NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1756, 22 May 1913, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

0 The passing of the Californian Anti-Alien Land Bill has directed public attention to several phases of the Asiatic problem. A cablegram published in Tuesday's issue stated that Silt VAiiEXTiNE CHiitot,, Director of the Foreign Department of. The, Times, is of opinion that tho present dispute between Japan and the United States threatens to force to a definite issue. Japan's claim to equal treatment with the other world Towers. A straight-out issue on this point has so far been avoided by diplomatic compromises, but eventually it will have to lie faced, andthe consequences may be far-reaching. That matters are now developing which may at any time precipitate a crisis is clearly indicated by certain statements' made recently by Mit. Totton, a New Zealand merchant, who has been a resident of Japan lor the past six years. In the course of an interview at Perth, Mn. Totton said the Japanese are swarming in '•\ew Caledonia, New Britain, and iiKinv of the South &ca Islands. In the last ten years the population ol Japan has increased by _ as many people, as are in Australia to-day, and they must find i-onie outlet Jov their growing millions. The warmer climates attract them fo the south, and they arc emigrating under (lovernment supervision. To show the haughty spirit of the people, Mn.

Totton remarked: "Before I left I found a statement in one Tokio paper to the cffect that Japan, having defeated Russia, it was time they chastised the United States. When you hear of people being agreeable to take on the millions of the United States, you can imagine what confidence they have in themselves. A Japanese soldier is not so much a brave man as he is a fanatic. He fights and lives or lie fights and dies. It docs not matter to him. All lie requires for his daily sustcnanco is some rice, home dried- fish, and pickled vegetable, with pickled seaweed as caviare." The position of the Japanese in the world is certainly one of the biggest problems which the statesmanship of the future will have to face. The present dispute over the Californian Bill has a wide-world interest owing to the fact that Canada, Australasia, and other white countries may at any timo have to deal with the same question in some shape or form.

I The system of exchanging teachers between English and oversea schools has now made an actual beginning as far as New Zealand is concerned by the arrival of Me. F. L. Carter, who has come from Clifton to join the staff of Christ's College, in Christchurch. In the course of an interview with a Lyttcllon Times ' representative, Mr. Carter has' somo interesting things to_ say about the exchange system. The idea is that if some of the English masters go out to other parts of the Empire, and masters from tho oversea Dominions take up work for a time in Home educational institutions, tho results will bo of benefit to scholars and teachers aliko. The masters cannot fail to get a.broader outlook and a more living acquaintance with tho countries they visit; and this must have a very real inilucnco on the character of their teaching when they return to their old schools. They will bo able to speak of what they have actually seen and experienced, and their lessons will in eonsequence_ be far moro interesting and instructive. Book knowledge is of courso indispensable, but personal experience makes the dry bones live. This interchange of ideas through the schools must in time have its effect on Imperial questions by enabling the different parts of the Empire to have a bettor understanding of the special problems of other members of the Imperial family, and a right understanding begets that sympathy and mutual good-will which prove in tho long run to be the strongest and most permanent boncta The exchange scheme is only in its infancy, but it is full of great possibilities.

Sir Artiiur Guinness no doubt meant to pay a compliincnt to the Government when, at a banquet last week, lie said that if the late Government were called "Liberal" the present had simply added "Reform" to that word. The name'of Liberalism has become somewhat bedraggled in New Zealand, and _ generally speaking it conveys very little to bulk of the public beyond the fact that it is the name taken by a giv: set of politicians. Silt Arthur however, left no room for doubt ■'■ to his estimate of the Government when ho said that "he was sure that the actions of tho present Govern : ment would not be characterised b a. policy of loaves arid fishes, in other words, of spoils to the victors," and he reminded his audience that one of the first actions of tho new Ministry had been to amend one of the Acts of its predecessors in the direction of making it more liberal. The member for Grey has never been a very strong party mairin tinsense of being unable to see any merit in the party to which he was opposed, but ho has always giver loyal support to the'"Liberal" side —sometimes it has seemed against his better judgment. As Speaker of the House of Representatives, ho has of late years become rather a disinterested onlooker than a partisan, and his estimate of the Massey Government is, therefore, of special interest. Our anti-Reform friends have been striving very hard to find some peg on which to hang a charge against the Government of favouritism or "spoils" or something of that nature. As a matter of fact, the Government, if anything, has been unduly generous to its opponents, and there are a good many besides Sir Arthur Guinness in the ranks of its opponents who realise this and are honest enough to give Ministers the credit that is their due in tho matter.