TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Waikato Times, Volume 113, Issue 18947, 17 May 1933, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Belgian Fear of Aggression. Belgium, like France, is fearful of foreign aggression, writes Professor G. Clunard, in Current History. The Minister of War, M. de Veze, has outlined a building programme ■ for fortifying the eastern frontier, on which about £1,000,000 has already been spent. Further work will be financed by a £500,000 loan.

It is estimated that this undertaking will provide work for a large number of the unemployed. The Government lias taken steps to forbid the sale of war masks, which were advertised in many stores with exhibits intended to demonstrate the dangers of gas attacks. 1

America’s Neiv Administration. In surveying the first month of the Roosevelt administration, one must quickly concede that the measures enacted were, for the most part, emergency in nature and therefore only palliatives, says an American writer. The attack on the fundamental faults of the economic and social system was postponed, as was to he expected.

For the moment the new deal consisted in restoring lost confidence and soothing the worse sores upon the body politic. If (lie farm relief proposal becomes effective, it may indeed lie the month’s only measure of- a fundamentally constructive nature.

The hope which sprang in American breasts was stimulated by the sight of a President and Congress actually accomplishing somethin^ —whatever it was. The political skill with which Mr Roosevelt handled his programme caused admiration; it was indeed novel to have a Presidential message accompanied by a carefully worked out Bill which embodied the ideas of that message; and the succinctness of the messages themselves gave a new meaning to the term State papers.

But, most pleasing of all was the realism with which the new President went to work and his constant assurance that the new deal meant the subservience of all interests to the common good, a phrase which he seemed to guarantee should not be resounding emptiness.