NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17881, 8 September 1921, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

GROWTH OF NAVAL GUNS. Although othei* Powers are continuing to develop the size and weight of their naval artillery, experts think, it improbable that the British Navy will go beyond the 15-inch weapon with which we entered the war. Doubtless the fact that the Hood is thus armed constitutes a strong point for this view. We built and used 18-inch guns during the war, and the fact that these have apparently been abandoned is certainly significant, says the Naval and Military Record The advantage of range and smashing power beyond the limits of visibility which encompass a naval battle is not worth the pnoe of the great additional burthen imposed upon the hull. The ratio of weight of metal has increased out of all proportion to the growth of displacement At Trafalgar a 2000 ton ship-of-the-line carried a gun of 2 tons 12cwt., 9ft. 6in. long, throwing a projeotile of 321b. Today a battleship of 25,000 tons mounts a gun of 97 tons, 56ft. 3in. long, and throwing a projectile of 190Qlb. Even allowing for the far larger number of weapons carried by the old ships, th 6 disproportion of burthen is enormous

ASIATICS IN CANADA. That Asiatics are getting an increasingly firm grip -on British Columbia's produce trade ia indicated by figures compiled by the British Columbia Provincial Department of Agriculture. More than 55 per cent, of the potatoes produced in the province are now grown by Chinese; they also control most of the greenhouses around the Victoria district. They hare 193,570 square feet under glass and produce large quantities of early tomatoes, lettuces, other produce, and flowers. In Vancouver 90 per cent, of tha produce supplied to the markets is grown by Chinese Even in the famous garden districts of Ashcroft and Lillooet, Chinese own 2500 acres, and lease 1905 acres, m blocks, running as high as 640 acres—a mile square. Recently more sales of land have been made direct from the white farmer, who finds he cannot make pj£ duction pay, to the Oriental. Of the 4500 acres of small fruit in British Columbia, 2341 acres are controlled by Japanese In Vancouver the Chinese p^ddlenf"hawk f£LZT UU ?* either in small cart* or Most of them have no rent to pay, and, small hovels huddled together, their expenses are small compared with livjg i Whifce - tradesmen. Tne Asiatics work exceedingly long hours in their field gardens, and make snug profit* ?he fcoST 8 3re ° Dly sli S ht] y lower than tne European greengrocery store.

SUBMARINE WARFARE. German agencies are conducting a skilful and widespread propaganda to justify the submarine ruthlessness they practised during the war, says the Naval and Military Record, and signs are multiplying that opinion in other countries is being gradually brought round to the view that evf 6 n aS , aothia S really barbarous or even illegal in the German " sink at nearirv gftfe Whk > "T* the deat * °f nearly -#,000 seafarers^ »« J"i * w t mcro diWe that uations rt nowned for their chivalrous and humane conduct of warfare should findTt ££ to condone such crimes as that of the S"V» the g™»d of expediency. nS.V w?T' 1S "* the peall y important point. What must be anticipate in the event of another naval war? Will th* belhgerents proceed forthwith to use sub marines against eadh other's merchant w ?- beli r e te wss able, and the question then arises- Is a l ae l fe de course be conducted on the lines laid down for ordinary bSr r 0 n w t? are^r hkh rem3er ,-t 22 32. #$? ra,der *° P rt >vide for the safety of those on board every ship he smks-or must w e look for a revival ot S tZZ'T German P raotice of torpedoihatTrl rain Jf ? , The 3onmal urges S£ the ,? nest io° should be decided at the approachmg conference in Washington should lay down a code which otW nations would follow. aer

THE WORLD'S SHIPPING. The tonnage of seagoing merchant vessels launched during the three vears ended December 31, 1920, was equivalent to mow than 2o per cent, of all similar tonnage aunched ,n the 29 years f rom 1592 £ 1920. Prior to the war, the largest wTTse f$ ippiDg i ? unched in an y y** was 3,332,882 gross tons in 1913. Ship construction decreased during the earlier t nS.c f f far', ear',* ar ', lin g *<> 1.201,630 tons r?™lJr a th f fo , Uow "»g years, however, argent demands for tonnage stimulated construction but it was not until 1918 that total launchings exceeded those of laio Jn that year, due largely to the construction of more than 3,000,000 tons in the United States, the world's shipyards launched 5,447,444 tons, while in 1919 the total was 7,144,549, of which more than 4,000,000 were the'product of American yards. In 1920 shipbuilding activity was reduced somewhat, but launchings were still in excess of any ore IlflSfXn 1919 < the total being 5,852,000 tons. In spite of the destruction by enemy action of over 13,000 000 gross tons of seagoing merchant vessels between August 1, 1914 and November 11, 1918, and the loss through marine hazards of an additional 2,390,000 tons during the same period, the world's mercantile tonnage afloat is to-day greater tfran it would be had the ave-age rate of increase for the 10 years prior to 1914 continued in the years since that date, estimates of tonnage now afloat indicate a total m excess of 60 000.000 gross tons approximately 11,000.000 eross tons above the figure for June 30, 1914.

THE VALUE OF EDUCATION. | Addressing the Millions Club in Syd ney, Sir James Barrett said that if the | policy of a White Australia is to be j maintained, and if Australia is to hold her own, there is only one policy to be pursued, and that is to get population and to make that population efficient. did not count for everything in the present day QVsiamsation was really more essential and important, and Australia should be so organised that she would be at her best industrially, commercially noli y ', m °r al!y ' and , in ver y Possible .'■ay. In the way of organisation the extension of educational facilities was of the utmost significance, as it took a . trained mind to make the most of the ordinary condemns of life. When essential f ac is were placed before the untrained man who had not the gift of imagination, he was absolutely at sea, and the information before him was useless. The pre war and the present strength of Germany lay in her education system, which en abled the great industrial and commercial concern* to take the best advantage ot the opportunities offered by ffL T\ !<\w th6 i W ° rld - El * la "d had realised that, and as a consequence they had what was known as the "Fisher revolution which meant the continuance of education up to the age of 18 Franc* was proposing to make education comnul sory up to 20, and Japan was tending the years ot instruction. The re. son was tint the ages of 14 to 18 were the most important from the instructional standpoint m the life of the adolescent and whether at work or not there should be a_ sound system of education of a practical kind continued throughout these JTwV n ey Sh ° uld H so bea '- j " mind that the Government nf the British Fm pire, and especially of Australia, had now passed into the control of the adult population, and the better the adults were educated in the widest "sense of the term the better would be the systems of government. Thev must, of course Kuard aßa.nst the danger of r *g,i n ,, up a race of ciav&r scoundrels.