AT THE TEA TABLE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 12016, 19 March 1920, Page 5

AT THE TEA TABLE.

SOME TOPICAL TALKS. “So it appears that even in his Dutch sanctuary the arch-fiend who caused such a vast amount of human misery is stilT venomous, ” remarked the Critic. f*Ho still has a secret service at work stirring up strife among the peoples of the, world. _lt is"surely time this curse to humanity was removed.”

“He would only be succeeded by another of the same detestable breed,” said the Sage. “He is only the figurehead of a class that has failed to realise that civilisation will not permit any section long to disturb peace. Unfortunately we did not press the lesson home, and for that we have partly to thank America, which came into the war too late to be of any real service, but early enough to act as a brake.” “Thank Heaven!” said the Cynic, “the Yankees have at last shown their real colours in their treatment of the Peace Treaty. For weeks we have been surfeited with reports of the wretched party strife in their Senate. ’ ’

* ‘At the very time they were trying to wreck the League of Nations idea, ” said the Critic, “they were arranging to make money out of the Germans, and to open np trade. Their action in regard to the Peace Treaty was evidently with the object of making friends of th'e Huns, for the sake of the almighty dollar,” ‘ ‘lt seems to me, ’ ’ said the Cynic, ‘ ‘that the chief difference between the bloodstained Kaiser and the boastful money-grubbing Yankees is that the one broke treaties by force of arms, and the others wrecked a treaty by force of jaws. It is hard to decide which is the more blameworthy or contemptible. If the Yankees didn’t win the war, or what was left of it, they certainly won the profits, which was what they set |jput to do at the psychological moment. Their own Admiral Sims has left no doubt as to the motives that underlay their action.” “Their oheekalso is colossal,” remarked the Critic. “They have actually had the effrontery to dictate to Britain what policy she shall pursuo in regard to Ireland. This is really astounding, coming from a nation that has proclaimed its determination that no foreign nation shall interfere with its doings.”

“They seem to be developing into a nation of lunatics,” said the Sage. “Almost any crank can get a following there and the nation itself is prone to experiment on lines that everyone else knows must produce more crime. America is the home of quacks, of combined money grubbers, and the Paradise of party politicians. If she is capable of teaching others anything it is certainly neither morality nor honesty.”

“A section of them have just shown that a very bitter feeling against Britain exists*” said the Critic, ‘‘This was illustrated by the demonstration in New York on St Patrick’s Day wheii the Sinn Fein flag and the American were flown together, and De Valera was cheered! The promoters did not despise the aid even of the Indian Babas. Hatred, being black itself, appear* to know no colour line, and the aim of course is to embarras Britain as much as possible. In that rsepeot the demonstrators can shake hands with the Kaiser and his minions.” “Britain as usual,” said the Cynic, “has to bear most of the white man’s burden. At one time I was foolish enough to believe that America might'aid her, but my faith has been shaken by recent events. Her statesmen do not even think on the same lines as the British.”

‘ ‘She may yet he glad to enlist the aid of Britain,” said the Cynic, “for the little brown men are only awaiting their opportunity, and can scarcely disguise their intention. If, when Japan launches her forces against America, the British take as long to come to the rescue as the Yankees did, then indeed will the Yankee bird screech loadly. ”

“Are our legislators worth the money we pay them?” asked the Critic. “The reason I ask is because about half their time is spent in amending legislation they passed in previous sessions, and even then they' produce some curious laws. Look at that one that a magistrate has discovered gives th* Court no power and no jurisdiction when a man’s property is infested with rabbits, hut leaves everything to the inspectors. This is certainly giving administrative officials a dangerous authority. ” ‘‘No inspector should he entrusted with power to punish,” said the Sage. * ‘His duties should be confined to inspection and report, and it should be left to others to decide the measure of the penalty for 1 failure to perform. Parliament has certainly created a very undesirable precedent, and this Act should be amended without delay. ” “It is an asinine Act, anyway,” said the Cynic. “If the rabbits were as useless as codlin moths or red spider, there might be some reason in fining failure to eradicate. But the rabbit may be used for food, and its fur is of considerable value. Men can make high wages by trapping them. W.ould not a sane people utilise them to such an extent as would keep them within reasonable bounds, ?” A JAYE PENNE.