TOPICS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 19, 12 May 1909, Page 10

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

NEW ZEALAND'S DREADNOUGHTS." How London Took the News. THE news of New Zealand's great offer o ftwo Dreadnoughts for the British nary has taken England by storm. I know of no event, not even the sending of colonial contingents to South Africa, which has produced so deep a feeling or evoked so much warm recognition on ithc part of the Mother Country towards One of her self-governing Dominions. The news came upon Ixrndon with dramatic suddenness. Imagine, if you can, a gloomy, foggy winter's day in Eleetstreet—a grey, uninspiring scene, dominated by the dull roar of traffic and the ceaseless sound of hurrying footsteps. (New Zealand was far enough from the thoughts of that endless stream of human beings, each passing by absorbed in his own affairs, with that peculiar intentness and abstraction which comes with long familiarity with London's teaming thoroughfares. Then suddenly appeared the evening paper bills witlj “New Zealand offers two Dreadnoughts” in great staring headlines, and the shrill voice of the newsboys rose high above the din of the traffic. It was enough. The attention of the public was arrested. There was a rush for the newspapers, end from that moment the one topic of the week, overwhelming all others in interest and importance, has been the patriotic action of New Zealand. It has captured the English imagination. Even the news from the Antarctic expedition, splendid as that was, has been dwarfed by the side of it. The talk had been all of New Zealand, and the splendid spirit she had shown. Sir Joseph Ward and his colleagues were, of course, influenced solely by patriotic motives in making their offer of two “Dreadnoughts” to the Mother Country, but in making it they have given "The long White Cloud” the finest advertisement any colony has ever received. The action of the self-governing Dominions at the time of the Boer war opened the eyes of thousands at Home to the value of Britain’s colonial Empire, end converted to Imperialism untold numbers of those who were “Little Englanders” by reason of sheer ignorance alone. But the colonies on that occasion all came along with offers of help “as one man.” and it is to be feared that the eyes and thoughts of the old folk at Ilome were so intently fixed upon the theatre of the struggle that they had little chance of paying much attention to the particular sources whence England was deriving such magnificent aid in her dark hour.

New Zealand's offer came as a most complete surprise, and has captivated the fancy of everybody. In tram, train, or ’bus, wherever you go, you hear the ■words ‘•New Zealand.” Everybody who knows anything about the newest Vominion is airing his knowledge for the benefit of those who don’t, but who want to because of those two ‘ Dreadnoughts.” Everybody, indeed, seems anxious to learn something about “God’s own country.” its people and products. And the newspapers, Liberal, Tory, and nondescript, are voicing New Zealand’s praise in glowing terms daily. It is a great ecore for Maoriland, and for the time being she is, in England’s eyes, the Cullinan diamond in England’s casket of colonial jewels. The only regret that I have found among English people in regard to the offer is that the British Government, instead of accepting it forthwith, has asked that it should take effect in next year’s building programme. Q'here is a very general feeling that the Home Government has missed a great opportunity. A prompt acceptance, eo far from being interpreted as a sign of ■weakness, would have accorded with the genuine enthusiasm shown by the nation at large, and would have done more than anything else to strengthen Ute bonds of goodwill between the Mother <k>untry and the Ihtminion. INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS. The High Commissioners and AgentsGeneral of the self-governing colonies have been appointed members of the ■ew Royal Commission which in to

assist the Board of Trade in the organisation of exhibits illustrative of British arts, industry, and agriculture at the forthcoming international exhibitions at Brussels in ItflO and at Rome and Turin in 1911. The Prince of Wales will be president of the Commission, the Earl of Lathan chairman. The exhibition at Brussels in 1910 will mark the inauguration of a new policy on the part of His Majesty's Government with regard to official participation in foreign international exhibitions. It has been felt for some time past that British exhibitors have been at a disadvantage as compared with those of other countries, owing to the absence of any permanent organisation for preparing the British section at important international exhibitions. A committee was subsequently appointed by tAe President of the Board of Trade in 19<M to make inquiries and report as to the nature and extent of the benefit accruing to British arts, industries, and trade from the participation of this country in great international exhibitions, and to advise as to the steps which should be taken to secure the maximum advantage from any public money which might be Expended on this object. As a result of the recommendations contained in the committee’s report, a special branch of the Commercial Labour and Statistical Department of the Board of Trade was recently established to deal

with all matters relating to the participation of Great Britain in foreign international exhibitions, and active preparations are now being made for the organisation of a comprehensive display of British arts and manufactures at the three exhibitions in question. The Brussels Exhibition, which will include sections devoted to art, science, industry, and agriculture, is to open in April, 1910, and will continue for a period of about six months. The exhibitions at Borne and Turin will open in April, 1911, and continue for a period of about six months. They are being held to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the proclamation of the kingdom of Italy, and are under the patronage of the King of Italy and the honorary presidency of the Duke of Aosta. The exhibition at Turin will be devoted to industry and labour, and that at Rome to art and archaeology. A PRINCE’S “ PRANKS." If one half the scandalous stories told of the Crown Prince of Servia are true, there can be small wonder at his compulsory renunciation of Mis right to succeed his father to the blood-stained throne of Servia; indeed, if a tithe of the talcs have foundation in fact, Prince George ought to have been placed years ago in a criminal lunatic asylum. Only in hid twenty-second year, and with his

status as Crown (Prince going back no further than the middle of 1903—prior to which he was a person of no importance—Prince George of Servia has for the past six years been constantly before the public eye, usually in the character of a young man of vicious and violent temperament, whose chief claims to notoriety were his absolute disregard of social and political etiquette and a total lack of those qualities which mark a man out as being fit to hold any high office of state. In fine, Prince George has been exhibited to the public as an “unlicked cub” of the worst possible kind, prone to anger, swift to violence, a cowardly bully towards those upon whom he dared let loose the vials of his wrath, utterly wanting in filial affection and in respect to the responsible ministers of State. The worst scandals related of Prince George concerned his private life. It has been reported that in fits of crazy anger he had insulted, and even offered physical violence to, officials, soldiers, and servants of the Palace, that he had thrashed his tutors, and had openly insulted his father in the presence of others. The Belgrade journals have more than once insinuated doubts as to his sanity, and a correspondent of a Vienna journal actually reported that the Prince had become insane, and was likely to be interred in an asylum abroad. One of the best accredited eccentricities of the Prince is his domestic practice with the revolver. He is an excellent shot, and the walls and ceilings of his apartments are covered with bullet marks. It is said that governors and

aides-de-camp have resigned because they did not care to approach his Highness by a door riddled with revolver bullets. It was reported not long ago that a mouse had been caught in Prince George’s room. With the living animal in his hand, he went to the two sentinels at the entrance to the Royal Palace, and, lifting it near the mouth of one of them, commanded him to bite off the head of the mouse. The soldier refused, whereupon the Prince—so the story goes ■ —threatened him with violence, and did actually draw his sword on the man. In the Skupshtina recently a deputy asked a question about a Prince who was reported to have murderously attacked two footmen with a hammer, and there was no doubt in anybody’s mind, that Prince George was the person the deputy referred to. The “last straw” which broke the back of the Servian Ministry’s endurance of the Prince’s “pranks” is said to have been a murderous attack on a groom of the chambers. M. Kolakovitch had been for some time in the service of the Prince. On the night of March 17th, it is alleged that when the Prinee returned to the Palace a fearful scene occurred. The Prince knocked ‘M. Kolakovitch down and kicked him with his spurred riding-boots about the head and body. He then ordered two soldiers to carry the insensible man to the guardhouse, whence he was transferred to the hospital, where he died three days later, leaving a wife

and six children. Almost all the Belgrade papers addressed questions to the Government and the police as to why no inquiry was made into the affair, and two days later the journals openly accused the Prince of murder. The Prince is not without friends. In some quarters it is alleged that he b the victim of foul intrigue on the part of certain Servian politicians who have the ear of the local Press. In February a representative of the “Pall Mall Gazette” had an interview with the Prince, who declared that what the Press said of him was lies, and that the reason for this was his bluntness, his frank outspokenness. The interviewer described him as “a youth frank and honest, full of vivacity and superfluous energy, chafing under restraint, perhaps, and mourning the absence of activity and the presence of forethought in his nation. Tall, athletically knit, healthy-looking, with deepset, serious eyes, which may be kindled instantly into merriment, and with all the evidence of courage writ upon his face.” It may be so, but usually where there is smoke there is fire, and round the Crown Prince’s name, there has been thick black clouds of smoke for the pash five years. *