INTERESTING ITEMS FROM THE WORLD'S PRESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12194, 13 February 1903, Page 3

INTERESTING ITEMS FROM THE WORLD'S PRESS.

DEBTOR NATIONS. Let it not be forgotten that we are trying to collect a little claim of a million and ahalf from Korea for a railroad built and not paid for. These seem to be rather warm times for nations that do not pay their bills.lnquirer, Philadelphia. NEW NAVAL SCHEME. ■j|ime alone can test the new naval scheme, will reveal its weak points if it has any, and will prove its worth. But at least the nation owes a deep debt of gratitude to Lord Selborne and his colleagues for grappling with this matter and for the courage they have exhibited in dealing with it.—Army and Navy Gazette. LONDON AND GLOBE CASE. In refusing to prosecute in this (Loudon and Globe Finance Corporation) case the Attorney-General has taken a grave responsibility. The decision cannot fail to encourage others in the future to imitate the proceedings of Mr. Whitaker Wright, with disastrous results to those who put their trust in them. —The Times. COMMEMORATING THE CRIMEAN WAR. The Emperor of Russia proposes in 1905 to honour in a particular way the fiftieth anniversary of the close of the Crimean war and the defence of Sebastopol. It is intended to mark out the old line of the Sebastopol defences, and to erect monuments commemorating the corps which were engaged and the officers who took part with distinction.—Novoye Vremya, St. Petersburg. "ENGLAND'S MONROE DOCTRINE." England, too,' has' adopted a sort of Monroe doctrine as an integral part of its foreign policy. It is the friendship for America ; and the English people were little pleased to see that their ideal of an AngloSaxon world-friendship was jeopardised on account of a flirtation which, though it may be in accordance with the feelings of the English Court, is certainly disapproved by the English people.—Neue Freie Presse, Vienna. DOCTRINE OF DISLOYALTY. The worst "business" done foi Ireland by her political leaders was clone by those of them who made the mistake of thinking that loyalty and meek submission and the making of things harmonious for the Empire would secure good treatment for the Irish people. Canada, says Sir Wilfrid Laurier, is loyal because she is free, and he might have added with equal truth that Canada is free because she was disloyal while she was uufree.—Freeman's Journal. ENGLAND THROUGH AUSTRIAN GLASSES. Enough sins have been committed by the Balfour Government. Are there not starving in the parks the discharged heroes of the South African War, if not lucky enough to be sheltered by the Salvation Army? Are the South African War investigations not conducted in secret, contrary to all notions of English law and customs? And did not the majority give away £70,000,000 to the water companies who will let London go thirsty in the summer, but never omit to collect the water dues? More sessions like that just terminated will hardly be endured even by the indifferent, longsuffering English public.—Die Zeit, Vienna.