The Star. THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 1917. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12081, 9 August 1917, Page 4

The Star. THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 1917. EDITORIAL NOTES.

THE TOLL OF WAR. In a very fchort timo now we may dxpect to receive particulars of the sasualties the New Zealandcrs .suffered in tho recent historic battle of La Uasse Ville, and we must be prepared for a heavy list, as great objectives are not attained in this war without great sacrifices. Those who delight in spreading alarming rumours and in manufacturing "news" have, of course, al- ■ roady beon busy, and several very pessimistic reports have obtained currency touching the. casualties on that great occasion, hut as they aro clearly destitute of the least vostigo of truth tho public can afford to dismiss them from "their minds. However, ns we .said bejfore, tho list will assuredly be a heavy I one. The death of Captain W. H. IX I Bell, the eldest son of the leader of l the Legislative Council, reminds us jthat he is the first man who lias occupied a seat in tho Legislature to fall 'in the present war. Captain Bell was a young man of exceptional promise in ilia profession, and during tho threo ,'yesxs ho represented Wellington 'Suburbs in the House of Iteproscnta(tives he showed nioro than average 'aptitude for a public career. Incroas•ing legal' practice, however, lie found incompatible with political work, and -even before the war broke out he resolved to devote himself for sumo years ;ti) legal work, and he consequently dofcided to retire from the Houso. Ere <Parliament prorogued, however, the ;01d World was in flames, and Mr Eell, jaa he then -was, decided that his place [was in the firing line. Ho was ono of 'the first New Zeakinders to reach the (field, and during the. two and a half '* years he had been there he did much {Useful: work. In connection with the I death of tho first man who hold a seat i'in our Legislature, it is well to remember that quite a host of members of the British House of Commons and tho House of Lords have made tho supreme sacrifice. In -Canada, too, more than ono legislator has laid down his life, and tho Commonwealth has also had its bereavements in the same way. It is an inspiring example when the law-makers of any country show e readiness to share any pcrifs to which the people in genera! arc exposed, and Ti - e havo every reason to feel proud of the action of members, liko others, who have come forward in the hour of the country's need. On an occasion like , the present there are or should be no ' class distinctions: the peril with which | we are faced is a common one, and all I should shave the dangers of repelling it. PURCHASE OF HONOURS, Lord Selborn&'s complaint in tho fEouse of Lords regarding the system Df bestowal of honours will he echoed V* ver y T» an J' besides the hereditary i'**old nobilitL," wiho in this navicular

«it least nre in ngreemonh with the do-, mocracy. Lord Rollxirno was perfectly correct in declaring that, there was a widespread belief that honours sometimes were granted in return for large payments of money. Whether this belief is well founded or not, the feeling exists, and the growing disrespect in which theso honours—nominally dispensed by the Crown, Imt renlly hy the political party in power—are held by the people will not he altered by Lord Ourzon's defence of the system. It is a matter of common belief that wealthy men with a craving for a title haro been abli to secure their heart's desire by- *lio payment of large sums into parly funds, and it is scarcely to £lO doubted that this method of indirect bribery is responsible fnr the creation of many a noveau richo baronetcy and peerage Lord Curzon's assertion that the "democratisaLion " of hereditary honours was one of the best; safeguards of public life will particularly amuse the denioerrtcy of which the noble lord knows so Jittli:. Titles ;n> so utterly opposed lo the democratic spirit that, not even the widest diffusion conceivable hy Lord f'urzon could make them logically acceptable to the people. The only possible justification for the bestowal of peerages in TSritain is tho introduction of a modern spirit into the House of Lords, but that hoary establishment has been so shorn of it* ancient illgottui privileges that it is just a question whether if would not he better to leave its blue blood unsullied and permit it ti> exist in its antique exchisivoness as an interesting kind of human museum. In our own country titles of knighthood cannot be said to ensure any high degree of added respect for their owners. A title, has come to be regarded as an inevitable perquisite, of the political party in control, and the nominees of that, party as a. matter of course, giiin I'irthday honours quite irrespective of iiny real claims to distinction they may possess. Ro little, indeed, does t!r> nation rfgard honours of this kind that their bestowal is, ns often as not, viewed in tho light of a huge joke, and the people's respect is reserved for those leaders -who have retained sufficient, independence to refuse, a till" which has lost all its <v.lcient chiva'.ric significance.

LIBERIA. Liberia, tlv hut country to declare war against Germany has a peculiar intercstl for the students of nationalism. It is true that, from tho history of tho country, as a recent writer points out, no one would he inclined to the experiment of negro self-government a definite success, bub when the origin of the countrv is considered as well as the difficulties which the Liberians have had to contend against, it must, ho conceded that tho outlook is. at r.ny rnt'e, encouraging. Liberia had its beginnings more than a hundred years ago. Towards the close of the eighteenth century the abolition of slavery was just beginning to be advanced as a concrete policy, and there came along with it, of course, tho question of repatriation. Tho north-west coast of Africa was early regarded as a suitable district in which to form a colony for returned slaves, and was finally chosen for the purpose Nirmiy-six years ago a treaty was concluded with certain native princes by which a large tract of land was secured for this purpose, forming the nucleus of the Liherian Negro Republic, of today. Tho society having tho matter in hand was met with many difficulties, and some of the ex-American blav.ts who had gone to Africa returned to the land in which they had spent many years in bondage. Soon afterwards tho future Liberians began to justify themselves. There arose amongst them a lender in the person of the negro, Elijah Johnson, and the little colony rallied round him, and straightway began to prosper. Now tracts of land worn acquired, new settlements were formed, and as tho aims of tho colony began to be bettor known, help caiiw from sympathisers abroad. Thus,, in the year 183-J, a. town was founded in the newly acquired Bassu Land. which was called Ed ma, in acknowledgment of substantial""" aid sent to tho colony from Edinburgh. .Meanwhilo, the immo Liberia had been invented for the country, and as such, in 1817, in declared itself an independent republic, and was recognised by most of the Powers. Tt was during these early years that ail the great emigrations took place. Freed slaves, negroes and mulattoes. went over to the West African settlements in a steady simum, and the little Slate began to display considerable prosperity. Numerous churches and schools were founded, a regular postal system was introduced newspapers were established, and slavery in the neighbouring States was abolished. Much of this prosperity Liberia owed to its presidents, for it has had several notable presidents, such as Roberts and the famous President liarclay, a man of unmixed negro descent. President Barclay was elected in 100-1 and re-elected in 1007, and under his guidance the Liherian Government steadily extended its influence amongst iho indigenous tribes of the country, which, up to that time, had been specially tenacious of local independence. When Daniel Howard was elected President, in 1012, he immediately got into difficulties with Germany because of insults ottered to German merchants.