NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19916, 9 April 1928, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

NAVAL ARMAMENTS. " For a British Government war with the United States is unthinkable, and the prospect of a war with the United States, or preparation for a war with the United States, has never been and never will be the basis of our policy in anything," said Sir Austen Chamberlain, Secretary of Stato for Foreign Affairs, in a speech in the House of Commons recently. "I was interested the other day to noto the evidence given by the Secretary of the United States Navy. Throughout his testimony he repeatedly insisted that, in putting forward tho programme of naval construction Which is now being considered, the Navy Department had uo thought of entering into a race for armaments with any foreign Power. He stated that the United States has not engaged in competitive building of warships, and does not intend to do so, and ho added that in preparing the programme before them, the General Board had considered primarily the United States Navy's own needs, and that such needs were only indirectly related to tho strength of other navies and their construction and replacement programmes. In reply to a question, he specifically stated—and I am glad that he did, for I hope it will put an end once and for all to rumours which ought never to have had any currency—that 'Because Great Britain, for instance, has built a larger tonnage of cruisers than we have chosen to build, it is no imputation on her part of any departure from either the letter or the spirit of the treaty.' . * . Ho made it clear that there has been no breach of faith, no infringement either of the letter or of the spirit of the Washington Treaty on the part of His Majesty's Government; and I can say for our Government, as he said for his, that our building is not competitive, and that our programmes are framed only with a view to the necessary protection of our British interests." SOCIALISM IN NORWAY. Tho first Socialist Government in Norway speedily failed. It was formed on January 26 and defeated on February 8. In its brief fortnight of existence it succeeded in nothing except scaring the sober elements of the country, to whatever party they belonged, says the Times. Tho Ministerial declaration with which it inaugurated its career was simply a Socialist manifesto. By beginning his declaration with tho words, "On behalf of the Labour Party," the Prime Minister, M. Hornsrud, seemed to imply that he had no ambilion to represent the nation as a whole. He proceeded to dovclop a prograramo of extreme. Socialist measures, borrowing freely in the process from the tenets of Communism. The consequences were inevitable and immediate. Government securities fell in value, and millions of kroner went out of the country. The confidence of financial, industrial, and political circles was badly shaken. A Radical motion of censure was introduced in tho Storting by the former Prime Minister, M. Mowinckel. It received general support and was carried by a sufficient majority. Reviewing the situation in Norway, tho Times says commercial and administrative socialisation had already been carried to extreme lengths. Governments not Socialist in name had operated or supported every form of industrial and municipal enterprise. Tho wine trade was a Government affair. Railways, with the pockets of the taxpayers to draw upon for covering losses, provided third-class sleeping accommodation. All Government officials could have all their lotteis franked at State expense. Houses, were built by municipalities for the benefit of manual workers and leased at rents which were wholly uneconomic. Since the Conservative and Radical Parties had been so socialistic in their conduct' of affairs, there was manifestly an opportunity for the Socialist Party to adopt a conservative attitude and restore stability. ThS Labour leader, however, preferred to try to outrun his predecessors; and he appeals to have brought his country into an awkward impasse. AUSTRALIA'S WAR MEMORIAL. The final'designs for the Australian War Memorial to be erected at Canberra are being prepared and it is hoped the memorial will be completed in three years. It will be a monumental building containing permanent records of the names and the home districts of over 60,000 Australians who died on war service."- It will also hold a collection of war relics and mementos unequalled for its rango and increasing value by any similar collection elsewhere—relics which future generations must hold very precious," says the Sydney Morning Herald. This collection was made for the most part by men of the A.T.F. themselves, for it was the inspiration and general desire of those men, including numbers who fell, that the memorial of their efforts in arms should take just this form of a national war museum. This part of the memorial, including those captured trophies which have been distributed throughout Australia thus comprises tho last gifts of fallen soldiers themselves to their country, gifts meant by them to be a speaking record of the A.l.F.'s adventures, its efforts, and its sacrifices. Sinoo tho memorial had to be a monument of national sentiment — and it could be nothing else—it is impossible knowing what we do of tho origin of this collection, that it could take any Other form. Tho Mayoral scarf, given on the spot by the Mayor of a French village te the Diggers who defended it; the buglo which fell from the dying hand of a trumpeter on Pine Ridge at Gallipoli things like these in the museum collection net only are and will be inestimable national prizes, but they are tho direct personal links with the heroes we would honour." - • , ;■