NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10079, 14 March 1896, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

In a thoughtful bat somewhat pessimistic article on the restlessness which was everywhere visible in Europe at the commencement of the year, and which still manifests itself, although not perhaps quite so alarmingly, the Spectator says" There fa morn tsnipor visible everywhere than we can rpiiipjiibcr in our jongi watchfulness of foreign affairs ; and the comparative calmnoes of ruling men, which has been the security of Europe for the past ton years, BQgiflg to be giving way. A very small match just now would fire the magatine, and wfi fee! no confidence, as we did five years ago, that all the matches are in safe hands. It is useless to say that the extent of the armaments is a guarantee of security, or that the peoples will not permit war, or that war js too wicked for the sensitive conscience of the modern nations. No man jn Europe controls a greater army than the German Emperor; there are no people j more absolute in their own country, or more averse to war, than the British; no race is more religious, in the orthodox Christian sense, than the American, among whom, moreover, every man has his tincture of education. Yet we all know what the German Emperor has done we all saw the English people only a fortnight ago rise like one man ready for war; we all read every day the utterances of American representatives dealing with a fratricidal war as if were a" international contest of yachts or pripe-fighters. And, we must add, at the risk of annoying many readers, we all at heart feel sure that the scene lately presented in Turkey—the cold-blooded effort to extirpate a people ip order to avoid future troublewill not pass without a retribution which may fairly extend to those who looked on coldly like the Germans, or sympathisingly like the English, and did nothing to cava tho victims. The British have imitated the good Samaritan only in his feelings. An economic catastrophe may be prevented everywhere by some new discovery, as it was earlier in the century by the introduction of steam ; and war may be arrested by some great event of which we have at present no inkling; but observers cannot calculate upon the basis of the unexpected. So far as human eyes may see, the condition of the world—and

mora especially the condition of men minds—points to some kind of disastrous explosion as at hand in the near future. May we prove wrong, for the world had never more need of peace, or mora to gain from thought and energy, if only peace can be preserved.' l

Mr. J. F. Slogan's new book, "The Sister Dominions," contains the following iketph of the surroundings of Mr. R. S. Spiytho, who, while bis eon is with Mark Twin in Inditj anil South Africa, will

manage the farewell Australian tour of the Rev. Cl)»r|e? Clark, " the pioneer and chief ornament of the colonial lepture platform":-'' Although Mr. R. S. Smythe has hjs permanent 'home in a beautiful eastern suburb of Melbourne, he is quite as likely to be met with in

London, Mew York, Capetown, Simla, or Hongkong, for J|o is knqwn to fame aa the

•' much travelled manager:" However, I was lucky enough to catch him at home durinir my visit to Melbourne. Hi« charming (house-" Hij;hgabe-on-fche-Hill"—

inands a complete panoramic view of Melbourne, while it) the opposite direction a

series of verdant undulating valleys spread out to the distant bluq-cljd mountain ranges. On the walls of the drawing-room hang » lories qf autographed portraits of the celebrities whom Mr. Smythe has from time to time piloted through greater Britain-Archibald Forbes, ' 0, A- Sals, If. M. Stanley, K. A. Proctor, Charles Santley, Max O'Rell, ' and Mrs. Annie Qesant, amongst the number. In the library, Mr. Smythe discloses several literary curiosities, including a number of proofs of Carlylo's works, with marginal notes ip the handwriting of the Chelsea philosopher. The famous manager came to Melbourne forty years ago, and for seven years was an active and versatile pressman in tha£ cjty. edited the firbt pictorial journal published in Melbourne-the illustrated Post (now the Illustrated Newa)-and did a considerable amount of musical and drapjatip criticism. From pronouncing judg ment on public performers,' he passed on to the taking them tjndpr his managerial wing. He boldly struck out soveral new and uneaten paths, ft|td qqw rejojpes in the knowledge and recollection that ho was the

frit to take » professional company to japan, to Simla, and beyond the Orange Hirer in South Africa. But for the last twenty years he has been chiefly conneoted with lecturing celebrities, whom he bas accompanied all over the colonies. To Mr. Smythe the educated public qf Great Britain are deeply indebted for the

privilege of hearing 80rae of the abW speakers and seeing the most inteJi personal! of our time.' 8

The future historian (say. an E contemporary) cannot fail to dMat a 0 I? 'act that towards the end of the nineteen ,' century the English people B «d,|enly ' collected that a Wavy of over po „ erin 3 strength was essential alike for nal * safety and Imperial position. From ti m ° n<l time this consciousness had peeped previously, but after a brief fpaW or ° m "masterly inactivity" once more a , 3un *| sway. These, however, were but the •' monitory symptoms of the awaken!?' which, beginning some year, back, „«£ bears fruit i„ such manifestation, * the celebration of Trafalgar l), lh deeper interest taken by the ' Lfa in naval affairs, the p | uoicl J ; ment with winch the nation views U r " lv augmented estimates, and the Continent!' recognition of the fact that Ureal Urn,*' has once mure becomo supreme on th ocean. The success, too, of the Admin'/ in obtaining ollicers for the fleet from »,! mercantile marino proves by itself that were need to arise, there would be *' occasion, as in Kelson's days, to ni»„ J navy by means of the press gang. Ai.otnj! and more powerful press—the journalistic ' may be trusted to do that. It stan 3to ,7« credit that when economy was supreme, aitf Ministers shy of playing the part of Oiiv, Twist, the journalistic voice shouted persistently into the public ear that, be thecu-t what it might, the navy must bo largely p,. creased. Without that external i inuie we doubt whether the naval revival would have lived for more than a brief span.

A much more patriotic spirit is' l. e in, manifested in Italy in regard to the operations in Abyssinia. After the ne« ? of the last reverse there was displayed f nr the moment $ disposition to throw up the undertaking of subjugating Abyssinia. That feeling, however, has apparently passed away. The clamour fur the withdrawal of the troops lias died out, All Italy now recognises that her pr?.. tige must be maintained, cost whit it may. Sixty thousand volunteers have offered themselves for service, and the departure of reinforcements was made the occasion for an outburst of popular feeling the troops being warmly cheered on embarking. It is said the Hhoam are advancing en Adigrat. In Spa.ii, the war spirit is equally rampant, and the I'remier is inviting subscriptions to a war fund for the prosecution of operations in Cuba, which it is expected will be liberally contributed. A fire in Bombay has destroyed the naval stores.