NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1650, 17 January 1913, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

In a previous article we referred to an extraordinary speech.by Governor Blease, of South California, in support of _ negro lynchings, a speech for which,' we ■ were pleased to observe,- he was roundly denounC:, ed at the' Conference, of State Governors. According 1 to recent files, Governor Blease did not comport himself at the conference ■ with tho dignity one would naturally expect from a man in his official position. Far'from it. He snapped his fingers at his brother Governors, and declared that:ho cared not one whit what the conference did or did not do. 'Ho said: ;

"I was quoted yesterday as saying, 'To hell with the Constitution,' I say now to all the Governors of all ■ tho States, all tho people of the United States, what I. said then." This is perfectly amazing. "On January 21 next,;'• he continued, "I will begin my second.term aa Governor. On March 4, 1915, if God spares ino,'l will be sworn in as a member of tho United _ States Senate." It is an interesting commentary upon American politics, upon the complete subservience of the general body of electors to the political party machine, that tho continued existence of Governor Blease in office can be so confidently predicted by that individual himself.' That fourteen State Governors against four affirmed the principle that law ! and order must be vindicated, and justice administered by thejudiciary alone, is at-.least comforting.

Perhaps tho opipionß expressed by Mn. Henry "Wilms, tho Spcakor of the Now South Wales Assembly, in an interview with one of our representatives, will not help tho Now Zealand public to any_ bettor understanding of the sordid politics of that State, but they will establish Mn! Willis's reputation as an unusual kind of political humorist, Whilo ho is amongst us, he should not bo treated unkindly, but we'rhay perhaps Bay that his defence of his Speakership will not much modify

the general opinion which this country formed when the proceedings in the Assembly deteriorated into a wild and' disgraceful farce. It may be, as Mb. Willis suggests, that his unconventional reading of , the Speaker's functions will have the result of improving the tone of tho debates in the Assembly; if bo, Mr. Willis must not be denied a' measure of credit. Since the Labohr, bosses obtained control of affairs in New South Wales and in the Federal Parliament, the principles of sound arid honest government, have been much disregarded; and it would have been surprising. if even an .'intelligent and independent man like Mr. Willis had kept his hearings. He has that excuse'-anyhftw for his strange idea that in the-event ■of parties being-equal .it, is the Speaker's duty to vote with the Government. If a Government without a majority were to attempt to carry on, the Speaker, if he wished to come to the-rescue of constitutional propriety,' obviously should resign his post. But New- Zealand cannot cast too, many stoncß at the sordid shifts of the Now South Wales Government: the events-of tho early part of this year, with all the trickery that kept a minority, in office for months, did not assist this country's credit. Wc are most interested, however, in Mr. Willis's prediction tnat the next election will result in the establishment pf a powerful "Radical Liberal" Government. What is a "Radical Liberal" Government?■'. The ,term is selfcontradictory. Radicak wo know; and we know that the Liberal is the opposite of the Radical, who .aims at exalting the State,; repressing; tho individual, arid ; destroying the 1 equity and justice for which true Liberalism has always stood..

Loud Cubzon has/ frankly confess-, ed himself to be an advocate of com-, pulsory military training for tho British Army 'of homo defence— which is tho business,of the British Territorial Force, as distinguished from 'the' regular army, maintained principally for expeditionary purposes—because, ho says,' he has'come to tho'belief that the voluntary sysr. torn has (broken down.'; Speaking at a,meeting of,thc Plymouth Conservative Association; he observed that the . humiliation 'of the Turkish Army in the -Balkan war by'tho allied forces of tho neighbouring] > States' had doiie more to knock tho | bottom out of-the' British Territorial scheme than' had' even the i.speeches' of Lord Roberts. For years,* I he said, they had been listening to the bland assurances of Lord Haldane that their Territorial, Army, of which that statesman was the 'founder, 'would months in-which'; to prepare for: action after*'ah,out-. break of hostilities. The ifirst lesson to bo learnt from the experience, of the Balkan war in that connection Was "nqt, merely that war might come like a thief in tho-hightjv.but that it would be concluded with a rapidity that was startling. soundness of the proposition that ah army, to be effective must■ be ready .'a , nd.'.efficidnt' , :to''mcey;'-ony : r'.Budde'n;' emergency appears to be so'obvious that its reiteration;,would' . almost seem to be superfluous.', Unforturi-, ately, so' deep-seated ■in tho British mind is the popular, '/aversion; to , anything;'savohring of conscription --tho press-gang bogy of ,ah earlier day—that, the /idea; of .a universal system'-of military', training, 'which is not conscription,', does not 1 readily find acceptance, in the Old Country as offering a' practical and tangible alternative to the: present volunteer system, upon which the British Tor-" Vitorial Force' is established. 'Hence,

the.. movement for the establishment of a national system .similar to that now in operation in Australia and, New Zealand, makes very slow progress at Home. That it is making6omo progress we feel suro, for. no one can peruso the, amount' of, the work- which is being •: accomplished by the National Service League:■■■ -in. Great Britain without, feeling that the sound reason which is behind; the movement is making "a distinct impression upon the public mind.' :;t

There . are indications that tho points of difference at present at issue between the United States and Great Britain .with respeet > to : the' Panama Canal Act will ultimately, under'pressure of public opinion in America, bo disposed of, in .accordance with the spirit and' intention of tho..' provisions of the HayPauncefote Treaty, and with Batis:' faction" to tho national pride of the better r part of the United / .States public. Accordirlgvto a cable mes: sage received yesterday, the reply'of the State Department at. Washington to Sir Edward Grey's letter\of; : protest against tho Panama Canal Act, will; coiivey, it is the} intimation that while adhering to the .right # .of free passage .for American ships, the United; States. Government is prepared to' continue the negotiations with GreatBritain. In tho meantime Senator Elihu Boot (formerly Secretary,for War) has introduced a Bill in' tho! Senate to eliminate the exemption provisions of the Canal-Act,Vands6 meet the objections •of tho BritishGovernment to those provisions which are held to constitute the violation of the treaty between the two;' great Anglo-Saxon nafjohs. This is a distinct reflex of American;. pub' lie opinion as represented by the great New York dailies;'and by the memorial presented to, President. Taft by a representative group, of American citizens—well-known' AJriir versity presidents, lawyers, clergy, captains of industry, and othersurging tho Administration to'(seek, "an amicable and honourable: settlement of this matter cither through diplomatic negotiation or by recommonding to Congress tho.amendment of such parte'of its-recent Act as. may bo questionable." Tho memorial continues:—

"The matter at issue is whctkeAour country is observing an international pledge. Even were' it clear to all .our. peoplo that the action of s Congress is entirely consistent with our treaty, yet.'our Government cannot with.self-respect;take the position that one party to a solemn covenant has the right independently to interpret that covenant. Such -a position; taken by a foreign Power wo should certainly resent. ... '. It is our most earnest conviotion that-as a people wo can better suffer some limitation of our .freedom of legislation and some' commercial disadvantage rather than disregard, or appear- to disregard, a. treaty negotiated in good faith and solemnly ratified." ,'•

As the London Times oxpressos it; in a review of the situation, ''all that we ask thorn to do is to act by us as in like circumstances they would expect us to act by them."