THOUGHTS OF LEADERS

Press, Volume L, Issue 14889, 31 January 1914, Page 7

THOUGHTS OF LEADERS

t'raoii ova ows coerkspokdjext.} .LONDON, Deooniber 19. WHAT EVERY JOURNALIST' KNOWS. J>r. Page, American Ambassador: "I wonder whether men of other drafts who use journalists when they can and criticise them when thoy cannot, giro journalists credit for tho ono thing that they do know. There are many things that they might not know, but thoy know a man about as well as anybody. As they watch the unfolding of the drama *of tho world day by day they get a true judgment of those who play the game fairly, and thoy seldom miss the right measure of tho humbugs. It matters little whether thoy get credit for this or not,-but it is something of a consolation to remember that in their knowledge* of men 111 the active scenes of life, they are irot as other folk are. One very serious thing has struck mc in mv new experience here, and tliat is tKe lack of know-ledge shown j,_ the reporting of American thing* in English newspaper;, ami in the reporting of English things in American newspapers. American life ha. s to be found out by people in thia country from its interpretation in English newspapers, and English life must be found out by people m the.-United States from its interpretation in American newspapers. jln these circumstances the proper reporting „r international news be- | tweon the two countries is of th© proI roundest importance. As an example oi what 1 moan, n {.hort time ago the American papers announced in their headlines that there were differences between tlie Government* of the two countries, [f there had been such differences, surely I .would have boon among the first to know of them. The thing was wholly imaginary, and vet there* were thousands of peonle in this Kingdom who have a complete misconception of what the policy of the tinted States is, and thousands of people in the States who really imagine thnt there are differences between the two Governments. That arises from the fact that the proprietors of many newspapers throughout the Eng-lish-speaking n-orld have in their energy developed a system of what wn-? called 'boat.' For my own part I would rather go back to tho old habits and read a thing accurately to-morrow than inaccurately to-day."' DESTITUTE OLD SOLDIERS. Lord Roberts, at the Military .Bazaar: * 'Tinfoitunately the country takes scant heed of her soldiers, and it also takes tittle care of the health and welfare of the class from which our soldiers are mainly drawn. By force of compulsion, the dreaded compulsion or destitution, a proportion of those -whose health is not broken, take temporary refuge in the Army. When they join their condition becomes very different. They are -well-fed, wellclothed, well-housed, well-paid, and in the course of a few months they develop into fine-looking, straight, upright young men. They "are taught good habits of discipline, order, obedience, and regularity, and any officer who has had the good fortune to serve with our soldiers in the field knows what gallant fellows they aro before the enemy. When the timo comes for their pensions to be claimed they can, perhaps, with great difficulty, find some kind of employment, but the case is very different with the men of short service. The pensioned hien are v mere fraction compared with the men discharged on only sixpence a day after seven years, that allowance tasting, for -the remaining five years. while they are compelled to serve with the Reserves. = ("Shame 1") It is during that tithe that thc shoe pinches: it is in that timo that they find great difficulty in getting employment in civil life, because they have never been taught any trade, and it is then that State aid. is most urgent!v needed.'* ■ " ~ ..^DnDK'T'HURT THAT-FLY," Mr John -Galsworthy, the author: "1 havo no first-hand and no direct knowledge of .that,, but I. have a certain knowledge of human and animal nature, nnd I have a common sense that tells mo that wild animals are more lumpy in the _• natural state than in captivity, and aro more happy as pets than as clowns. Tlie moment you inflict unnecessary suffering even on a fly, you havo destroyed the bulwarks of society. Once inflicted, you havo committed blasphemy—the only ' blasphemy that matters, the blasphemy against your conscience. All suffering is unnecessary that is inflicted for pleasure, distraction, or convenience; and the fact that it is inflicted on creatures unable to cry out in protest makes tho crime all the greator. Whether it is the Utestruction of mother birds with their whole families, so that the plumes can be worn on the hats and heads of human mothers; whether it is the cruel docking of horses' tails—their only protection against the sting of flies; or the terrible traffic in worn-out horses; or the cruelty of traps for animals in woods ; or the turning adrift of friendly but unwanted oats and dogs: or the unnecessary slow and painful methods of killing animals for focd : or the godless captivity of wild birds, such as hawks, in zoos: all of that, I ■say. is unnecessary suffering and unwanted in this age.'j THE HOPE OF EDUCATION. Lord Haldane: "In Wales and Scotland there is plenty of keenness about education, but in England there is very little keenness except in regard to the religious controversy. I do not think 1 am taking an unduly alarmist view when I say thnt this indifference to education at the period which we are entering upon is a serious national danger. -When this nation came into existence as a great industrial nation it had practically no competitors. At that time dash and 'go.' and practical skill alone were required: Now the art of manufacture is linked with thc science of education. It is a business which is controlled by scientific principles, and woe will befall the country which is lacking in the scientific equipment necessary to enable it to comnete with it's more favoured rivals. That is not tho only thing which constitutes a source of national danger. The democracy has ceased to slumber and is asking why it has 60 much less than its neighbours havo of the world's good things, and this feeling of dissatisfaction produces strikes and agitation. The education problem lies at *.he root of the matter, and it is important that it should be dealt with in time. When people .ay that the religions question is the interesting and vital question I become a little impatient. In Germany and America great progress is being made in the realisation of the truth that, not only young men and women be prepared from an early age if they are to be made experts in their vocations in life, but that in their vocational training a large amount of general education can be given. _ The question will have to be faced in this country. An effort in the direction of higher'education is necessar.Y if this nation ks to hold its own. Tho democracy is asking why they should not have a chance of filling the highly-paid positions in the industrial world. That .chance can be secured only by giving emi-th'ty of educational opportunity to all."