EVENTS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 5802, 20 January 1906, Page 4

EVENTS OF THE DAY.

IMPKIUAL CABLES AND DEFEND!'

Two Imperial questions. 010-ciy allied to eat’li other, aro di cussed ;it homo length in an interview with MrUiohard Jobi) which wo publish to-day. Slateowned submarine cables arc advocated by our visitor, not only for their utility in matters of defence and commerce, but also for the service they could bo nuuln to render in the way of drawing together the different parts of the Kmpin- and binding them by links of common interest and sympathy. There i-s much force in las contention that the Pacific cable Is only one link in the chain that ought, to he forged. The projected new and powerful naval bate at Singapore, which is calculated to prove of great value in connection with the defence of Australia and New Zealand, ought assuredly to bo linked up with these countries and with India by means of State-owned cable lines. To onr mind, also, it is dosirablo that all installations of wireless telegraphy in these parts of tho Empire should bo under tho control of tho respective Governments and not handed over to private enterprise. New Zealand has well played her port in matters of cubic communication, and it is to bo hoped other colonies and dependencies of tho Empire will act along tho same lines. As regards naval defence, Canada and Australia seem bent upon pursuing a policy divergent from that of New Zealand and South Africa The Dominion and the Commonwealth aspire to own and oontrol a navy of their own; tho other self-governing colonies aro content to relv on the British Navy, towards which they give annual subsidies. Mr J ebb thinks! apparently, that it is premature to talk of a New Zealand navy, yet his view that wo should cooperate with Australia in naval defence is open to tho construction tluit wo should share tho ambition to »ct up a squadron of our own; for, though Australia makes a lar*o contribution to tho British squadron, there is a strong feeling in favour of discontinuing this and adopting tho Canadian attitude. In a recent editorial, tho London ‘•Morning Bost,” discussing the possibility of Australia building and wannnip warships of her own, argued that such acton would not jicKJCSsarily destroy Imperial unity in mutters ot defence. It contended that Australians would recognise that their navy cculd only hope to fulfil its mission by co-oporat-ing with tho British Nary, ;uul, by tho realisation of this truth* "tho unity which by tho creation of an Australian Navy would superficially appear to have boon lost would in principle have become more perfect. 7 ’ This seems reasonable, and the argument would doubtless prov© sound so long as tho control was undivided; but there is exactly where difficulty would be sure to arise. And, Insides, wlio shall say iihet-her a consciousness of self-defensive ability would not make Canada or Australia very ready to "cut the painter” on verv slight provocation? 'Hie lines upon‘which New Zealand is proceeding appear to us to bo moro cowpatib.o with Imperial unity aud effective dofence than those followed by Canada, and favoured by a section of Australians. THE UNIONIST ‘‘DEBACLE.” Our cable messages continue to toll of tho triumph of Liberal and Labour candidates iu the British elections now in progress, and there Moms to be every prospect of tho Bannerman Ministry' having an absolute majority’ oier all other sections in tho new House of Commons. It will, however, bo suen a small majority that the Ministry will lw compelled to enter into somo soix of alliance witii tho Irish Nationalists, or tho Labour section, in order that It may carry on tho business of tho country. Indications are that Labour will have tho first innings—the Irish question, bv arrangement, being postponed until after another general election. In this way a largo programme of social reform may bo realised in the course of a few years, o» the Unionist and Nationalist parties will each be so weak that they will be impotent to obstruct business. The outstanding feature of the elections, so far as they have gone, is tho emphatic condemnation they afford of tho policy of tho late Government. Never in the history of popular representation has any Ministry received such a vigorous ship in the face as has been administered to tho Balfour Cabinet. Up to the time of writing, eight members of the late Ministry who sought re-elec-tion have had their fate decided by tho popular vote. Of those, seven have boon rejected, viz., Messrs A. J. Balfour, Gerald Balfour, Lyttelton. Brodriok, Long, and Alwyn-Feliowes, and Lord Stanley. Tho only one who has secured re-election, Air ArnoldForstcr, has been returned by a minority vote, a* tho result of a throocornered contest. No clearer demonstration than this could bo given of tho disfavour into which the Balfour Government had fallen; and ns if to add emphasis to the people’s verdict, .Mr. Chamberlain, who left tho Govern-

ir.ent because of its vacillation ant! half-lieartedm'ss, has been returned by larger majority than ho obtained bofor.-. It ia. of course, clear that tho Balfour Mi:ii>t: \ would bavo fidlon, even had it adopted tho Chumberhuu fiscal policy: lat it cannot bo said, in face of tho facts that Mr Chamberlain wrerked the Ministry am! lost his eau.se by hi- anion. The presumption rather i« that 1 h<- Colonists would have fared boHer at the hands of tho elertons had fiTey adopted a bold nnd clear-cut policy instead of one of •'philosophic doubt." subtle distinctions ami trim mins compromises. 31011 K BIUTAH AMERICAN FOOTBALL. It is to he hopes! that our touring Rugby team will not bo prevailed upon to encounter any American college toum at. the American game they play m enthusiastically am! so "well. If tsuch a match were to take place wo might, not see any of the team—unprotected as they are—again. In nn account of a match Isa ween the mrivemtieo of Wesleyan and C-olmnbia, a recent American paper calls the encounter “tha a pal haosis of leal ball brutality”; and the incidents of this “game” fully hear out the aptness of the phrase- lb appears that near tho end of tho second half, when the WWtyfun worn desperate and wild with rage,” Annstrong. of the Columbian team, was thrown on his hack, and while in this position “ Bailey Approached at full lilt, leaped in the air, and crushed down with ail Ida force and weight on the prostrate player. Immediately a yell of rage ro.se from the Columbia team nnd their hundreds of adherents. To all of tiicsc it appeared as a barefaced attempt to * spike ’ a player. At once tlm Columbia team started for Bailey, a tall, swarthy fellow, who played fullback. He was about to kick Armstrong with his heavy boob when White, tins umpire, grasped him. Ho pushed Wltito away with great force, and then struck at the official.” Motley, the Columbia crack, then took a Imm). Ho "dived through the crowd and dealt Bailey a terrific blow on tho no e. Then" like a flash, the lighting became general. In every direction the players wore dealing blows and squaring off in the approved methods of the prize, ring. - ' Our exchange naively remarks that there were plenty of police on tho grounds, hut that tho majority of them stood looking on. imagining the light: was according to tho rules of the game! Tills account tends- paint to a recent American situr t. who states that “ llu» ball itself has not as yet been eliminated from football, but there is m> sound excuse for its presence in it : the read object of the kicker’s an is not the hall, hut his adversaries’ stomach or teeth. There is little use in punting the ball; but. the use e-f punting a man’s teeth down his throat is too obvious to be mentioned. The way will thus bo cleared for the development of the real game, winch is the smashing of ti,c opposing players’ ribs and the rupturing of their vital organs.”