OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

Otago Witness, Issue 3197, 23 June 1915, Page 77

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN

FOR SENIORS AND JUNIORS. (Conducted by Magister, to whom all communications must be addressed.) [Magister will be glad to receive Nature Notes, marked papers containing educational articles, diagrams, details of experiments, etc., of scholastic interest to teachers and pupils. Correspondents must use ONLY ONE SIDE of the paper, and whether using a pea name or not, must send both name and address 1 THE CENTENARY OF WATERLOO. To-morrow will be the centenary of Waterloo, the battle which freed Europe from the domination of Napoleon on land, as, 10 years before. Nelson at Trafalgar, the last of a series of naval battles, had crushed his hopes of dominating on the seas. Now, in the centenary year we,, are eneraged in another titanic struggle. As, a century ago, our sea power was exercised successfully before our land forces, aided by others, were able to overcome the tyrant, so today history is repeating itself, but with this difference : the overthrow of our enemy on land will not be delayed 10 years after his defeat on the seas, for defeated he is as long as ho keeps his fleet rusting behind mine fields. It is certainly a fleet_ in being Until captured or destroyed; but it has no opportunity to come into action, and so is actually not worth much more than its price as scrap iron. What happened in 1815, and what is happening now in 1915, ought to be sufficient evidence that, as long as human nature is what it is, treaties of peace are, after all, only provisional methods of settling national quarrels, and that the pacifist dream > of an eternal peace after the present war is over Is as flitting as any dream that passes through the slumbers of a night. In 1815 Germany Was uui any. >»nyi a or luencioally the samo reasons that we are fighting against her now. Then, we helped Germany to overthrow the French tyrant who regarded +bo conquest of Europe as o preliminary to the conquering oi IVitam a in ■ fcho dismemberment of the British Empire; sn<3 now we help France- to overthrow the German tyrant who has identically the same Objects in view. But other writers will deal taoro effectively with the centenary of a

battle symbolising a war having on the two sides the same objects in view as in the present war, and with ourselves occupying the same position of resisting a military despotism and of defending the -weak. What the causes and effects of the battle were I 11 not say more about. FOUR GREAT WARS. My notes, I know, arc often used as aids in school work, and, that being so, lot me suggest to young teachers to read up the following historical outline and give their, senior pupils a comprehensive view of the four great expansion eras of our Empire. 1. Spanish Wars. —Read up about the discoveries of Columbus and the doubling of tho Capo of Good Hope, and see how_ these discoveries led to the colonial expansion of Spain and Portugal; work out the colomai policy of these nations, and sec how it brought them into conflict, not only with their own colonies, but with other nations. These wars can be summed up m the word “Armada,” Read Fronde’s “English Seamen in tho Sixteenth Century” and “Tho Spanish Story of tho Armada. Roman Catholics may think Fronde's works not in accordance with fact, but they appear to me to bo excellently and accurately told stories of tho great conflict. 2. Dutch Wars. —The wars with Holland centre in tho Commonwealth (1649-1660), and four features stand out: Cromwell. Blake, Navigation Act, and Carrying Trade. At this time Holland was the world’s carrier, just as, at present, our Empire is, and our fight with Holland was not so much for dominions beyond the seas as for sea trade. For this purpose Cromwell passed tho Navigation Bill, which stated that no goods were to bo brought into England except in English bottoms, or in the bottoms of the country producing tho exports. That is, any goods coming from France, for instance, had to come in English or French ships; this cut out a large proportion of Holland’s carrying trade. Read Blake’s life to see what sea power did in his time. 3. French Wars.—Roughly they may bo divided into two sections: (a) Seven Years War (1755-63) waged in three Continents, giving us the foundation of our Indian Einnire (Clive and Hastings; Canada, Wolfe) and deciding that not French, should bo the language of North America; and in Europe preventing .French dommation. (b) Napoleonic Wars (1793-1815). Ihcse can be symbolised by the names of Nelson on sea and Wellington on land —Trafalgar and Waterloo. These two wars, again, were due, not really to any desire for territorial expansion on our part, but as in the first case successful rivalry gave us the spoils of tho victors, we took them; in the second case, as now, we were on the defensive, and now, as then, we do not want territorial expansion, although the altered colonial conditions will require consideration to be shown to cur beyond the seas before any German colonial possessions can bo restored. We should not like sec Germany get Samoa back, nor will Australia consent to the restoration to Germany of the territory formerly known as German New Guinea. The same with our African dominions. Prussia sought the arbitrament of war; she must abide by its decisions. In between these two great French wars there came the American War of Independence, caused by the old theory that colonies existed l for the direct benefit of tho Motherland. When it was found that the colonics would' not be kept in a state of subsoiviency then colonies were disregarded and allowed to shift for themselves; indeed, were almost encouraged to hive off as being expensive anpendages. Less than 50 years ago this attitude gradually commenced to change to tho present one. 4. The Germanic War. —The three wars just mentioned were .not really for territorial expansion on our part, but wore fought for a share of tho world s trade, -and territory annexed was not to any extent effectively occupied by any other highly civilised nation. Tho present Great vV ar—we might call it a World War—on the part of Germany is for world domination. It is a case of Kultur v. Civilisation; of Materialism v. Christianity; of Teuton v. Slav, with whom are associated the Anglo-Saxons and the two principal Latin races; of Militarism against Democracies; in short, of a German standard as “above any other standard, national or international. Now, I think that -if senior pupils are taught history on such lines as I have indicated, or on any other giving a broad groundwork which can be filled in in detail as time or onportunity permits, then they will find it interesting, and will learn that nations are almost always in a state of flux, and that nothing but keeping fit will enable a nation to hold its own. The Ger** mans have assumed that their military system and their advancement in the arts and sciences have made them the nation fittest to rule, and that we, having given ourselves up to pleasure and money-making, have become decadent, and must_ therefore be deposed from our high position. Wo shah SCG OUR MAPS. These were made some years ago to illustrate some historical notes, but they will bear repeating. The first is taken from “Gardiner’s School Atlas of English History,” but I have forgotten what source I am indebted to for the second. The first gives a general outline map showing the five distinct phases generally grouped together, Tnese I shall not enlarge upon, but the map will give ■ teachers an opportunity of working up details in their own wnv " On June 15 Napoleon took nossossion of Charleroi. On the 16th Ney clashed with Wellington’s outposts at Quatre Bras, and on tho same day Napoleon gave Blucher a drubbing at Ligny. The Prussians, followed by Grouchy, retired to Wavro, and the British, as a result, thought it advisable to fall back into the position in which the final action took place. On Juno 18 Napoleon attacked Wellington, but tho Prussians coming up on Wellington’s right caused Napoleon to give his attention to them, and give Ncy charge of operations against Wellington’s composite army. As the afternoon advanced tho Prussians, in spite of what tho French could do, drove in the French right, and a forward movement of Wellington’s about tho same time caused the French army to dissolve and disappear. How many men wore engaged in the battle? Wellington had 67,000, of whom 17,000 -were Dutch-Belgians, known to be half-hearted; 2800 Nassauers, who in 1813 11HU lULlgllli UiiUUl OUUili, WILfCJ iiUh iIUOVO suspicion j and the 11,000 Hanoverians and 5900 Brunswickors, though reliable, had had no training. Against this composite army, snaking tv"« 'anguages, Napoleon had a woli-itaiu firu.y f 74,000, included in which ,-.!•»» j,3,Git ;oownen of the Imperial Guards flanked by 4000 cavaliers. When marching oi. Paris “Wellington passed the scathing Judgment that, with the exception of his Peninsular men, it was ‘the worst-equipped

army with the worst staff ever put together.’ ” But, says Rose, this was after ho had lost Do Lancoy, Picton, Ponscnby, and many other able officers. Napoleon’s losses wore great, and his retreat was ignominious. Twenty-five thousand lay dead, all wounded on the field; thousands were taken prisoners; 10,000 folSowcc. him in groups to Paris; the rest retired to their homes. Wellington lost in killed aim wounded 10,360, of whom 6344 were British; the Prussians’ loss was about 6000. Now, work out details for yourselves. If you have time go to the Athenaeum or the Free Library and read the concluding chapters of Rose’s “Life of Napoleon.” You will find the time well spent. You mignt get, too, some of Fitchett’s works “How England Saved Europe,” “Fights for the Flag,” “Deeds that Won the Empire, and so on.. The two last can be bought in 6cl editions. CORRESPONDENCE AND NOTES. Meteorological notes will appear next week, and with them some notes lioin Egyptian books Major Waite, D. 5.0., has been good enough to forward to me. Last week I was -asked what comet it is visible in our skies just now, but forgot to add the name. It is Melish s Comet, and it reached its nearest point to the sun about the 17th. It is now about at its brightest. Another, but a telescopic object, is Dolavan’s Comet. Both arc American discoveries. . , A Roslyn reader cannot account lor tno movement of the Southern Cross. Midwinter is a good time to observe its motion because of the long nights. Look at it at 6 p.m., 9 ii.in., 12 p.m., 3 a.m., and 6 a.m., and it will appear to have moved through a half circle, the top star being on the side. Another gentleman asked me a question or two about it, and also how, by its means, the South Pole can bo located. I shall be glad if any clear answers can be sent in. "Next month, in any case, Mr Morris, who so kindly supplies ns with our it reached its nearest point to the sun about description of the Cross, and how, by its means, the Pole can bo approximately placed. One of the office staff has handed to me a potato which had grown around a root of couch grass. I showed it to a gentleman, who said that, the other day, he dug up a parsnip which- had sent its root down or grown up through a piece of leather with a hole in It, the leather forming a kind of neck over which, on the two sides, the parsnip was gradually extending. These curious things happen occasionally. Perhaps one of the most curious growths is that of the mushrooms and their allies, which, though so fragile, will lift up flagstones.