NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10046, 5 February 1896, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The recent explosion of anti-English feel* ing in America, though happily merely temporary, showed that while blood may be thicker than water, it does not necessarily follow that two members of the same family can novor by any possibility fall out and threaten to come to blows. We do not, of courso, beliovo that England and America could be guilty of tho monstrous fratricidal crime of going to war with one another. But it is not impossible; and what is possiblo may happen at any moment, no matter how improbable it may appear to bo. Thero is no reason that we can conceive of which justifies tho bitter feeling against- England that exi3ts at present in Germany. But it is there all the same, as our cablo messages yesterday plainly showed. Not only are the Germans secretly intriguing with Russia—so far unsuccessfully—to force England out of Egypt, but they aro exulting with what in their own language is called schadenfreude " over their success in thwarting the efforts of England to bring the Sultan to book for the outrages in Armenia." We do not envy the condition of mind of any man who can extract gratification from the contemplation of human misery, but apparently the antiEnglish feeling is so strong among Germans that they are willing to leave the Armenians to their horriblo fate rather than abandon their unreasoning and unreasonable prejudices against tho country and race from which the mother of their own sovereign springs. The Germans aro an intelligent people. Tho reigning Housos of Hanover and Hohenzollern are closely and intimately united. England and Germany are the two great Protestant nations of Europe. They havo nearly almost always been found together 011 the same side in tho great Continental struggles of tho century. There is 110 reason whatever why the two countries should not be on the most friendly terms. Bub instead of the cordial relations that one would naturally expect to exist botween them we find in Gormany themost rancorous hostility to England. We are quite sure that no such feeling oxista in England as regards Germany. Englishmen do not hate other nations. They may critieiso them freely, but they do nob regard thorn with ill-will. Lord Salisbury declared the other day that he caro l nob for tho isolation of England abroad if tho whole British Empire were united. Bub however strong a nation may be it is not a good thing for it to be either isolated or regarded with jealous and unfriehdly eyes. The hate of England that is felt abroad and in all directions—even in quartors where one would nob expect it— a real danger to peace. Ib is tho passions and prejudices of nations that plunge them into war.

According to a cablegram which appeared in our columns yosterday Brazil has occupied tho territory claimod by Franca lying between French Guiana and Upper Brazil. The dispute is not unlike that between England and Venezuela, although Presidenb Cleveland has not considered ib necessary to invoke tho Monroe doctrine in this case or to address a menacing despatch to the Fronch Government. Franco claims a considerable slice of Northern Brazil known as Amapa. It should be noted that she lias never occupied this territory or sought to attach it to the Cayenno provinco until quite recently. Tho district has boon perfunctorily administered by 0110 Cabral, whom the New York Herald significantly terms a " brigand," but who is patriotically fighting for his country. Tho French Government took very little trouble to make their demands in ordinary diplomatic forms. They preferred to adopt the high-handed course of sending troops, with the result that they lost tho lives of "a bravo officer and of several of our soldiers and sailors" to quote the words of M. do Umotho, Governor of French Guiana. Bub Cabral was left master of the situation. There was sorao talk of submitting tho disputed territory to arbitration, and it was understood that both France and Brazil had agreed upon this course. Ib is very improbable, however, that Brazil has occupied the territory in question with the consent of France. Thero seems evory likelihood, therefore, of a serious difficulty arising between tho two Republics which may furnish the new protectors of tho American continent, Messrs. Cleveland and Olnoy, with fresh material for diplomatic bluster.

Some very curious and interesting facts in regard to the London legal poor and their position during 1895 aro given by the limes, It cannot bo said thai) the figures of pauperism have been satisfactory during tlio past twelve months; and on Christmas Day Iho pauper population of London was about 107,000—a very high number, both actually and in proportion to I ho population. Of these, roughly, 40,000 were outdoor and 67,000 indoor pauper?. The raovomenfc in favour of making workhouse lifo more tolerablo for the aged poor has goila forward in London during the your. In Will bechamel, for example, oo»

>aj option by day and „, nw , ul ton in the aiming i, proridtd, th inmates of the workhouse are, to a oonaider able extent, allowed to clioogo tlioir asso' ciatos; and aged married cou o , m no( separated. Daring last year the children of the Htate numbered some 10,000, of whom 1000 were placed out during the year. Of these, only 74 entered the Koyal Nayy ( ln( 89 the Mercantilo Marine; but 127 (, 0 , entsred the various military bands. test of the boys went into various trades. The girls alinosb all became domestic servants. According to tho local taxation returns, the uross expenditure on the |,o n . don poor during tho year was nearly £3,000,000, or 13s 5Jd per head of pop„! a tion, against 12s DJd in 1801.

Lord Salisbury's reconb speech on th( Armenian question le adversoly criticised by Mr. John Morley, but has (jivon great satisfaction to the Sultan of Turkoy. It j 3 of course, a cheap form of philanthropy to insist that England should deal with Turkey in a vigorous manner and if need be singlo-handed. Bub those who indulge in this sort of languago do nob appreciate tho gravity of the situation, England could only bring pressure to bear upon Turkoy by sending a squadron through the Dardanelles, and threatening to bombard Constantinople. Bub the Dardanelles are strongly fortified, and it Is certain that she would loso one or moro vessels in forcing the passage. And when her vessels arrived at tho Bospharus it » more than probable that they would havo to reckon with the warships uf Russia. Instead of bringing relief to the Armenians, their position would be reudored a thousand times worse. The forcing of the Dardanelles by a British flseb would be tho signal for a general massacre of all Christians in Turkish dominions. Wo may bo sure that Lord Salisbury, whoso information is fuller than that of his critics, and who is in a position of immense responsibility, has taken the wisest and most prudent course not only in the interests of the Armenians themselves but in tho interests of peace and of Great Britain, Mr. Gladstone lias written a letter to the Press in connection with tho German intrigue to force England to evacuate Egypt, pointing out that when in 1892 such a course was proposed the Powers were nob willing to asais*) in arranging terms of settlement. Although England has all along declared that her policy in Egypb did not contemplate a permanent occupation of the country, she has tho right to choose the time when she may deem it advisablo to withdraw her forces. That time has not como yet, and it is nob likely to be hurriod by tho intrigues which Germany has thought fit to engage in, The position of the Italians in Abyssinia is not by any means a satisfactory one, and we may expect to hear of vigorous protests in Italy againsb the continuance of colonising efforts in that direction. King Menelik is said to bo greatly incensed at the destruction of Fort Makaleh after agreeing to allow the garrison to withdraw, and accuses the Italians of treachery. The situation in tho Transvaal according to latest advices contains all the elements of serious trouble. Tho Boers are treating the Uitlanders in a manner calculated to provoke reprisals, and once those take placfl ib is impossible to say what tho conse* quencds may bo. The Olympic games, which it is proposed to revive in Athens this year, were the most splendid national festival of tho ancient Greoks. Women were forbidden to be present on pain ol being thrown from a rock. The combatants were as a rule, entirely naked, and wore required to Undergo a preparatory training for ten months in tho public gymnasium. Tho contests consisted of foob races, wrestling, boxing, chariot and horse races, quoit throwing, etc. 1 The only prize for tho victors was a crown of olive twigs. The revival of these games can bear no resemblance in form or sentiment to the ancient order of things. Kaisers and kings may grace the proceedings with their presence, but the old spirit cannot be restored. One cannot recreate the past),