NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12853, 29 April 1905, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

OKR.MA-N*. DEVELOPMENTS J.N* CHINA. StN'CK the German Government took practical possession, of Kiao-eliau, German trade and influence lias greatly extended', as it lias now a very, convenient. centre of operation. A recent "White Book," issued by the German Government, gives an account of the economic and industrial progress which ha? been made, and we commend it to the attention of those of our readers who are specially interested in China. Trade and industry are now international in their nature, audi to understand them aright, ib is necessary to take into account all the factors of the problems involved. In recent years, the Germans have certainly displayed! great activity and intelligence, and they have helped to rouse the British merchants and, to a certain extent, the British manufacturersfrom their ordinary routine ways, and compelled them to adapt themselves to new conditions. It is evident that Kiaochau is destined to become a very important centra of distribution, which will have great results on foreign and Chinese trade. From the official publication referred to. we learn that the completed portion of the first jetty of the large harbour was thrown open to use in March of last year, and that ' 1 ' ' r:il!v.t»y '''meeting the coast with Tsi-waii-iu, 1 in: distant capital of the province of Shan-tung, was connected with the jetty. Trade increased rapidly, and more warehouse accommodation had to be provided; and it was recognised that the second jetty must be constructed without loss of time. This work was, therefore, hastened, and in the beginning of September one side of the second! jetty was available for the berthing of ships. The work of building the large floating dock has been vigorously pushed/ on, and it is hoped that the dock will soon be ready for use. The construction of the railway ha? been finished within the limit 'of time fixed by the concession; for ou June 1 of last year, 01 exactly five years from the granting ot the concession, (lie main line to Tsi-wan-fu, distance of 265 miles, anil also the branch line in the Po-shfln Valley, a. distance of 27 miles, were thrown open to traffic. The statistics published in the " White Book" show that these developments have borne good fruit, and that already the trade is very considerable both bv railway and by sea; bub meantime we need not enter into details. Tlw railway i.s expected t-. have a very great influence in the direction of enabling the natives-to fine? a market for the fruit, oil, tobacco, and corn which they ..ultivate. The cultivation of timber has been carried! out with success, and the general health of the Protectorate during the /uisb year was most satisfactory. Tsing-tan is rapidly becoming 9 favourite seaside resort, and the new hotel, built on the shore of the AugustaVictoria Bay, was opened for the bathing season, and attracted about 500 foreign visiters. Various educational and medical institutions have been established, and a daily German newspaper lias been started. There is, in addition, o weekly German organ, while the Chinese newspapers keep the Chinese informed with regard to current events. The White Book contains a number of excellent maps and photographs, and altogether the publication is a very .instructive production pi its kind.

president -ROOSEVELT'S READING, v It is remarkable that, with all his duties, President Roosevelt manages to do a good deal of reading. A writer in tile April Century Magazine says:-"I have no record of the President's recent reading, but it is not a secret that lie is ' keeping up the pacfe.' Some of lily friends are still reading at' Morlev's three thick volumes of Gladstone's 'Life.' The President, of course, read them promptly, gaining, I am told, not only a fresh, but a much more favourable view of the great leader, whom lie confessed he had hitherto failed to understand. A publisher not long ago told me that Roosevelt seemed to have his eye oil the authors of their house, and now and then a private letter, full of appreciation, would pass through the publisher's hands on the way .to an author. In the thick of the campaign of 1904 I happen to know that he re-read all of Macaulay's 'History of England.' all of Rhodes' 'History of the United States,' and Dickens' 'M'arlin Chuzzlewit.' The other afternoon he was handed a new booka not very long dissertation on a matter of current interest. That evening he entertained a number of guests at dinner, and later there was a musical party at the Whits House, at which lie- was present. At luncheon, the next day, the giver said to him, 'Mr. President, of course you have nothad time to look at that book?' ' Oil, yes/ said the President;' I have read it.' Whereupon he proved that he had done so by his criticism of the work. One day, lately, » book of short stories Was sent to him; almost by return mail came a lette? thanking the sender, and saying he had already enjoyed the stories greatly in serial publication. ' How does lie manage to do it?' All I know about this is that, in the first place, lie has by nature or practice the faculty of extremely rapid reading. There are some men of letters and ' general readers' who never have been able to acquire this art. Others can take in paragraphs or pages wellnigh at a glance. The President must be one of these photographic readers, who take almost instantly the impression of a whole paragraph or nearly a whole page, the eye running along the line with lightning-like rapidity, and leaping to the more important phrases as by instinct. I have known the following to occur: —A Congressman makes a statement to him and hands him a typewritten paper. Almost immediately the President hands it back to him; whereupon the Congressman says, deprecatingly, 'Mr. President, may I not leave this paper with you? lam anxious that you should read it,' 'But,' answers the President, 'I have read it; you can examine me in it, if you wish.'"