NEWS AND VIEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3647, 25 January 1899, Page 6

NEWS AND VIEWS.

Now that the Nicaragua intcr-oceanic canal is so much in evidence in the cables —in sis years, according to President McKinley, its construction is to be an accomplished fact—some details as to the scheme may be of interest. The project, largely depends for its success upon the utilisation of Lake Nicaragua, a fine sheet of water, 90 miles long and 40 . miles broad, and the river San Juan.which runs from the lake into the Atlantic, the town of San Juan de Nicaragua, or Greytown as the Americans call it, being situated at the eastern outlet. The lake, wo may add, is 110 feet above the sea level, twelve miles from the Pacific, and about sixty miles from the Atlantic. Halfway up the river, a dam is to be constructed, which will make the San Juan, so the engineers assert, navigable to the lake. ‘ From the dam to the Atlantic coast, a canal, with two locks, willho dug, another canal, with six locks, running from the Lake to the Pacific. It is unnecessary to point out the selfevident advantages to the colonics which must result from the construction of the canal, but the two facts alone that the long and tedious trip round the Horn will bo avoided, and that the voyage from Now Zealand to London wil bo made through latitudes little frequented by violent storms, are worthy of special note. For everybody’s sake it is to be hoped that Nicaragua may not be a second “ Panama.”

It is always pleasant to know a little about the inner and personal life of men who arc usually in the full glare of publicity. The editor of this year’s edition of “Who’s Who” has been lucky in getting Mr Cceiil Rhodes to say what are the favourite recreations of Paul Kruger’s determined opponent. Thus, one reads that Mr Rhodes is an early riser, riding daily for a couple of hours before breakfast; ‘that he reads the classics (when does he find time ?); that he “ admires Fronde and Carlyle universally ; ” that ho knows Mr Boffin’s favourite, Gibbon, “by heart;” and that more 'than.'.“any other single work in literature” he admires, “ Vjinity Fair.” Mr Rhodes also owns to a, weakness for collecting jold furniture; old china, and curios generally ; that ho possesses a picture by Sir Joseph Reynolds ; that he lias a particular weakness for gardening, especially rose cultur'o ; that ho is “si fair shot” and “a good jpyramid player;” and finally, and most curious ;aud original “recreation ” ;.of, all, that he “has a menagerie bn Table Mountain and visits his lions - there every day when he can.” Tho lions must ; be having a long rest from disturbance by their owner, for Mr Rhodes has now been some time in London, where he is mightily busy with his big railway scheme to connect Bulawayo and tho British settlements .on Lake Tanganyika. Ho himself is a “ lion ” just now.’ ’ ',

“ Ouida,” whose letters to newspapers generally have for subject either the iniquities of modern Italian novernmont, or the silliness and cruelty which are responsible for the death every year of, .thousands of beautiful birds (-whose feathers are used for female adornment) has -rocently taken, up a new grievance, and makes a strong protest against anonymity in journalism, and more especially in the’ correspondence columns. She says, “ No! one whose opinion is honest is ashamed to sign his name ?” This is declared by a London paper to be a very sweeping assertion. In newspaper correspondence (where, moreover, the editor is not kept in the dark) there are often reasons of expediency why writers w'ith absolutely honest opinions find it advisable to use a nom do guerre. Tho “London Daily Chronicle,” sa.wo notice, twits “Ouida” herself with inconsistency in “ overlooking tho ’ fact that, by signing herself ‘Ouida’ she is doing the selfsame thing ” which in others she so roundly condemns. But the “Chronicle’s” argument is hardly fair, for all the world knows by this time that tho nom do plume of “ Ouida ” covers the interesting identity of Louise do la Bameo. > :

American papers have it that Colonel John Hay, the present’ American Ambassador to the Court of St. James, is shortly to ho replaced; by-- Mr Joseph Hodges Choate, the Colonel, who is chiefly noted, outside political, and diplomatic circles, as being the anther of the inimitably humorous “ Pike County Ballads,” taking up a leading position at Washington. Mr Choate, who, so rumour hath it, is to fill the position occupied in the-past by such notable Americans as Messrs Phelps, and Russell Lowell, is a very eminent member of the New York bar. He was for many years president of _ tho famous Union League Club, and is also noted for his unremitting, activity against the Tammany evil; indeed it wag he who, in 1871, was most prominent in the overthrow; of the notorious “Boss Tweed gang of municipal thieves. " Mr Choate shares -with the “silver-tongued Chauncey Depew, who, by the way, has also been mentioned' .as a possible successor to Colonel Soy,' the distinction of being the best after-dinner orator in the States. - 1 j .

A. Frenchman praising British rule and frankly telling his countrymen that they lack the gift of colonisation—here indeed is an eighth wonder of the world 1 The culprit—for at Paris we may be certain he will in future be held a traitor of .the deepest dye—is M. Lionel Decle,.whose hook “Through Savage Africa” was sum n sensation last year. M. Decle, who knows Africa.pud especially South Africa, as few Frenchmen, or even Englishmen* know it, contributes an extremely in-.-foresting article to the December issue ,of “ The Contemporary Review,’ and does not hesitate to say that “Franco has more colonising schemes on hand than she can carry out.” Should Groat Britain, in what be considers would be; “a fit of insanity,” yield to French pretensions in the Bahr-el-Ghazal and Darfur provinces, they would_ he practically and commercially inaccessible, and “ bo : come under French rule a white' elephant.”. Hero is plain speech indeed, which will be none too palatable at Paris. Bub M. Decle; goes further. He asserts that for fifty years France has been trying every mode of administration in Algeria,, and yet with a fine climate and a fertile soil, the colpny-is.not self-support-ing. Under British rule and British methods, Algeria would, he contends, in five years be prosperous and double her trade, with France. As to Madagascar, ho roundly accuses his fellow couitrvmen of “ignorance and incapacity” and compares the .condition of the island with what it would have been, if, like Rhodesia, it had been opened to British enterprise and capital. After all this, it is not surprising to learn that M. Decle has lived 18 , years in British colonies. After his recent-article he will bo prudent if ho gives the boulevards a widoffierth. .

The “Yellow Peril” is not confuted to Australasia. It lias cropped; up even in England, where the cry of “The Chinese must go” is/daily gathering: ground—amongst Kennel men-! During the last few years the introduction of foreign canines has been almost a - mania with■ ’what is called the Dog Fancy. Pood'es came in after the Crimean War, and the French Alliance, the Dachshund, and the great Dane followed in the seventies, and now tho tiny Spitz and Schipnerkes, the-white Russian wolfhound or Borzoi, have all their host of enthusiastic ad-’ inkers. The latest- and most fashionable craze, however, is for the “Chow dog.” Needless to say, he hails from the Celestial Empire, though it is ■ somewhat a. paradox that the Chinaman, who places

roast puppy on his national bill of fare, should develop a dog export trade. It appears that in Northern China the “Chow”—the dog, not the man—has been bred for centuries past for the sake of his skin. As the “ Spectator,” always famous for its dog stories, puts it, “tho least sentimental of humanity, the Chinese kills his dogs when young, skins them, and eats them. He keeps dog farms for the purpose.” The “ Chow ” has a sharp muzzle, a rough, reddishyellow coat, and the curled tail of his ancestors. Unfortunately he is ‘‘most uncertain in temper, disobedient, and liable to fits of savageness,” and, as the “ Spectator ” characteristically laments, “has none of the repose of our good old English breeds.” Therefore, and for other reasons, including a specially obnoxious enmity towards sheep, the “Chow” lias more enemies than friends and one “ doggy ” journal goes so far as to suggest an appeal to the Board of Trade to prohibit his importation. In which case a canine- “ Aliens Restriction Bill ” is a possibility for English members of Parliament to contemplate next session.

Tommy Atkins, and his Jack Tar comrades, would be the first to acknowledge the gallantry so frequently and prominently displayed by the surgeons whom the “Widow - .at Windsor” employs to attend to their wounds. At Cliitral, in tho Soudan, and e’sowhore in the course of John Bull’s so-called “little wars,” the ’ names of army medical officers have constantly cropped up in despatches, and even the comparatively insignificant entente in Crete, in September last, furnishes a testimony to the bravery of tho surgeons, the muchcoveted V.C. having just been awarded to pne Surgeon William Job Maillard, M.D., R.N. Maillard was surgeon on board the Hazard, from which vessel a number of seamen had. been disembarked in order to protect British subjects who were attacked by the fanatical Turkish soldiery. Noticing that An': ordinary* seaman, Arthur Stroud, has-been wounded, and had fallen back into the boat tis the ; other men jumped ashore. Maillard, who--- had gained a place of safety, returned - to the boat “through a 'perfect- deluge, of bullets.” ’ The; boat was adrift, and the gallant doctors -efforta’ to lift the man (almost diad) out of so unstable a platform, worn unavailing. ; The ,would-be rescuer got back to his post with his “ bat and clothes fiddled with bullets ” (we quote the official gizetto notice)-but luckily tbe brave fellow escaped unhurt. Ha well deserves his Cross ■