The Otago Witney WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN MERCURY. (TUESDAY. JULY 26, 1927.) THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3828, 26 July 1927, Page 47

The Otago Witney WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN MERCURY. (TUESDAY. JULY 26, 1927.) THE WEEK.

“Nunquam ailin’ nature, allud sapicnlia dlxii.** -Juvenal. “Good nature and good sense must ever join.”—

The Samoan Mandate.

Were Robert Louis Stevenson alive to-day he might be inspired to

write another “ Footnote to History ” on the “ Eight Years of Trouble

in Samoa, 1883-1892.” In a preface to that footnote, Stevenson said: “ Truth in the midst of conflicting rumours, in the dearth of printed material, was often hard to ascertain, and since most of those engaged were of my personal acquaintance, it was often more than delicate to express. I must certainly have erred often and much; it is not for want of trouble taken nor of an impartial temper. And if my plain speaking shall cost me any of the friends that I still count, I shall be sorry, but I need not be ashamed.” Stevenson’s special qualifications for the investigations which he voluntarily undertook were an understanding of the native temperament and ways of thinking. He insists that, despite a veneer of civilisation, the ideas and manners of the natives date back before the Roman Empire. “ They are Christians,” he writes, “ church-goers, singers of hymns at family worship, hardy cricketers; their books are printed in London by Spottiswoode, Trubner, or the Tract Society; but in most other points they are the contemporaries of our tattooed ancestors who drove their chariots on the wrong side of the Roman Wall. We have passed the feudal system; they are not yet dear of the patriarchal. We are in the thick of the age of finance; they are In a period of communism. And this makes them hard to understand.” Stevenson sheds abundant light upon the native way of living in the following paragraph : “ They arc easy, merry, and pleasure-loving; the gayest, though by far from cither the most capable or the most beautiful of Polynesians. Fine dress is a passion, and makes a Samoan festival a thing of beauty. Song is almost ceaseless. The boatman sings at the oar, the f.mily at evening worship, the girls at night at the guest house, sometimes the workman at his toil. No occasion is too small for the poets and musicians—a death, a visit, the day’s news, the day’s pleasantry, will be set to rhyme and harmony. Even halfgrown girls, the occasion arising, fashion words and train choruses of children for its celebration. Song, as with all. Pacific islanders, goes hand in hand with the dance, and both shade into -he. drama. Some of the performances are indecent and ugly, some only dull; others arc pretty, funny, and attractive. Games are popular. Cricket matches, where a hundred played upon a side, endured at times for a week and ate up the country like the presence of an army. Fishing, the daily bath, flirtation ; courtship, which is gone upon by proxy; conversation, which is largely political; and the delights ol public oratory fill in the long hours. Such are the people to govern whom New Zealand accepted as a sacred trust a mandate under the League of Nations.

New Zealand’s Name and Fame at Stake.

\n uneasv feeling is gaining ground that Mr Nosworthy has been

somewhat maladroit in his handling of- the Samoan situation, and that unless the greatest care and can-

tion are observed the fair name of Zealand may be liable to an ugly smirch. The Ministers methods of investigation while in Samoa were scarcely judicial, to say the least, and he seems to have allowed himself to be carried away by his preferences and prejudices. Presumably upon his advice and report, the Government introduced the. Samoa Bill which, read a second time in Parliament, empowers the Administrator to order the deportation of European residents and the banishment of natives, if, in his judgment, their presence is inimical to the orderly government of the. group. The Attorneygeneral, in the course of the debate on the Bill, showed quite clearly that, the occasion might, arise when' an Administrator , might require to be armed with such

plenary powers as are embodied in the Bill: but the question which arises is whether the existing circumstances warrant these jKiwers being exercised. There is an absence of specific charges against the Europeans and natives who are suspected as being the stirrers-up of trouble, whilst their deportation without trial seems a contradiction of British justice and fairplay. Presumably the Government is satisfied that sufficient reason exists for using its majority to force the Bill through Parliament; it is a pity, however, that the bulk of the opposition should come from the Labour members, thus giving it the force of a parly measure. The. well-being of Samoa should be lifted above party lines, seeing that a false step may plunge the Dominion into an endless sea of trouble. Despite ail that has been said and written on the subject, no clear evidence has so far been made public which is likely to convince the average man that deportation without a trial is either necessary or politic. The Government, of course, may be in possession of such evidence, but so far it has not been forthcoming. Viewing the matter impartially, it certainly would seem as if Mr Nosworthy has made a serious error of judgment and the Government is endeavouring to save the Minister’s face. How the matter will be represented in the report which will have to be made to the League of Nations remains, of course, to be seen.

Religious Exercises and the Bible.

In the extremely unlikely event of the Religious Exercises in

Schools Bill securing a safe passage through

both Houses of Parliament, and in being placed on the Statute Book, a difficulty is likely to arise when the question comes to be considered of the preparation of a text book containing the Scripture readings which it is proposed shall form the principal portion of the religious exercises. The first point to be decided is from which of the many versions of the English Bible shall the portions for reading be taken. According to a New York cable message, the University of Chicago will shortly publish a new translation of the Bible rendered in a so-called conversational style; it is not likely that the clergymen entrusted with the task of compiling the text book will propose to avail themselves of that version. At the same time, it. may be pertinent to inquire whether the Authorised Version will be given the preference, because of its magnificent literary quality, or whether the Revised Version will be selected by reason of its superior textual accuracy. A word may be said in favour of Dr Moffatt's translation, and this because of its modern rendering and the avoidance of archaic words and expressions. In addition to these betterknown versions, quite a number of modern translations will clamour for attention, whilst the Roman Catholic Church may advance their right to have the Douay Version used for the children of their persuasion. Even if this initial problem of “which Bible?” be satisfactorily solved, there is the important matter of selection and omission ‘-.o be decided. A year or two back there was published by a number of American professors of Yale University a “ Shorter Bible,” which aimed at singling out and setting in logical order those parts of the Bible which, in the opinion of its editors, were "of vital interest and particular value to the. present, age.” The selection represented the combined judgment, not of one, but of the many v.ho generously cooperated in the task. No sooner was the ’’ Shorter Bible ” published than it was greeted with a howl of execration from a prominent fundamentalist who saw in it an attempt to emasculate the Bible by the omission of passages which they regarded as essential to Christianity. And rumours* of the conflict of ’ opinion reached tho Dominion. Some such controversy is almost certain to eventuate when the vexed question of the contents of the prescribed reading book come to be decided upon.

The King ot Rumania.

The death of the King of Rumania, while* not unexpected, sin he

had for years been suffering from an incurable disease, raises once

more the vexed question of the succession to the throne of an important Balkan State. So far as Rumania of recent years is concerned, it is the queens, rath : than the kings, who have kept, most in the public eye. King Ferdinand's predecessor. King Carol. married Elizabeth of Neuwicd, who as “ Carmen Silva,’’ exercised a strong influence on Ruma-.i art and letters. In 1893 Ferdinand married Marie, the eldest daughter of the Huke of Edinburgh, granddaughter ot Queen Victoria, and niece of Edward \ 11. Writing some four years ago, a wellinformed authority said: “Yes, there is a King in Rumania. His name is Ferdinand. He is the husband of Queen Marie. But you can live in Bucharest for months at a time without being aware of his existence. In fact, until -<is rceet t delayed coronation, when people noticed there was someone standing up with the stately Mario, few people outside the Rumanian Court knew that the Mother > of the Balkans did not rule alone. And even now they can t be sure of it. Just ' as King George of England was unfortunate in choosing sj popular a father and making thing-s worse by having suca a popular son, Ferdinand of Rumania is unfortunate in having such a popular wife. No one Can look ; ' Marie, tlic woman Charlemagne, who keeps alive the. traditions of great queens and empresses, without thinking what a really unimportant person. comparatively. King Ferdinand is. Thanks to Marie’s per-

sonal prestige anil her success as a royal matchmaker, King Ferdinand sits on a throne which is potentially one of the strongest in Europe. His might be a big role in the drama of the next decade; but it probably won’t. If Marie lives she will continue to play a star part: Ferdinand will be at best an understudy.” And now Ferdinand is dead and Marie still lives. The Crown Prince Carol, in consequence of the publicity given to his unsavoury amours, recently renounced his right to the throne of Rumania in favour of his infant son Michael; but, according to the latest reports, he has withdrawn his renunciation. The complications likely to ensue make material for all sorts of surmises; but, whatever happens, it is certain that the ambitious Queen Marie will have a hand in the future of affairs. The sai»* authority already quoted adds: “ The most important thing to remember, in estimating the character and achievements of this extraordinary woman, is that she has won her victories alone. Her husband is admittedly of little importance in shaping the policies of the nation. Her ministry is of even less significance. Without its aid, and often over its narrow opposition, Marie keeps her course. She alone among the monarchs of Europe personally directs the foreign policy of her government. Perhaps at the moment she is the only monarch in Europe who officially affects to any marked degree the governing policies of nations. J. he Rumanian Queen is unique.”

'A notable event in the dramatic chronicles of Otago ’.'ill be the

A Shakespearian Season.

opening at the end of the week of a Shakespearian

season, when no fewer than thirteen of the masterpieces of the Bard of Avon will be presented by Mr ? Ilan Wilkie and his specially selected company of actors. Some years ago Mr 'Wilkie set out with the ambitious programme of producing throughout Australia and New Zealand the whole of the plays of Shakespeare, and despite many serious reverses, including a fire which destroyed all his scenery and properties, he is still persisting in his venture. Many of the plays set down for presentation during ■he next three weeks have never been acted in the Dominion before, and the opportunity will doubtless be generally availed of to witness these performances. There is no need to stress the priceless heritage to the British race Mi Shakespeare’s work represents; and it goes without saying that the plays were written t.. be acted; no reading or study will equally bring out their meaning and wonderful influence. Mr Wilkie is not only an actor of < msidorable versatility and a manager of experience, he is also a keen Shakespearian student, and all his productions are stamped with the best theatrical traditions. To the younger generation, in especial, this opportunity should make a strong appeal.