NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1573, 17 October 1912, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

Nobody has ever questioned the courage of Mr. Roosevelt, and his behaviour after the injury inflicted upon him is natural and characteristic. Although it would ' appear that the crazy Socialist's bullet inflicted a mere flesh wound, insufficiently severe to prevent the exPresident delivering his speech, it is quite possible that a serious and even fatal result may follow. There arc doubtless some people in the United States unnatural enough to hope for such a result, but thev will be very few. Nobody is likely bo sympathise with Me. Roosevelt more sincerely than those patriotic Americans who see in his candidature, and in the measure of success which it is meeting with, matter for uneasiness concerning the political morality of the American people. The American people will not have forgotten the attempt on Mr. Roosevelt's life when polling day comes round next month, but American politics is too keen, and party allegiances are too strong, to allow of the voting being greatly disturbed by a "sympathy vote." Mr. Roosevelt's forced retirement from the work of active campaigning will merely stimulate his enthusiastic friends to greater efforts, but as a fighter he is worth all his friends. The success he has met with has been almost entirely due to his own tremendous energy and personal magnetism; and it will be surprising if the Progressive cause does not suffer from its General's absence from the field. Even though it may not bo desirable that he should be elected, it is much to be desired that he shall remain an active and aggressive force in American public life.

The ''long rambling question" which, it was reported by cable yesterday, was asked in the House of Commons by a Radical member from Yorkshire, will probably help New Zealanders to understand the extent and the grossness of the misrepresentation which our defence system has suffered in certain quarters in England. Perhaps the outrageous campaign against the Act which is being conducted by the socalled Peace Societies may not greatly injure this country. -Tho-v immigrants.who are likely to s>Uy away out of hostility to the principle of compulsory training are not the immigrants whom we most require. But the anti-militarists at Home print gross misstatcments or distortions of fact, both as to the nature of our system and-as to public feeling towards it. In the niin'k of some intending immigrants, perhaps—immigrants who would cheerfully support the system if they knew what it was—there may have been created the idea that this is a sort of super-llussia, whose people groan under a brutal military bureaucracy. Apart altogether from the actual interests of New Zealand, however, the interests of truth itself require that the , British public should know the facts. Whether compulsory training on the New Zealand model is practicable in Britain is a question with two sides, but the discussion of it ought not to be influenced by lies about our own system. The debates upon the amending Bill which has passed the House have demonstrated once more that New Zealand is almost solidly enthusiastic for the system. The opponents of its main principles are few, and utterly unrepresentative. In its success in capturing the ardent support of the whole of the press, oi practically the whole public, and of practically the whole Parliament, our defence system is Suite unique. We trust that the qvernmenfc will find means to get this fact before the British people.

• The clear and convincing answer of the Prime Minister to Slit. Wittv's unwiso.suggestion yesterday that the Waihi rowdies were "too severely punished" was greatly reinforced by Mr. Payne's ludicrous contribution to the discussion. Mn. Witty suggested that "the sentences'passed on the.Waihi strikers" were too severe, and asked whether the "sentences" should not be mitigated and the law amended so that in future "the punishment inflicted should be 'more in accordance with tho alleged offence." Mr. Witty ought to have asked somebody to tell him the facts. There have been no "sentences passed on the Waihi strikers." Tho strikers acted quite within the law, so far ns we know, in striking. No sentences, oven, were passed on the men who molested and insulted peaceable citizens. They were merely convicted and ordered to promise to behave themselves. All that happened was that these misguided lawbreakers defied the Court, and refused to promise to behave in a decent manner. The simple fact of the matter was put quite clearly by the Prime Minister :

The Inw cannot be amended as proposed by the honourable member. Whenever sureties of the peace are required 'tliu order must name the period during which the defendant .is required, to keep tho lieaco, nnd Unit period must necessarily Ire determined by the discretion of the magistrate who makes tho order. It is obvious that it can never be a merely nominal period. These men arc defainell in custody only so long as they refuse to' find sureties. Their detention is due solely (o (heir own decision, and (heir relonsa can be obtained by themselves at auy moment.

And Mr. Payne ? He fell back upon "the British right to use the tongue even to apply opprobrious epithets to men they consider deserve them,"

I The poor fellows in gaol cannot give up their inalienable right to use insulting language. That is the actual case ior the W aihi "martyrs." It will surpriso nobody that Me. Pmne said what he said. And perhaps it is not very surprising either that Mk. Witty should have askeel his foolish questions. The Oppositionists are in such sore straits that thoy d<o not know what to do, or say, ur ask. They were wiser to say and do and ask nothing.