A DISTINGUISHED VISITOR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1514, 9 August 1912, Page 7

A DISTINGUISHED VISITOR.

THE HfJN. MAURICE BARING. THE.YELLOW PERIL. The Hon. Maurice Baring, who arrived in Wellington from Sydney by tho Maunganui on Wednesday, is at present tho guest of his Excellency the Governor and Lady Islington. Though still a young man— he was born in 1874—he has had a distinguished career. He is the fourth eon of Lord Revelstoke, and was educated at Eton and Trinity College,.Cambridge. He entered the Diplomatic Service in 1898, and.was appointed Attache to the British Embassy in Paris. In 1900 he was. transferred to Copenhagen, and in 1902 to Rome. Afterwards he was employed in the Foreign Office, but resigned in 1901 and went out to Manchuria as war correspondent for the "Morning Post." He also acted as special correspondent of that journal in Russia after the war. ; Mr. Baring is a brilliant linguist, and is a recognised authority on Russian literature.' He has written quite a number of books, amongst which are: "Sonnets and Poems," "Dead' Letters," and "With "the Russians in Manchuria" His book about the Russo-Japanese War—seen from the Russian side—is one of the most interesting books'on the Manchurian campaign, and the general impressions with 'which ho concludes It aro worthy of more than passing attention. Ho found that the Russians liked the English individually, and got on well with them, but they considered England's policy to bo one of Jar-reaching, unscrupulous Machiavellian encroachment. Mr. Baring was able to explain to the Russians that that was exactly the Englishman's point of view .in regard to Russia, and he makes the rather shrewd observation , that such a view is shared by every European nation with regard to Great Britain, by largo countries like Germany,'by small, countries like Denmark, and by friendly countries' liko Italy.' In a sense, he says, it is a compliment, as it testifies -to - the success of our policy. Mr. Baring rather scouts the idea of a Russian invasion of " Mr.' Baring's remarks on the "Yellow Peril" have a special interest in the southern Dominions. The Chinaman's aim, he says, is peace. "Nevertheless, he adds, "the victory of the Japanese over European troops may very likely produce a chnngo of some kind. Monsieur Anatole France, in his latest book, wittily says that what we - have to fear, from the "vellow peril" is nothing in .comparison' with what the Chinese have to fear from tho "white peril," and that so far the Chinese lifcveiibt yet looted the Louvre nor has a Ghiheib fleet bombarded Cherbourg. I-should say that tho 'yellow perir will depend for its reality and extent entirely on this: How seriously tho Chinese will consider the "white peril to be, and how obnoxious wilt Europeans make themselves to tho Chinese. If the Europeans appear to them to step over the limit of what is bearable, they willtake measures accordingly.

AN INTERVIEW, ' THE REPORTER AND THE S DIPLOMAT. A representative of The Dominion, who had a brief interview with Mr. Baring ou Wednesday evening, formed the impression during an .extremely interesting conversation that one of tjio chief arts of diplomacy is to absorb the interest of the listener without imparting any information—information of moment—for publication. Ho has not been attache at several European capitals and a war correspondent for nothing. . A reference to the situation in tno Balkans drew from Mr. Baring a remark that ho had been in Constantinople during certain revolutionary disturbances, but he did.not know much about the "Young Turks." ■ To him a Turk was just a Turk, and .would always he a- Turk, no matter what Government he was under. Most of the Balkan States were more or less, unrestfnl, the differences of religion and of race making it almost impossible for harmony to reign tfiero long. He would not bo surprised to see eventually, the various Balkan States become annexed one by ono to tho greater Powers. - Most of Mr. Baring's journalistic experience has beou'in Russia. Asked if English correspondents have much difficulty in getting their news, he said, "Oh, no. One gels to know the local journalists, and When, in Russia, for example, the Duma is sitting it is more or less a matter of gossiping with the members." Of strikes he said'that he had been rather lucky in his experience. Ho was. returning to St. Petersburg from the East when a strike occurred, and the train ho was' jn was stopped—for a week. Everything stopped, the railways, the banks, and the' telegraph offices. Business was at a standstill, likewise his train, at a. wayside station. On tho train they were allowed tho equivalent to 2s. per clay for food allowance, and until the food and the drink ran out were quite comfortnble. Strikes in Russia seem to be done pretty thoroughly. , This is Mr. Baring's first visit to this part of the world, and ho was going to see as much of it as ho could. ' Ho had been much impressed with Sydney, but was far too diplomatic to say what his fii-3t impression of Wellington was, except that he had noticed that we had had Have yon, as a journalist, interviewed many men? asked the reporter, in a moment of curiosity, before ho took his "Oh ves, frequently, in Russia, and I found t-hat it was generally the interviewer that was interviewed/ replied Mr. Baring, smiling pleasantly.