TOPICS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 8, 19 August 1908, Page 47

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

PARLIAMENT under siege. LONDON, July 3. Amazing seenes were enacted outside the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday evening of this week. Hitherto the feature of the suffragette riots has been their unexpectedness, but this time the Women’s Social and Political Union invited the public to assemble in their thousands in Parliament Square and witness the demonstration at eight p.m. At that hour it was still broad daylight, and the tine weather and the prospect of excitement brought an enormous crowdl to the vicinity of the Houses of Parliament. On arriving there soon after eight 1 found some fifty or sixty thousand people packed shoulder to shoulder, for all the world like a swarm of excited bees. They were chiefly young men of Hie middle class, with a good sprinkling of women and artisans, and a small but noisy section of the hooligan type. Fully ninety-nine per eent of the crowd were obviously there merely out of curiosity, just to see what was going to happen. Nothing seemed) to be happening at the Westminster Bridge end, where I went first. If there were any Suffragettes about they were swallowed up in the multitude. I took tut underground train to St. dames’ Park and worked back along Victoria-street to Parliament* square. Here the excitement was running high. Bound two sides. of the square the police had drawn a cordon, to prevent the public from getting near the gates of Parliament, but all the approaches were black with people. Police were everywhere, and mounted policemen rode round the square, keeping back the crowds. It reminded one of the Cossack patrol which circles round the walls of the Czar’s palace at Peterhof. Every now and then the crowd .would surge towards some particular point, and derisive cheers would be heard round the little storm-centre. Then the mounted police would-force the crowd apart, and along the l trank thus cleared stalwart constables rushed their latest Suffragette captures off to the lock-up, amidst a confused babel of cheering and booing. Three little groups' at captikes were hurried by in quick succession, and the demeanour of each lot formed. an interesting contrast. The first three that I saw in custody seemed badly scared. The wonam nearest me was grey-haired, gentle-look-ing, well-dressed—obviously a lady. Her white, tense face, and the hunted look in her eyes made her a pathetic figure as she was hustled through the jeering, calloug mob. There were only two captives in the next group, and! one of them, a very stylishly dressed lady, walked with the dignity and hauteur of a French marquise facing the' sanslculottes around the guillotine. To the jeers’ of the crowd she showed a splendid unconcern, but if anyone waved his hat or cheered, she bowed in stately fashion. Tn all that multitude she was the most dignified and striking figure. The last group I saw were young girls, and they went by'with laughter on their lips and the fire of enthusiasm in their eyes. Like true zealots they went to the lock-up as to a festival. To the hooting "of the mob they replied with laughing words, for they eared as little for derision as for imprisonment. Turning into Downing-street, which at the time was nearly empty, I was just in time to see the in'ost exciting incident of the evening. A taxi-cab drove smartly up to the door of No. 10, the Prime Minister’s house, and out jumped a welldressed young womaiL She made a rush for the door, and hurled a stone at it, smashing a glass panel. Two policemen pounced upon her,<but she tripped one, of them up, broke a way, and hurled another stone before she-wak finally overwhelmed. She struggled furiously, 'uttering wild, unnatural cries like a tortured animal's, but the police quickly carried her away. It was a painful scene,

After that Downing-street was closed to the. public, and presently the police began to drive the crowds out of Parliament Square, Bridge-street, and Whitehall, riding down the footpaths to make the people retreat. By half-past ten it was all over. Twenty-nine Suffragettes had been arrested, and to the general astonishment not a single casualty had taken place. <?>«><s> MIDSUMMER AND THE MIDNIGHT SUN. In England a period of 14 days without rain is called a drought, and now that London has entered on its 16th rainless day the papers are beginning to talk about “the drought-streken metropolis.” It is certainly remarkable weather. AU day the sun shines brilliantly out of a blue sky, and the light lingers far into the night. On Tuesday and Wednesday there was scarcely any night at all, thanks to a wonderful display of “northern lights.” In the north of London it was still light enough at one a.m. on Thursday to read a newspaper. The sky was blue as in the daytime, with bands of pink and yellow tinted clouds towards the north, and the whole city was Suffused with a soft glow of light. Hundreds of people gathered on the commons and in the parks to gaze at the strange effects of sky and dead, and indoors people turned out the lights and crowded to the windows. Tennis-players and cricketers were able to go on playing till after ten o’clock at night, and it was quite possible to read a newspaper in the street at half-past ten. The effect at Windsor was particularly beautiful, the glow bringing into sharp relief the ancient towers of the Castle. The North Surrey downs stood out in bold relief against the opaque sapphire sky to the south, and church towers and other buildings of size and height could be distinguished at a distance of a couple of miles until after midnight. The weather at the seaside and in the country is simply glorious, but in London the heat, the dust, the noise, and the smell of the motor ’buses rather take the edge off one’s enjoyment of the blue skies and brilliant sunshine. And householders in tile nearer suburbs are driven wellnight frantic by the swarm of wandering “musicians” who haunt the streets and squares. Here is the programme of an average day in Eaton Square, described by house agents as "a quiet and select West Eind residential quarter”:— 11 a.m., piano organ, playing “Put Me Among the Girls”; 11.25, second piano organ, with the same tune, varied with “Waltz Me Around Again, Willie”; 11.40, woman and children, singing “Where is My Wandering Boy?” 12.10, barrel-organ; 12.25, another organ; 12.55, return of first organ; 2 p.m., return of second organ; 3.10, woman and girl singing hymns; 4.30, blind man with concertina; 6.35, German band, for over half an hour; 7 p.m., man with cornet; 8.15, woman with cracked voice; 11.15, traction engine bound for Covent Garden; midnight, en-gine-drawn furniture van. Thenceforward fitful slumber, amidst the sounds of early morning traffic bound for Covent Garden. If there is a public more long-suf-fering than the Londoners, one would like to know where they are to be found. The influx of visitors into London is now at its zenith, and -a mighty army it is. Within the last fortnight six of the great railway companies have poured into town more than 120,000 travellers, and the Australian and New Zealand linfers arrive at the docks crowded with passengers. The hotels, the tradesmen, the restaurants, and the exhibitions are all reaping a plenteous harvest. And the sun smiles serenely down upon a. sweltering mass of perspiring humanity. The temperature to-day is 124 deg in the sun, and although the shade temperature is

seldom above 90deg. the moistness of the atmosphere makes the heat effect almost tropical. People flock into St. Paul's? Cathedral, and the underground tube passages’to get cool, and London gets through something like 1800 tons of ice a day , and a trifle of 1,200,000 oranges and 150,0001 b of strawberries. ❖ «- •• THE PROGRESS OF REFORM. ’ The chief argument put forward by Sir Edward Grey in defence of sending King Edward to call on the Uzar was that the progress of reform in Russia would be greatly accelerated by the friendship of a democratic Power. It is a beautiful theory. The more nice things the English say about the good, kind Czar, the more that amiable monarch will love and cherish his grateful subjects. Unfortunately, the Czar's idea of reform -is rather different from ordinary British notions of what that muchabused work signifies. Consider the progress of reform in Russia in the year 1907. 1 take the facts from an article in the “Times” by Sir Georg.- Trevelyan: Thirty thousand prisoners left the Central Prison at Moscow on their way to Siberia last year. Gut of that 30,000, only 2835 had ever been brought before a court. Roughly, 27-000 of last year's exiles were untried. They had been torn from their homes and banished into life-long exile on account of their political opinions. The more, enlightened and intelligent their views, the more certain had been their terrible fate. In this way the pick of Russian humanity is being herded into exile without trial. This year, as last, thousands are being sent off to Siberia every month. Since the amnesty of Novejnber 2, .1905; no fewer than 100,000 men and women have been exiled to Siberia , and the northern provinces—-unconvicted convicts in . an ice-bound wilderness. The freedom of the Press under the Constitution granted- by the Czar was respected by him as follows: — ........ “From June to'October, 1907 , 84 newspapers were suppressed, 35 editors put in prison, three exiled; 133-'newspapers lined, and 60 editors had criminal proceedings taken against them. Under these conditions the utterances of the few remaining newspapers, living from day to day with the s’Word of Damocles over-their heads, will hardly be taken as'a free expression of opinion.” - Meanwhile, the prisons are so crowded that although hospitals and lunatic asylums are fitted up with cells, the accommodation is not enough by 50 per cent. Of trade unions, says Mr. H. W. Nevinson. 81 have been violently closed; of newspapers, 28 were suspended in the first month of this year alone. In March and April the Czar extended a free pardon to 180 scoundrels righteously imprisoned for the pillage and slaughter of Jews in pogroms. At Riga, the gaol officials tried and sentenced to imprisonment for inflicting appalling tortures on political prisoners of both sexes had hardly begun their sentence when they received full pardon from the Czar. “Let us not lie deceived,” says Mr. Nevinson, whose Russian experience entitles him to lie heard; “if the Czar were not himself a stupid; bloodthirsty, and superstitious tyrant, the state of Russia would be very different to-day.” Even if the Czar be not responsible for the murderous brutality of his minions, Sir Edward Grey has still to explain how England's friendship is going to help the victims of oppression. Will it bring a single exile back from .Siberia, or stop a single execution? Will it not father strengthen the hands of the autocracy by raising Russia’s financial credit and enabling her to float a much-needed loan? If the friendship of a democratic country will accelerate the progress of reform in Russia, why has not the friendship and alliance with France, a country in some ways even more democratic than England, had more effect on the internal policy of Russia ? Since the King's visit to Rcval the Constitutional Democrats have been dismissed from all zemstroos

and municipal bodies on the plea that they belong to a party oppo-ed to the Govenument. Not even Sir Edward Grey could suggest that this step a. .-elevate the progress of reform. It means, of course, that the hands of th- autocracy have been strengthened. ADMIRALS AT LOGGERHEADS. A question recently asked in tin- llou-e of Commons as to the rumour that Lord Charles Beresford was not on speaking terms with Admiral Sir John Fisher, was, it now transpires, raised on account an incident which took place, it is alleged, at a recent levee in full view of Cabinet Ministers and foreign Ambassadors. The First Sea laird greeted his subordinate by holding out his hand; but, it is said. Lord Charles Beresford ostentatiously ignored Sir John's hand, and placed his own -behind his back. The scene was witnessed by many people, and has been inm-Jt discussed in diplomatic and service circles. It. is* a pretty kettle of fish, to bo sure. Hare we have the Commander-in Chief of the Channel fleet, refusing to speak cither to his superior, the First Sea. Lord, -or to. his subordinate, the Admiral Commanding tin- First cruiser squadron. Sir Percy S-.-ott! A nice position indeed, and one. that surely demands the immediate attention of the Cabinet. There has been friction between Sir John and Sir Charles almost from the time the former became First Sea Lord, and between Sir Charles and Sir Percy Beott 'ever since the unfortunate “paint and look pretty'" signal made by Sir Percy on the occasion of the German Emperor’s visit last year. A. rumour is afloat that after the naval manoeuvres now in progress Sir Charles Beresford intends t.o resign his appointment and re-enter political life. In the House, of course, he would be in the happy position of being able to criticise his present superior's policy without risking unpleasant consequences. At the same time his retirement from the navy would, it seenls, bring to an end a state of affairs that, to say the least of, it, cannot conduj-e to "the. wejl-ls-ing. and .-ffcetiyCT ness of the Empire's first line of defence, and might under certain quite rqmceivs able ei’rcumstaiiK-es result in what wff eupnemisticaliy called during the South African war "regrettable incidents,’’ Apart from the levee incident, it is quite clear that Sir John Fisher and Sir Charles Beresford are not, and have not been, pulling together in the manner that the First Sea Lord and the head of a most important section of tin- King’s navce should do; and it is equally clear that between Sir Charles and bis subordinate, Sir Percy Scott, the relations are decidedly the reverse of happy. Sir Charles may not lie entirely to blame, but certainly bis method of calling Sir Percy over the eoals in the matter of the “paint and look pretty" signal savoured more of "the Goveinor” dealing with the office boy than of a naval officer of high rank “calling down” an officer next in rank to himself for what was. under any circumstances, mere indiscretion born of a genial temperament, and in no sense a breach of discipline meriting what amounted to a public reprimand. Apropos of the decision to exclude pressmen from the warships taking part in the naval manoeuvres, the "I’imes” talks guardedly of strained relations ire high quarters: “If is matter of common rumour and belief that the relations between the present Commander in-Cliief of the Channel lied and certain of his brother officers in command, and even his relations will: th*' Hoard of Admiralty itself, have at times been, and for all we know to the contrary, still may be. somewhat strained. It is just conceivable, though it is scarcely credible, that the Admiralty may fear that if representatives of tile Pres- were admitted la he manoeuvres in the-e circumstances. they might become partisans of this -i-le or that in these unhappy controversies, rattier than impartial observers of and dispassionate critics of the operations

they are permitted to witness and record. Such an idea, if it were entertained, would in our judgment lw» altogether iknworthy alike of the Board of Admiralty and of the distinguished officers concerned, while it is little short of an insult to any self-respecting and reeponsible representatives of the Press. If the relations in question were so strained and so critical that even the Admiralty cainnot relax the tension by a judicious exercise of their disciplinary authority, the representatives of the Press are not nt all likely to be. such fools as to rush in where even mandarins fear to tread. Hut we may surely dismiss this idea as too preposterous to be seriously entertained.”