NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18533, 18 October 1923, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

JAPAN'S GRATITUDE.

Any doubt that•■ may still linger;■ as ;to the reception by the : Japanese Government of i the proposed < contribution ;• of £25,000 from New Zealand ■: for the relief of distress should be removed by perusal of . the official communications to other countries. '> Typical of them is the message addressed by the Prime Minister of Japan; Count Yamamoto, to the Government of the United States, tho text, of which was as follows:—"At a time when Japan was making her. best; endeavours to follow the letter and spirit of the Versailles Treaty and the Washington Treaties, which wo believe have laid the foundation of world peace and will greatly promote human welfare, the Em pire was visited by a most appalling disin which all tho elements combined. In this hour of deep grief and anxiety, felt alike by the Emperor and all his subjects, the President of tho United States issued a proclamation urging the American people to come to. the aid of the I stricken people of Japan and designating i the American Bed Cross to administer the relief work. Then the commander of the American Asiatic fleet lost no time in despatching the ships under his command to the scene of the disaster and offered the services of the entire fleet for the immediate relief of the sufferers. Some of these vessels have already arrived in the harbour of Yokohama. At tho same time the Philippine Government sent transports loaded with full cargoes for the relief. In the midst of tho bewildering devastation the American Ambassador, together with the staff of the Embassy, and the Americans sesident in Japan, are helping the relief work with a marvellous spirit of self-sacrifico in spite of .the fact that the Embassy itself was destroyed by fire The report of these spontaneous and prompt measures, taken by the President, the Government, and the people of the United States, is creating a profound impression in the grateful hearts of suffering Japan. With these facts in mind, I desire to express in the name of the' Japanese Government their most heartfelt thanks to tho American Government, and at the same time to convey to the President and people of the United States the deep sense of gratitude of my Sovereign and of the entire Nation of Japan for this noble manifestation of a sincere and generous sympathy. I am happy in believing (hat this precious gift of American sympathy in the hour of greatest trial for the Japanese Nation cannot but serve the peace of tho world, in drawing still closer the .bond of friendship and trust between the two countries."

SPIRITUAL HEALING. There is great confusion of thought over what " spiritual healing " implies, writes Dr George M- Robertson, Professor of Psychiatry in the University of Edinburgh, in a letter to the London Times, referring to the recent sermon in "Westminster Abbey by the Rev. R. C. Griffith. It is not mental therapy, such as suggestion, auto-suggestion, or psycho analysis, the curative effects of which are admitted by all. It partakes, according to the manner of thought of the ordinary man and woman, of the nature of a miracle. And, being an exhibition of "Divine power, .thero is no limit to its possibilities. Mr. Griffith saw patients suffering from blindness and deafness cured; but we know that suggestion

alone is -capable of doing this. Then, what grounds has Mr. Griffith for saying these cures were effected by "spiritual healing?" The .paralysed arm of a hysteric, withered from disuse, may also become alive and active by suggestion alone. But Mr. Griffith -has also seen cancers cured in 20. minutes. But in such a case every medical man will want to know if the disease was certainly cancer. It does no goodindeed, it does very much harmto the cause of true religion to assert that a blind, deaf, or paralytic patient was oured by "spiritual healing" when mental suggestion' alone may have been the active curative agent, or to say that a cancer was removed when the disease was net known with certainty to be a cancer. It has been hinted that doctors arc materialistic, but so is disease. It is also asked : "Why should we deny the power of God?" The physician certainly does not do so; he.admits it, as readily as the devout astronomer every hour of the day. Let us look at these problems in another way. The laws of space and of gravitation are no more an • obstacle toi; 1 Divine power than are those of .anatomy and physiology, which are involved in disease, for mountains may be removed. Do we ever hear of the clergy initiating miracles in this sphere or performing feats of an engineering kind? When the foundations of the pillars supporting the dome of a great cathedral subside, do they not open subscription lists and call in the services of an architect?

i THE EMPIRE'S TRADE. Commenting on the speech made by Mr. Massey at tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce banquet, the Belfast NewsLetter discussed Imperial preference as the only way by which tho revival of 'industry ;can be hastened. ''The Independent Liberals, under the leadership of Mr. Asquith, are still rigid Free Traders, and they are likely to resist any extension of the' policy, but they are a small party in the House of Commons, and they have no great influence in tho country. They may organise a campaign, and raise once more the cry of the dear loaf, but the people, who know how high food prices were, and still are, under Free Trade will pay little attention to them. They also know that Freo Trade has not given them constant employment ; that our manufacturers are unable to compete in foreign markets owing to the high duties imposed upon their exports, while the policy of free imports exposes them to severe competition in the Home markets. When the electors ask Free Traders how they propose to improve present conditions, they are unable to answer them. It is useless to tell foreign Governments that it is unfair for them to tax our exports when wo admit their exports free, for they reply that we adopt that policy in" our own interest, not out of consideration for them, and that consequently they owe us nothing. But if our Government puts the samo duties on their exports that they put upon ours it will be in a position to open negotiations, and its representations will be listened to with respect. The result will be that foreign tariffs will be lowered or competition in the Home markets will be greatly reduced, and in either case British industries will benefit. The argument that Free Trade promotes peace among nations has been generally dropped since the Great War. Our fiscal policy did nothing to avert war, nor did it gain for us the good opinion of a' single neutral country. We are far more' likely to bo respected if we show that we are both able and willing to defend our trade as well ae our other interest^."'