TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Waikato Times, Volume 114, Issue 19100, 10 November 1933, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Body-line Bowling. If body-line bowling possessed any lingering spark of life after the recent action taken by the Marylebone authorities, its demise receives another emphatic confirmation at the hands of Constantine, the West Indies cricketer. Successive references to body-line bowling seem only to accentuate the inglorious record which it possesses.

Larwood, who was on the way towards winning very general sympathy as a result of the treatment he received in Australia at the hands of the barrackers, was singularly unfortunate in the manner of expressing his feelings. He has not received the support he might have expected from tho M.C.C., which, since the publication of his book, has been pointedly reticent on the subject of Larwood.

Whether Constantine has served any useful purpose by again referring to the body-line tactics is arguable. If he had to write a book on the test matches of his team, it is difficult to imagine him avoiding all reference to the bowling methods. But the question is whether there is really a necessity for the voluminous output of literature on test matches.

Assassination in Afghanistan. Another episode of violence hns been ndded to the stormy history of the past four years in Afghanistan. But for the importance of its geographical position, it is possible that the turmoils of the Afghans would arouse little interest in British circles, and it is due largely to the interest of Britain in preserving the country intnet ns a buffer State on the Indian North-West frontier, that British diplomacy has been so strenuously engaged in attempting the task of maintaining stability in Afghanistan.

The successive rulers of the little State have alternated between ill-disguised hostility 10, and lukewarm tolerance of, British influence. Britain’s task hns therefore always been peculiarly delicate and conquest has been out of the question owing to (he expense of waging war in such mountainous country. Tho late Nadir Shah, who before ascending the throne, had been War Minister during the reign of ex-King Amnnullnh, was reasonably tolerant of British interests, but the future vill depend upon the personal attitude of bis successor and his ability to control the restless factions in bis kingdom.