NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1665, 4 February 1913, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

In this country the people who call themselves the ".Progressives" or the "Liberals," or what ■ not, ' have : a pretty hearty dislikeof looking backwards. Appeal to history, and you will be lucky' if you. are called nothing worse than a "reactionary"- or a "Tory." "History! What docs the effeto Past matter? We'are the only history-makers." Nevertheless, : we fancy that Lord Liverpool will not generally be considered to have been irrelevant in tho interesting historical portion of his address yesterday upon "tho absolute necessity of seapowcr to a nation that has oversea Dominions." The people of New Zealand, happily, are free from the advanced British Radical's sad delusion that a big Navy is unnecessary, and that politeness to' other nations is cheaper and just as effective. Thoy will appreciate, however, Lord Liverpool's emphasis upon the fact that the Navy enabled the successful prosecution of those campaigns, big and Binall, all over the world, in which Britain has been engaged since tho Crimean War. No doubt his Excellency also had in his mind the fact that the value, to all the world as well as to Britain, of British supremacy on tho seas is less fairly measured by Britain's successes than by the stormsand wars which its existence has cither interdicted or averted. Like his predecessor, Lord Liverpool wisely stressed tho fact that the Dominions must boar.a real share of the burden of naval defence. A correspondent in a letter wc print to-day suggests 1 that the Mayor, who was present at the gathering, ought to carry the sentiments of the speech to his Labour friends, who lately denounced national defence. Our corrosponchtnt moans, of course, only to emohasiso the anti-national chdrae-

tor of the Labour Conference's resolution. We are convinced that the vast majority of the wage-earners repudiate tho Conference, and Lord Liverpool is right in believing that in tho time of trial the citizens of the Empire, in whatever country, will manfully face their duty. But they must prepare heartily for that time in order that their manfulncss shall ho supported hy efficiency.

In his article on "University Reform," which we print on another page to-day, Professor Wall, of Canterbury College, carries a stage forward the war between the Professors and the Senate. The issue is one which ought to be, and of course will be, fought out; and the sooner a modns vivendi is reached—it may bo by' compromise, or it may be _ by, bloodshed, or the academic equivalent for bloodshed—the better, • for this is not a time when thore should bo internal ■■ dissensions _ concerning University administration. _ There is danger threatening tho University from outside. The idea has been' fostered, and in some cases by people who ought to know better, that to fix high standards in the examinations, from' the entrance examination onward, is to strike a blow at "democracy." A few days ago we showed the absurdity of this idea. Tho University should show an open door to those, rich or poor, who can 'tiirii.- a University education to their own and their country's advantage, and a. door closed to '• all those, rich or poor, who cannot. Since we wrote on the subject, a clever little letter ' has been printed by an Auckland paper from an an6nymous correspondent, who makes this point very well. In Geneva, of all places, he says, "some sons, of Belial hav<s become.Tories in 'education," and he quotes these "reactionary''' sentiments from a recent issue of the Journal de. Geneva :

. "If our university is to be turned into a ; University Creche, its chairs will cease' to be prizes, and its professors will, no ilongcr ba men with winds of their own.' If a university is to bo famous it must not bo carried away by a mania for many students, but aim at giving its students culture and knowledge. It should admit no Studonts who aro not sufficiently advanced, to get full benefit from \ college lectures, and its examinations should bo searching. It should not have easy examinations,-and as a consequence many students; Public money should only bo Bpent on students who at tho end of their course will bo thoroughly qualified for those careers that aro open to university graduates. Tho question how best to keep up a high standard of university educar tion in a small and poor country is always a difficult one, and cannot be auswered by party feeling, .or the man in 'the street. Unhappily, while the Senate and the professors are exchanging ■;: lusty thwacks, tho "man in the street"— who ;is,, here, usually', somebody hankering after the House of PtepresentativesTrid abletosay his foolish say. without' reproof from those who ate charged with the defence of our University. AVo gratefully acknowledge &ome wise words from Sir Robert Stout,., bnt' Sir Robert unfortunately is too busy with tho professors to swing a'steady' axo continuously against those "democrats" who think that quantity, not quality, of output is the end of a University, , •':

It is the Custom for alLrepresentativo Ministers in the United States Diplomatic Service to resign their appointments when a,new President assumes office. The United 'States Diplomatic Corps is hardly.' ttf bo compared 7 with those- ■of ' Great , Britain 'and the Continental nations, and in the beginning was, mainly a, convenient means of rewarding political supporters vand importunate office-sceJsers., It is only within a comparatively recent period that service therein -has assumed some semblance of a,professional career, and' that merit has received ■ Bomo tangible recognition from the. Administration. In the Consular Service a good deal has been accomplished; during the Taft ' r6gime in the way of systematising appointment and promotion, and a small beginning' has also been made in the Diplomatic Service. The manner in. which Dr.' Wilson approaches the' difficult and : delicate task of. filling these appointments after his inauguration will offer some;indication of the standards he proposes to sot nip, and, it is oxpected, will also point in a general way to the ; tendency of his foreign policy. : Hitherto l the claims of wealth, on the score that the dignity and emprcssenient of an Ambassador is an expensive' but necessary consideration, have weighed in appointments to-certain posts, and the qualifications of men 01 brilliant attainments but moderate (means have been ignored; Apropos, a certain English nobleman once asked,the then United States Oonsul-General in London (Mr. Robert J. Wynne) this question:—-

* "Will you tell me why it is that ycur great and-rich Government, a democracy; a nation; that stands for simplicity, sends abroad only men of enormous wealth? I do not mean to detract from the great ability and culture of your Ambassador. I don't want to offend you.ibut people like myself are astonished, at the.exhibition of private wealth given under the flag which stands for, simplicity and unostentatiousness."

Tho New York Evening Post, commenting editorially upon this aspect of the new President's responsibilities, hopes that the United States "has not gone so sterile in men of intellectual attainments and personal attractiveness- that some of them, cannot be found to represent us abroad," and remarks that Dr. Wilson's instinctive, idea of adorning the Diplomatic Service would bo "something, very different from gilding'it." ,'' . . '..-...''

1 For some weeks past various antiReform newspapers have "been assailing Mr. Massey for having passed a Land Act one result of whioh has been that a canny Socialist in Southland has allegedly bought for less than £50 the freehbldof alease-in-perpetuity holding which with its minerals is .worth about £30,000 or £40,000, and which has been resold to a syndicate for £500 by ,;tho tenant, Starving men are never nice or. careful in choosing J their food; and the anti-Reformers are bo utterly destitute that they have' made a very noisy meal of this ' Southland story. They have nearly exhausted their resources of' vituperation 'in their assaults upon the Government, not stopping even to fefloct that in Committee on tho Bill and in the third reading debate nobody raised the point which is the foundation of their attacks upon the Government. We printed on Saturday a statement by Mr. Massey to tho effect that the Southland Socialist has no rights in respect of tho coal on his holding. Tho Prime Minister repeats to-day that the purchase of the fee-simple docs not carry with it the right to mine a mineral-bearing country. All the noise of the antiReform newspapers in various parts worn to bo. much ndo about nothing; It is their misfortune that they are

politically in bo desporatc a plight that they cannot pick and choose their fare. Wo do not expect that the discovery that they have made a foolish mistake will lie followed by repentance or retraction. They will merely go on repeating their foolish charges; for are not foolish charges just the very thing to tickle the palates of foolish people 1

.Tee Acting Minister for Defence (tho Hon, 11. H. Rhodes) has'made a statement which partly clears up tho mystery surrounding tho purchase by the New Zealand Government of obsolete guns for mountain battery'work. Obviously speaking from information supplied by_ the military authorities, tho Minister states that the guns wore ordered upon the advice of an 'ox-military advisor, whose appointment was determined in consequence of tho error., We should be glad to learn who this officer was, upon whose recommendation he was appointed, and whether •the statement which has been made that ho wae a superannuated officer who had been employed for several years past, and had overlooked recent developments in armament, is correct, or not. The Minister, adds that tho mistako was discovered as soon as the guns arrived. In that case, why were they not returned at once to the manufacturers, instead of being used for instruction purposes 1 Further, ; with • thrco- recentlyappointed artillery officers 'at general headquarters) it occurs to us that this ''ex-military adviser" should have been rclioved, of his responsibility a.little earlier. , Mr. Rhodes appears to .be anxious—and it is a generous instinct—to protect from blame . tho old Government which was responsible for the error and responsible for neglecting to repair the fault iit once ' arid : punish the person or persons concerned in it: But, really; military : efficiency must, suffer if MR. Rhodes his natural kindness and generosity towards his late political opponents to carry, 'him often 'thus .'far.. ~.■

Anti-Reform journalism' seemß to be getting'on. Ono_6f its exponents' has attacked a, Minister because, when he teniperdd his very moderate criticism of Siß' Joseph \Vard as,a politician by praising the energy, .and industry which lilted the formbr Prime Minister,from a cadctship in tho Post and Telegraph Department to the position of -'■ PostmasfcerGenoral, the Minister concealed tho fact that Sir Joseph Ward rose'to bo Prime Minister! On this ludicrous foundation the • anti-Eeform newspaper referred to built up a vulgar and violent assault upon the private affairs of the Minister, to .whom it referred in the fcoarsest manner, and attacked his.deceased father with the same bitterness and Indecency. 'This; sort, of writing must be quite easy to those .who-do not shrink from':. it. But wo fancy that even tho- average anti-Reformer will'decide that, the ghastly stuff we refer to is too strong for any decent ' Btornach. .'. We only mention the matter beoauso wo* shall bo interested to see whether tho; Lyttelton Times, of: the' Auckland Star, or the Diinedifr Star mil) 1 , by .their silence", „ notify that x -they .'. approve )pf.y: these methods, or,, by their censure, enable Us to. hopo ( ,tljat they areas firm!a,s 'they *h'ave' been M in! the i 'past' ■ v agai rist indecency;or insanity in. journalism..