LONDON TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, 19 January 1935, Page 12 (Supplement)

LONDON TOPICS

UNITED STATES POLITICS ROOSEVELT’S GREAT VICTORY. REACTION TO “BIG BUSINESS.” (From Our Own Correspondent.) London, Nov. 15. President Roosevelt’s sweeping elec'toral victories must have staggered even ■his own party. Never before since the Civil War, which is a long time ago now, have the Democrates held a twothird majority, as they seem likely to do, in both Houses. This startling result almost shatters the erstwhile dominant Republican Party, and must be interpreted first and foremost as a great personal triumph for the President. But, there is, I am told, a marked and deep reaction amongst all sections of American society against the dominant influence of what is called Big Business, and its corrupt political and commercial codes. The Republicans, in the popular belief, have been far too supple in their attitude to these interests in the past, and America as a whole has now signified the fact pretty plainly at. the polls. It is even suggested that Mr. Roosevelt’s victory is embarrassingly complete. He will no longer be able to blame the opposition for any failure to make good with his boldly imaginative policy. Possibly these electoral results niay even ease the war debt situation a good deal. “Tony” Morse,

The Royal Navy was the foster mother of the Japanese, and is now taking the Chinese Navy, too, under its tutorial wing. We are sending a Naval Mission to the Far East for this purpose, and its chief is Captain J. A. V. Morse, whose popularity in his own service, is testified by the fact that he is known as “Tony.” Tall, athletic, sporting, and a real handy sailorman, Captain MOrse wifi make a success of his new job, which is to show the Chinese that a fleet can be something more than picturesque, and on adequate occasion can even quit port and take to the blue water. He Will probably make many friends amongst the Chinese naval people, and should look handsome in his Chinese naval uniform, the gold, lace of which is far more, profuse than our own, and, instead of being sewn on the cloth, has the cloth sewn to it. “Tony” Morse won a D.S.O. at the Gallipoli landing, and has a son now at Dartmouth College. No doubt the latter will hear something about pigtails, from his cadet chunis. Conditions In Depressed Areas.

Members of Parliament have barely had the opportunity to scan the reports of the depressed areas investigators, much less to digest them. First comments in the lobby, however, are mainly upon the financial recommendations, and it is noted With particular approval that three of the reports recommend the establishment of boards or companies for the purpose of financing the establishment of new industries in these regions. As the reports also envisage State aid or guarantee to such companies, it is pointed out that should the Government accept the recommendation this will be bound to lead to the establishment of a System which cannot be solely . confined to the four • especially stricken regions. There are many other industrial districts, both in the Midlands , and the North, where zari industrial development trust organised on national lines could find a suitable sphere of activities. The wish may, of course, be father to the thought, but I find among members for industrial constituencies a strong conviction that the Government will follow this recommendation by the setting up Of some such board, which, as they point out, would fill a long felt want in the country’s machinery for the finance of industry. The Prince’s Ordeal.

It is onq of the most lovable characteristics of our Royal Princes that they all share typically English dismay over scenes Of pomp and ceremony. One might suppose that, accustomed as they are to almost daily official functions, they would carry off such an occasion as that of the installation of the Duke of Kent in the House of Lords With an air of supreme assurance. But there was nothing of the kind, and I found it hard to say which Of the three brothers—the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, or the Duke of Kent, whom they were introducing—looked the more uncomfortable. It was Obviously a Case of three very modern young Englishmen'feeling most self-conscious of their historic but spectacular and almost theatrical roles. The procedure of introduction is always a trying one, with. its doffing of hats and bowing and rising, and bowing again, for it is so difficult to prevent it from appearing ludicrous. The Princes, however, performed it with admirable solemnity, even though Once or twice one could discern the twinkle of a smile first on the face of one and then on the other. I Ijave never seen the galleries of the House of Lords so full, and the accommodation in the Peeresses’ Gallery was so overtaxed that the Countess of Oxford and Asquith was obliged to seek standing room among the journalists in the Press Gallery. Plane v. Airship.

Apparently the last has not yet been heard of the controversy between lighter and heavier than air aviation. Whilst the Americans and ourselves are cogitating plans for running a regular plane service across the Atlantic, the Germans, who have specialised in lighter than air equipment, are seriously proposing to start an airship service on that same route next summer. The tragedy Of RlOl practically killed our airship experimenting. Not only was it a deadly psychological setback, but in the RlOl we lost practically all our airship experts at one blow. Though logic seems to say that eventually the heavier than air machine must triumph, the issue, is not finally closed, and the Germans may be about to demonstrate the fact. Dr. Eckener and the Graf Zeppelin are factors to be reckoned with. But the airship’s two big handicaps are vulnerability to weather conditions, and lack of speed. It would take the fastest airship yet built ten days to reach Australia. ScOtt and Black did it in two and a bit. And nowadays speed is paramount. Tact.

It is a pity the Duke of Gloucester’s illness prevented his fulfilling his original arrangements for vfeiting certain bush towns. He might have encountered some entertaining Characters at the back of beyond. Some years ago Lord Stonehaven, with his monocle and Mr. Stanley Bruce, the Australian statesman, made a tour of bush towns. At one station where His Excellency s train was halted, for Lord Stonehaven was then Governor-General, a typical Aussie shearer boarded it, and seated himself in the official saloon with the GovernorGeneral and Mr. Bruce. Mr. BruCe’s tact was equal to thd occasion. He ordered drinks for Lord Stonehaven, himself, and the shearer, and left the carriage to arrange for another seat to be found for the shearer. “Who’s that guy?” asked the shearer. “Your Prime Minister,” replied the Governor-General. “Strewth.” ejaculated the shearer, “fancy his standing drinks to two blighters like you and me!”