes, no tanks and no munitions of war will shortly have no men, according to a Press Association cablegram received from Monte Carlo recently. The message stated that, owing to a drop in tne casino takings, Prince Louis of Monaco has “sacked” Ins entire army of 66 officers and men. They cost tho Principality about £16,000 a year, and now have been given three months’ notice of dismissal.

Although this army is said to be the smallest m the world, and appears to do without most of the things which justify an army’s existence, it has not been stinted in the matter of medals, feathers and gold lace. It has all tho trappings to swell the military chest when on parade, but no powder, and apparently no money, in the locker. In spite of its fine raiment', the army of Monaco is not altogether like the traditional South American army, an army of generals. It appears, to judge by its shoulder knots, to be content to be an army ol aides-re-camp. Its members, however, wear liehnets worthy of generals, for they are adorned with a brave show of coloured feathers. Tho Principality of Monaco is a protectorate of Franco, and is surrounded, except on its Mediterranean coastline, by the French Department of Alpes Maritimes. The Government is carried out under the authority of the Prince, at present Prince Louis 11, by a Ministry assisted by a ‘Council of State. The legislative power is exercised by the Prince and the National Council, which consists of 12 members, elected for four years by universal suffrage. The territory of the Principality is divided into three communes—MonacoVille, La Condamine and Monte Carlo —which are each administered by a municipal body, elected by vote. The revenue is derived mainly from the gambling tables, which are worldfamous. The area of the Principality is 370 acres, and the population at the 1933 census was 22,153.