OUR LONDON LETTER

Taranaki Daily News, 18 January 1930, Page 2 (Supplement)

OUR LONDON LETTER

NEWS FROM THE HOMELAND. THE “FATTIER OF VICTORY.” (Special to News). London, Nov. 28. If any one man might lay claim to having “won the war,” it was Georges Clemenceau, known to his countrymen as the “Father of Victory,” ami nicknamed by Mr. Lloyd George “The Grand Old Man of France.” In his youth Clemenceau suffered imprisonment for revolutionary fervour, and his father, to whom he was deeply devoted, was exiled for the same offence. Yet CO years later, on the appeal of his bitterest political foe, Poincare, the “Tiger”’ consented to forget all personal and party animosities, and to shoulder as Premier the burden of a great war that seemed almost lost. Nivelle’s ghastly losses of 1917 had reduced some French regiments to mutiny, and in Paris a group of defeatists ruled under Caillaux. Clemenceau accepted the task at an age when most men are either dead or valetudinarian, and made the shortest speech ever addressed to the French Chamber. “I am making war.” HI'S BITTER WIT. Though he made many more enemies than friends, those friends were fanatics, and the “Tiger” was strong enough to walk alone. His formidable courage alone kept Foch in the vital position of supreme command, despite serious military set-backs and subterranean intrigues, and he carried singlehanded the French case at Versailles, where he promptly showed himself by far the ablest of the “Big Fouy.” One bitter jest of his, at the expense of President Wilson, America has never forgiven. It rankles alike for its pungent satire on’ American hypocrisy and its almost impious outrage on Puritan feeling, but the “Tiger's” claws were always barbed. FLEETS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. Considerable interest attaches to the redistribution of the Mediterranean Fleet, involving the maintenance of certain vessels in the Levant, and the basing of a battleship on Port Said. There is no suggestion that this move has any political significance. The present position of affairs in Egypt does not justify any hint of the necessity of guarding the Suez Canal. So it may be taken that the new dispositions are associated with the still unsettled condition of Palestine. Alexandria would no doubt have been selected in . preference to Port Said, but for fear of offending tender Egyptian susceptibilities by having a man-o’-war based on that port. When the Anglo-Egyptian agreement comes into operation, the Levant will acquire increased naval importance, and there is a probability of the greater development of Cyprus, the strategical position of which is excellent in relation to the defence of the canal. PROBLEM OF THE SUBMARINE. Although there is reasonable hope of international agreement being reached on the subject of cruisers, the naval Powers are not at all in the same accord with respect to submarines. Italy at the moment is undecided in that direction, though perhaps inclined to waver in favour of proposals for reductions. France, on the other hand, shows a strong disposition against the idea, and, having made considerable sacrifices of capital ships, apparently wishes to produce a proportionately large submarine fleet. In these circumstances, the action of the British Government, in taking the drastic course of not only suspending construction on this .• class of warship as in the ease of cruisers, but of abandoning altogether the two ordered submarines and the submarine depot ship, is being widely criticised as a somewhat premature gesture. According to latest official returns the respective strength of the great naval powers in submarines is: Great Britain 52, United States 122, Japan 69, France 52, Italy 45. AUXILIARY AIR SQUADRONS. The formation of three new auxiliary air squadrons during the present financial year will bring the total in connection with the home defence scheme up to 12. This force has done much better in the matter of recruiting than any branch of the Territorial Army, as it ■possesses slightly over 99 per cent, of the establishment of commissioned officers and 90 per cent, of the establishment of airmen. The estimates for this year provide about £55,000 for this service, exclusive of £4,200 in respect of the Oxford and Cambridge squadrons. The latter have for their object the influencing of the flow of candidates for commissions in the Regular Air' Force, the Air Force Reserve and the Auxiliary Air Force, the stimulation of interest in air matters, and the promotion of a liaison with the universities in technical and research problems affecting aviation. The new squadrons will have their headquarters at Hendon, Middlesex; Thornaby-on-Tees, Yorkshire; and Usworth, Northumberland. T.P/s LAST 'MOMENT'S. For many years Mr; T. P. O’Connor was a non-practising Catholic, although in his club life he frequently told, fel-low-members that' they were never to forsret tlint they slioiikl be practising Catholics and not like him. Some years ago, when he had most important financial contracts to complete, he received sudden news of the.impending death of his mother. Tearing up his contracts, ho rushed back tq Athlone, where his mother, a simple peasant woman, who could not read or write, lay on her death-bed. He stayed by her till the breath left her body, and, after burial, returned to London.. ..Her last conscious words were: “My dear boy, I will always pray for you.” It is almost miraculous that, although for some days prior to his death ho was unconscious most of the time, yet in the supreme hours before death he became conscious enough to receive the Blessed SaciamenU the blessing of the Pope, and a message from the King. The. fact that he was able to come out of his coma was attributed by him to the prayers of his mother that he would before death renew his allegiance to the church.

HUMAN EXCHANGE'S. Internationalism of a kind' beyond the hectic horizons of Red Communism is steadily growing. Since the war the practice of exchanging students between different countries has developed greatly, and now a similar system is being extended to industry. It is becoming the fashion for business magnates to include their own sons or younger relatives amongst the workers exchanged with corresponding firms abroad. Thus the methods and conditions in different countries "are known to those most intimately concerned. I hear that a German steel magnate’s son is coming to England to work in one of our big steel works, and that a young Englishman, with a famous name, will go as an ordinary overalled apprentice to a great German steel-works. JOLLY APPRENTICES. This commendable experiment is not limited to big industry. It has just been decided that half-a-dozen British and German apprentices in the bakery trade shall exchange, the British youths going to Berlin and the German coming to London, to study in the most practical way the secrets of internationalism as applied to breadmaking and lighter confectionery. This is particularly happy, because it lias long been a vital point with doctors whether our loaf is equal to its foreign compeers. It is easy to envisage, under an extension of this regime of baker s exchanges, a wonderful addition to the variety of bakehouse products in all countries. If the chefs follow suit, it may soon be as easy to get genuine roast beef and Yorkshire pudding in Cologne as guaranteed Wiener schnitzel in Manchester. ON THE TAPIS. ' It is sometimes made a reproach against the enterprise of our industrialists that, whereas foreign competitors are quite da-ring enough to invade this country and set up works here, our captains of industry never drcam of thus carrying the war into the enemy’s country. There are, however, many exceptions to this rule, and they are significantly growing. It was told to-day of two firms of linoleum makers, one in Scotland and the other in London, who arc combining on a project for building a factory in America. It will be a Huge place, even as our tall trans-Atlantic ’ cousins regard things, and will involve an outlay of about £509,090. Here, then, we have one notable instance of British traders who have not what Shakespeare called ‘■homely wits.” LIVE WIRES. After two years of virtual stagnation following the war, our electrical industry is now the only one with a strong export business. The post-war stagnation was due partly to home conditions, and partly to failure of the Dominion markets, which had formerly been our largest ones. Confronted with this position, our electrical firms boldly set about invading the Continent. And the success of this effort to storm a veritable Ilohenzollern redoubt has been sensational. Europe is now, for the first time in the history of the electrical industry, our biggest customer of all. The first nine months of this year beat all records, though our usual Continental export trade in this branch of industry has stood at about £8,000,9'00 per annum. We got nearly all the contracts for the huge Dutch electrical scheme, and have even invaded Spain, Portugal and the Balkans. ARE WE GROWING? A' scientist friend of mine questions the statement that our race is growing taller. It takes aeons to add appreciably to the stature of mankind. Modern women look taller, but that is mainly an illusion of high heels, short skirts and slim silhouette. Some say that, because the average man to-day could squeeze into most suits of Tower armour, we are giants compared with our mediaeval ancestors. The fact is, however, that these same absurdly small suits are either models or made for boys. Now someone points out that a century ago the Gordon Highlanders averaged only just over sft. They are not much taller to-day. The Argyll and Sutherland or Cameron Highlanders arc big men, but your Gay Gordon is usually very short. If improved hygiene has added anything to our stature in several centuries, it cannot be more than a fraction of an inch. THE HUMAN PRINCE. Nowhere has the sporting debonair Prince of Wales more keen admirers than overseas. Tremendous interest is being taken by Britishers in other Dominions than South Africa in his forthcoming shooting tour in the Dark Continent. A friend, who was in Kenya when His Royal Highness was last there, tells me a charming little story about him. He was persuaded, with some natural reluctance, to broadcast a short speech to the colony, and, of course, every man, woman and child in Kenya listened in. They say the lucky people dealing in wireless- equipment have been riding in Rolls Royces ever since, such was the rush on their stocks. The Prince spoke a neat little speech duly into the microphone, and, the task finished, exclaimed: “Thank God, that’s the end of that ruddy circus!” This devout aside, distinctly audible to the uttermost parts of the colony, fairly clinched His Royal Highness’ popularity with the sporting “settlers.'’ ANOTHER "'F.E.” Lord Birkenhead has more than once expatiated on the importance of the Smith clan. And certain it is that the Smiths can, the world over, claim great distinction. Nor docs history fail to honour their achievements in all departments of human activity. It must be something of a shock, however, even to such a stout champion of the Smiths as the noble Earl who once bore that name, to know that there is, in a prominent position, too, another “F.E.” This gentleman is the Mr. F. E. Smith who, as secretary of the Scientific and Industrial Research Department, recently told our captains of Industry some home truths about inertly sitting back and awaiting self-starting miracles. The Department needs support in the form of funds and intelligent suggestion. But it has a worthy secretary in the other “F.E,”

SCRUM IN A BALLROOM’. Rugby footballers are like - journalists; when they foregather they almost always talk shop. There have been fierce arguments during the tour which “Horsey” Browne and his team have been making in Yorkshire about the Rugby Union’s, circular on the vexed question of hooking. On the night of the match with Halifax there was an unusual spectacle in a corner of a Halifax ballroom. Here might have been observed \V. W. Wakefield, J. 8. Tucker and W. J. A. Davies —all English internationals—putting their heads down, and forming an imaginary scrum, in order the better to illustrate their arguments. Tucker is a specialist in hooking, and he views the circular with misgiving, because he thinks the effect of it will be to penalise skill. LIKE BRIDGE? In rugger circles they are chuckling over a good story from Ireland, which has the merit, I am assured, of being perfectly true as well. A certain player, who has worn more than one international cap and in his day used to be one of the finest forwards in the four countries, was reported for rough play. The allegation was that ho kicked an opponent. When ho was carpeted by the authorities, and severely reprimanded, ho made a truly sardonic comment: “I suppose Rugby football now,” he said, “is getting like bridge. You have to ask the referee, before the' game starts, what his conventions arel”