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Otago Daily Times, Issue 16978, 14 April 1917, Page 6

The extent to -which suggestions for the negotiation of terms of peace, emanating as in the past, from the Central Powers' occur in our cable messages this can only be_ regarded as highly significant" That Austria should be making overtures for peace, apparently through the Vatican, is less suggestive than the fact—for it seems to be a fact—that Germany has unofficially approached the United States ■with a fresh offer of a settlement. We ha*ve repeatedly been told from Germany, since her peace proposals towards the end of last year were contemptuously rejected, that she would- not make any' further offer of the kind until she had completely vanquished her enemies—that they had, so to speak, mado their own bed and that they must lie in it even if it entailed their annihilation by tho justly wrathful hosts of Germany and' her associates. The emptiness oi the boasts of German inrvincibility is now, however, becoming apparent, even in the Fatherland, wiTero the cravings of a hungry and dejected people for the means of subsistence are beinn met with the not very satisfying advice* that they should exercise patience and endure their privations until the next harvest has been gathered. And the information, bearing clear evidence of authoritatively ess, that Germany is once more seeking a way out from the war into which she arrogantly plunged- the world tells its own tale of her inability to maintain the struggle. But more noteworthy than oilier the Austrian or the German efforts to open a discussion respecting peace terms is Mr Lloyd George's ringing pronounce^

ment tJiafc ho now sees peace, a real peace, coining. It is a pronouncement couched in terms that corrvey the impression that the Prime Minister has fully satisfied himself that a victorious peace has plainly become attainable—and probably at 110 distant dp,te.

Tjte hope will be widely entertained that the mission -upon which the Acting Prime Minister and the Minister of Lands are proceeding to the West Coast will be attended with success. We do not doubt that a large number of the' miners on that field—perhaps a majority of them, excepting in the State coal mines, in which, anomalously enough, employment is provided for the most disaffected and the most mischievous set of men in the dominion—experience a sense of shame in the knowledgo that they are participating in a course of action that is, without the shadow of a doubt, opposed to the interests of their country and favourable to those of Germany. Unfortunately it is thc_ case in many unions that a few individuals, glib of speech, careless as to their facts, with a stock of showy and shallow phrases at the tips of their tongues, have been allowed to secure control of the organisation. The majority, less ready in debate, remain silent because they realise not only that their opinions would receive scant consideration if they were in opposition to those of the' men who dominate the union but also, and .worse stilly that in such an event they would immediately be charged with being disloyal to their fellows and with being imperfectly imbued with " classconsciousness." In these circumstances, it is easy to understand how the coal miners may be led into the adoption of a policy that is secretly disliked and regretted by the majority of them. The value of the visit which is being marl a West Coast by Sir James Allen and Mr Mac Donald, and of the representations which they will make to the miners, will consist, in all probability, in the moral backing that will, as a result, be given to the men of unquestioned loyalty who have allowed themselves reluctantly to be forced into the pursuance of just such a policy as they would have followed if they had taken their instructions direct from Germany. But we cannot conceal from ourselves the conviction that the appeal to the sense of loyalty and reason of the men would have come with much greater force from persons who call themselves their leaders. It will however, escape the notice of the public that the New Zealand Labour Party, which took upon itself to. address the working classes in Australia by manifesto at the time ,of the_ referendum on the ..issue of national service, has not thought fit to counsel the coal miners on the West Coast to respect the law and to render the best_ national service in their power by providing as much coal as they can for the maintenance of the war transport system.

It is asserted by the Maori!.and Worker, the organ of the Labour Party, that the rank and file of the miners have stopped work in defiance of the efforts of the officials to avert a strike. If this were the case, the opportunity presented to the leaders of tlie party to add their representations to those ox the' Ministers would be one that they might be expected to seize provided they were anxious to render a patriotic servke in circumstances of distinct gravity, for the production of coal is absolutely necessary in order that the transport of troops to the front and the transport of food supplies for the Imperial army and for the people of Great Britain may not be interrupted. The Labour Party has, however, nothing more helpful to" say through its organ than is expressed in a "wild and stupid scream either for tlie assembling of Parliament or for the dissolution of Parliament—it is at least doubtful which is wanted. What the.Maoriland "Worker has to, say on the subject is the following:

Let Parliament meet at once. Let the political rights of tho people bo restored at once. Let the will of the people bo respected at once. The will of the people is that the Conscription Act shall bo repealed ; if there is any doubt whatever in any politician's mind about this—and wo don t think there is—it can easily be set at rest by submitting the matter to a vote of the people. In any case, tho way out of the present impasse is by* tho restoration of full political control by the people themselves. Not only must Parliament meet; but it must face its masters the people and submit to their verdict.

This imperious demand is based, it will be seen, on the pretence that the Military Service Act, against which some halfdonen -voices only were raised in Parliament, does not express' the popular will. It is an extremely shallow pretence, of which the fatuousness may be demonstrated in various ways. One test will suffice. There have been three, bye-elec-tiona during the present parliamentary recess. Each of them afforded an opportunity to the opponents of the Act to exhibit their strength. What actually happened? The Labour Party put up a candidate for Pahiatua. He did not secure a sufficient number of votes save his deposit. The party dare not risk the candidature of one of its members for either Hawke's Bay or the-Bay of Islands. In the face of this fact alone it is time the party and their organ dropped their silly pretence that the public desires a repeal of the Act.

Frederick Whitiui>ge, the eminent New York jurist, publicist, and man of business, who died on December 30. was a typical example of that higher and finer citizenship which is the salt and salvation of Ajnerican life'amid so many unsatisfactory elements. There is a ivery interesting notice of this American friend of Gieat Britain, "from the pen of An English friend, in the Spectator of January 13. Mr Whitridge was son-in-law of Matthew Arnold; and it is pleasant to learn that this only son (Matthew Arnold's only grandson, and a great-grandson of " Arnold of Rugby") is fighting for the British cause. The editor of the Spectator justly observes in a footnote: " The'thought of Mr Whitridge's son and Matthew Arnold's grandson on active set-vice with our army for two years is inspiring. How proud Arnold would have been could he have seen his 'young barbarians,' not this time all at play, but doing knightly service in defence of England." Frederick Whitridge's friendship for England was so recently active, and at once so sincere and so impartial, that a few extracts from the notice in the Spectator may not be out of place, especially at the present juncture.

Ho seemed an. almost unique example of' an American who really appreciated both England and America, and who without any straining'or affectation was sincerely loyal to both. . . . Many Americans, notably Henry James, have been outspoken lovers of England. The distinctive feature about Whitridge was that, with all his affection for England, he remained so truly American and so unbiassed a critic, .Anglophile, but never Angloma'niac. Thoso who knew him will remember many shrewd comments passed by his caustic wit on our British foibles— e.g., our cold houses, the neglected teeth of our children, or the unpunctuality of Highland trains," to say nothing of bigger matters —and yet ho loved us and understood us and served us. ... It surely should warm our hearts to remember how lavishly since the war began ho bestowed sympathy on this country which was not his own. With his full consent his only son entered the British Army, while ho himself gavo us freely of his money, his time, and his brains. Wo may express our gratitude for his public championing of the allied, _ and especially the English, cause in his " One American's View of tho War" (New York, 1914), which for a considerable time was tho only book of tho kind on the market. His' attitude towards Germany was all the more remarkable because x in his youth he had studied at Gottingen, and German was the foreign language in which he was most at home. Yet his pro-Entente ardour never flagged *.•*.* Buhver Lytton once reminded us

that one is not loved every day, and especially in troubled times loyal and devoted friends are hard to come by. It is with a feeling of great loss in so adequate an interpreter between her and the United States that these linos ara written by one who knew 'him well.

. The Hon. W. Fraser (Minister of Public Works) will arrive in Dunedin this evening. Ho will leave on Monday morning l on a visit to his constituency.

During the past week or two the" Otago Biblo ,Society has had somewhat heavy calls made upon it for the supply of Testaments to our soldiers. In response to an appeal by Chaplain-captain Irvine, of the 24th Reinforcements, a package of 80 Testaments was forwarded. On Tuesday morning Chaplains Balfour, Small, and Miller distributed 130 Testaments to the men of the 28th Reinforcements, who were proceeding' to camp. Tho Otago Bible Society hal from tho very outbreak of tho war endeavoured to arrange for tho supply c £ soldiers' Testaments to tho men leaving tho dominion, either by means of local supplies or on the arrival of tho troops at their destination. ,

The Southland League communicated by cable with Sir Joseph Ward a few days ago soliciting his aid in a protest against tho proposed curtailment of tho railway services in so far as it affects the through, train from Invercargill to Christchnrch. Tho secretary of the Southland League has received a cable in reply from Sir Josep& intimating that ho will do what ho garddng the matter.

Reports that were presented; at the monthly meeting of tho Southland Hosp&al Board this week indicate that there fa a serious incidence of infectious disease in the district. During the month of March 85 cases were notified, including 16 of scarlet fever, 62 of diphtheria, and five of infantile paralysis. Tho outbreak of diphtheria, it was reported, ■ increased in intensity during the month, the number o£ cases notified being very much larger than in any previous month, whilst the area affected seemed to be spreading also. There were two deaths from diphtheria in tho Southland Hospital during the month, and several of tho staff contracted the disease.

A special general meeting of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children was held; in tho Council Chambers at noon yesterday. Mrs Care presided over a good attendance. . The only business of the meeting was formally to confirm a special resolution adopting a new set of rules for tho society, and this was done unanimously and without discussion.

Tho Dominion states that the drawing of the Thirtieth Reinforcements was completed on Wednesday by the Government Statistician (Mr Malcolm Fraser).; The names of the men drawn for service haYe now ta be checked in the usual way by the Statistician and tho supervising magistrate (Mr S. lii, M'Cartny), and they are expected to be available for publication in a'Gaietto Extraordinary about Monday.

Or Black informed a meeting at Wakari last night that it is his intention to offer his services to the citizens as councillor for a further term.

Following upon the recent prosecution" of newspapers in Welhngton for breaches of the War Regulations, proceedings are to ba taken against Dr Bedford and the proprietors of the Evening' Star, summonses to that effect having been issued. The charge against Dr Bedford arises out of the subject matter of an interview indicating the movements of ships and the disposition of troops; and that against the newspaper is a contravention of the regulations in respect thereto.

Mrs Lrndo Ferguson, -who was approached on Thursday bv a deputation representative of various women's organisations in the city, and asked to recall her decision not to offer herself as a candidate for re-election to tho Hospital Board, made her decision known yesterday in terms that make it impossible for her to refuse nomination. She said that she had been counting much on a rest from public work, but if the deputation attached so much importance to her services as they had implied, she felt that she had no option but to put personal considerations on one side, and .allow herself to be renominated. She thanked them all foe their very generous recognition of her efforts in tho service of the public.

Judging by the box plan (lodged at the Bristol) a good deal of interest is being evinced in the lecture to be given by Dr Newman in Burns Hall on Monday evening. To those having relatives or friends at tho front, the discourse should prove both interesting and instructive, as Dr Newman, has just returned from France where, aa a member of the New Zealand Parliamentary party, he enjoyed special facilities for acquiring first-hand knowledge not available to the general public. As tho proceeds are in aid of tho Otago Women's Patriotic funds it is hoped that a large attendanco will be present.

John Robert Lee was charged before Messrs R, Aitchison and P. Haggart, J.P.'s, at Kaitangata yesterday, with the theft afc Lovell's Flat of £1 3s, tho property of tho Lovell's Flat School Committee, on or about April 10. Constable Martin asked for a; remand till the 19th inst, and this was granted.

At a sitting of the Juvenile Court at Mosgiel yesterday, before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M.,' a youth was charged with a breach of military discipline. In consideration of his going to farm work, and that Mr Axelsen would keep an eye on him, tho case was adjourned for four months, at the expiry of which period ho would to dealt with according to his conduct in the meantime. • -

The turnip crop in Strath-Taieri, which a short time ago promised to be a good one, is (a correspondent writes) now suffering very severely from tho ravages of blight and fly. With the splendid weather of late autumn there has been a wonderful growth of grass, and feed is so abundant that in ordinary circumstances turnips would not be largely used for weeks to come. Now, however, farmers aro turning their stock on to the crops in order to eat it off before it is completely lost In conversation a leading farmer tho ether day declared that tin's unfortunate disease is almost universal throughout the Strath, and the loss caused must in the aggregate amount to a huge total. One farmer has been endeavouring to securo specimens of the fly, with tho intention of asking the opinion of experts as to the best means for stamping out tho pest. The loss caused is so great, And the damage so widespread that it is felt in many quarters that the Government ought to take the matter up and institute expert investigations with the object of killing out the blight and tho deadly fly,, and of preventing them from invading other districts that have up till now a clcan bill of health in this respect.

The collections taken <at tho services of tho Presbyterian Church, Middlemorch, on tho occasion of the harvest thanksgiving, along with tho offerings of fruit and) produce, amounted in value to over £15. They will be devoted to tho Presbyterian Orphanage, Duiiedin, and the social service section of the church'.

Sir W. C. Buchanan remarked at a meeting of farmers, held in Masterton, on. Monday, that in Germany tho authorities were encouraging potato growing in order to cope with tho shortage of wheat, etc. Ho wished to know whether it might not be more profitable to grow potatoes than wheat. Tho Minister of Agriculture replied that he was obtaining a report from' his department on the subject of potatogrowing. In growing potatoes tho fact of the blight must not be lost sight of. Tho moro potatoes that wero grown tho less quantity of flom; would bo rebuked.

At a meeting of Anglican clergy, held at tho dioccsan office yesterday, it was decided that on Anzao Day there should bo an early celebration in all the cliurchcs, and that eo far os Dunedin is concerned there should be a joint service in St. Paul's Cathedral at 11 a.m. It was also suggested that all offertories on that day should bo sent to tho diocesan treasurer, to bo forwarded to tho official organiser of tho Military Affairs Committeo.

The inquiry in Otago by tho National Efficiency Boaxd as to whether sports and amusements should bo allowed during tho currency of the war will bo continued next ■week, when Mr W. D. Hunt (Commissioner for Otago) will receive evidenco at Invercargill on Monday, at Goro on Tuesday, and at Oamaru on Friday. Tho board will moot in Wellington on tho 24th inst. to prepare its report for the Government.

Private advico. has been received of tho promotion of Major C. F. D. Cook to tho lank of lieutenant-colbncl. Lieutenantcolonel Cook is a son of tho late Professor Cook, of Christchurch, and partner in tho legal , firm of Messrs Fullerton-Smith, Miles, and Cook, of Marton and Feilding. He left .with tho Main Body, and acted as a stafii captain during tho Gallipoli campaign, being mentioned in despatches in connection with the fighting in August, 1915. Ho was 'invalided tho following month, and on rejoining his regiment, tho Ist Wellington Infantry, in February, 1916, was promoted to tho rank of major. Shortly afterwards ho became senior major, and has been second in oommand of his battalion for some time.

TTio many in Now Zealand who have an acquaintance with Apia, Samoa, will bo interested to learn that tho Tivoli Hotel thero was totally destroyed by fire on March 18. Tho fire was discovered by Private liuifin, of Victoria, an "Anzac," ■who was staying at the hotel, but as ho was a stranger to tho placo he could not, locate tho hand-grenades. The natives, with a posso of soldiers under Lieutenant Wollermann, suooeeded in saving tho church next door after a big fight Tho natives especially (says the local paper) strove with franfcio energy. Tfiero was something touching in the grave concern they exhibited at the prospect of losing their beloved place of worships "Save tho church," Semnanutafa, the high chief, exclaimed: "W° must save the church if wa loso our lives 1"

A correspondent of the Poverty Bay Herald relates an extraordinary affair. A Finn named Jack Matson, who works at Messrs Coop Bros.' station on the Hahia Peniafcula, was attacked, by a staff within 500 yards of the homestead. He was driving a pack horse in front of him, he being on foot, and looking around Ho saw the stag walking behind him. He had never seen deer before, and called out to his mate, who was working on some cattleyards about HX) yards way, to look at the devil following him. When he stopped tho stag bayed at hiin, and tho boy tried to get behind a stump, but tho stag was too quick, and drove ono of his tines in between two of his ribs, piercing his W. .f "V caught hold of tho antlers and yelled out for his mate, who came as fast as he could with an axe. By that timo tho stag had Matson down, and was doing his best, to kill liitn, tearing his clothes and inflicting another nasty wound m his thigh. When his mate got there the stag drew off about 12ft, and stood, and with lua mate's assistance Matson was enabled to get on to a high log. Anderson then ran to the homestead for a rifle, and Uie manager wont with him. Tho stair in the meantime tried to get at Matson, but oould not reach him, and when ho heard voices, he went to meet Anderson and tho manager. Five or six shots made him groggy, and .he went, into a small gully audthei manager followed him, and the next shot kiUed him. A doctor was sent for from Wairoa. Tho patient is still in a dangerous condition. Ho had a bad shock and except for his mate being near would have been kiUoi The manage, has the stag s head (10 points) and skin.

was brought before Mr N. Dodds, J.P.; at Port Chalmers yesterday, was convicted and discharged for drunkenness.

An intercessory service arranged by the Council of Churches will be held on Thursday evening m the Moray Place Oongrega, tional Church.

.. nuwiy-appointod second minister to the Innity circuit (the Rev. J. R. Nelson) EtawoS a ° Gl °™

TWi^nfV 8215 intending members of tho r ub reminded of the opcninc meeting for tho ensiunsr vear in a ? Gallery Hall on Wcdn.sday 'vhcn a L^nl S amm ° ° f &otti£il bo pril ■ A meeting of the tTnited Starr-Bowketl Ml u '-Thursday, £300° win bo offered for disposal. At tho Oddfellows' Hall, Albany street to-morrow cvenmg Dr Cbmmins \villdchver a lecture on ' The Transfiguration.'' > Notices for tho following Sunday services ■mil bo found m our advertising columns:— Anghcan—Sfc Matthew's, St. Paul's, All TC™ Rusgell Street, Knox, Stuart Hall, St. Andrew's Kensinov ton, Biblo School North-East Tri'tf' (^ ve P h j lm l! ,.Opoho. McthodistInnity, Central Mission, Dundas Street, TO a-V ?? sbo^ rno ' Al> botsford, Woodhaugh. Corurresratinn-il Moray Place, St Clair. ChSTchrtt labernacle. Salvation Armv DotvlinosjntSte Green land ' ? TownHali ,

tart

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Tho big demand we havo for "No RnK buig Laundry Help provea that linncn Ivo°riv " + P a f tic . al !7 abol; shc3 rabbin"' Wo give a thinker s notebook free wifh — Aav »-

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Things we ought to know WifW* v 10 whisky is tho doybn of whiskics.-AcM .Launch owners, motorists nn ,i don't havo trouble. Buy our' Columbiai-Tnf' shot Battefaj. Wo havo a ff of Dry 3attenes, Accumulators, Lamps Holders. cto., for ignition and lichtinp- nnr' poses. Turnbull and Jones (Limited) cleo trical engineers. Dunedin.—Advt.

Who is Peter Dick?—Tho most rci.ablc W /itchmakor, Jeweller, and Certificated Con. Bulling Optician, 490 Moray piaco (oft Prices ttreetj, Dunedin. Charges moderate.—Advt