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Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 490, 24 April 1909, Page 7

"Probably, at no time and in no country has there been, so much fuss .about tho stago as nowadays in England,' and the annual budget of our theatre involves millions,, Moreover, peoplo often talk about it as a great educational foreo, a,great instrument for progress, a great vehicle for tho dissemination of ideas, and-so on. Yet the theatre in England remains almost entirely aloof from real life," says E. F. S., in the "Westminster Gazette." "It Booms curious that tlio women aro keener in seeking to use tho stage, a tremendous weapon for tho purposes of reform, than men, and tho explanation is by no means obvious or necessarily flattering to men. Somo day .those whom ono may generally designate as Puritans will becomo sensible of the vast potentialities of dramiij and will see .that it is foolish to leavo all the good tunes to the Devil. ,As a result,, no aoiibt, for a while wo shall suffer from a lot of bad plays with a good-purpose. Yet thoro will bo a useful infusion of good blood and now ideas, and our drama, instead of running round and round after its tail, will got out of its present little vicious circle and becomo a living force in tho country, instead of a nioro niedium'of entertainment, and' of entertainment which rarely has any substantial value from an artistic point of view."

Replying to a question in Parliament, Mr. Haldaho' stated that of £19,000 oxpondod by the .War- Office, on esperiments with aeroplanes and dirigibles, £700 had been paid to Mr. S. F. Cody, whoso agreement had been extended to September 80. 1909...'■■. " • , "

As our Empire already has a big Navy, and as it is politically.-awkward'for us to assist in naval extension, wo might do our burden-bearing by building up tho Militia and preparing a reservoir from which wo could draw volunteer contingents in case of war. This would probably lie tho best way in which wo could strengthen tho linee of ImperiaJ dofcaioo.—"Moatreal Dailj Star,"