NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 1967, 26 January 1914, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

:■ ■ • More ''-'of^kss' unwholesome ' plays which depend for their appeal upon .the presentation of sonic aspect of •the. darker side of life are reported to be declining in popularity in the ; United States, where, for some time ■past, they have enjoyed a considerable vogue. In productions of this class the more lurid features arc often tapered off with a moral ending, but this last is not infrequently quite a subordinate feature, and many of. these plays are open to tho objection that they are little more than photographic representations of the seamy side of life and unfold problems which are better dealt with under quite different conditions than the theatre 'affords. Protests against plays of this type have often been made on the ground of dccency and good order, ..but an additional argument and a'-'potent one has been advanced by an American, "Mr. De Woi.f Hooper, who is regarded as an authority on . the subject. He declares ' that ■ unwholesome plays arc driving ,»oople away from the theatre."this view has found a certain amount of support in the New York Press.. Oho writer,;in dealing with the- question,'' states that unwholesome plays have become painfully standardised: the same characters, .the same situations, the same sensations and climaxfis, being presented time after time, unrelieved by the touch of true art that ean take old material and always give to. it the aspect of freshness and reality. His cheering conclusion • is that, given another few months of the underworld on the stage, vico will become a greater bore than virtue has ever been .supposed to be.' This is probably,: not an unduly optimistic estimate Zof the situation. Apart from the moral issues involved the true, purposes of tho theatre are feated by the, o£ plays which dredge up the mud of life and cast it copiously upon the stage. The art of the theatre may be pressed into service on occasion to point some useful nioral, but this can be done much more pleasantly and effectively than by banishing: brightness and gaiety in favour of gloom and horror. ...

■ The fact that, although business activity in tho United States has recently slackened in a. number of directions, there has been an almostcomplete absence of alarmist talk concerning the operation of tho new tariff, is commented Upon by the New York Evening- Post, in a recent issue. -■ The general judgment of business.men, -it _statesj-;;is"to the effect that the tariff has- played little if any .part in bringing about the conditions in question, and tlmt. the return: of full activity "is to be expected 'if* iu the ordinary course of things with th<?: tariff just, as it is. "This, feeling,", the Post adds, "is hot iiased on an examination of tho figures of foreign commerce, but- on the appreciation of factors affecting business which have no relation to the;tariff: and indend fhc\ figures for the'.brief;period since tturncw tariff law ..went into-, effect furnish liny solid .basis for-j inference.. Such as:'they anv however, i.they-. offer, no :t('inptiU:ioii.;for,,.expjoilfttio.i! ; J)y;.any. who might feel inclined ftoviisevtheni .to; poi nt. - an'.'a la rtn ist' inoral.": 1 A s; Sec\)ivthcin,othCii f flooding:. ofr:oiir:;iuav. k'ots .with t be-alleß-Hl'cheap wares'of :Europej'S-has"f not.:;' : happened;;?'-' Im--poi'U'for, October. .the iir.M mouth of the now'law. wen" fAr less-' in quan-.Hty-ift-han "'in tho same- month ■■' last vcar. wliil's -it happens that, exports Wevmerh Incidentally it U worth while ■ ta..nflntioa that Rscpxd-

;ingdpciVincUhaf passed' currcnt iin high-tariff circles during a' period' •[of^a; : dpMn\H'a r ??.'i n <l'' n >ore after' the;! ip.iiiiic ofJlß9lij:.business■ gets-knocked;-on. tho; head by-.a reduction of. the itariffvlpiig-before-the law is passed;' 'and., perhaps, the. failure, of th«.thing ;to-?shpwiany...sigiis -of ■ going ' off.''in time' this year myy account for", the j sobriety .of the protectionists in:,the | present;;circumstances'.; V: .•■'s-'-ii v. Tin; ambitious project. - of;:.;, constructing a' Channel. tunnel appears to'.: 1 be _• attracting a certain-amount ;<if serious support in England at the ;present time.When the subject was discussed at. a'_ meeting oL/the Imperial Industries Club in London' last month, most of the speakers declared in favour of the tunnel. ■" Mr. Stanuiy Machin, vice-president- of the London Chamber of Con.ime.rco,: in. supporting the construction of the tunnel, declared that the protection it ■would give to Britain s food supply in time of war was a matter of vital importance. Ho pointed out that when Loud LaSSDowkk's Committee rejected the scheme the food supply' question was not considered;' The Gevman Navy did not then exist,. The tunnel, he thought-,, would be worth another fleet of Dread-"' noughts. " Admiral Sin Ebmwkd Fde-" Mantlk spoke against the proposal, but said that if the Imperial Defence Committee backed it he was quite prepared to accept that body's decision.; Sir Charles Owens contended that agriculture would not bo- • injured by the existence of the tunnel, and he held that it was of supremo importance to guard against panic and famine food prices in time of war. Abv.liiM, Setmour stated that, though thirty years ago he was against the tunnel, he had changed his mind. He was quite certain that the British end of the tunnel could be made impregnable, . Sir Francis Fox, speaking on the engineering aspect of the problem, stated that the tunnel would be as simjsle to make as a tube under London. The Spccltilor, in commenting upon the discussion, confesses that it. is in the. same position as Admiral SevMouit; .."We, like the -gallant Admiral," it remarks, "have changed our mind and hold that the balance of benefit now strongly inclines in favour of the tunnel. It might he of vital importance for us to be able to draw food supplies for the South of England through the tunnel. Floating mines and airships may very possibly make the navigation of the Channel for a time highly difficult and dangerous. During thiij period the alternative route by tlvi tunnel for communication. with France and for the supply of food might prove of incalculable value."

- Commenting upon the fact that the German Chancellor (Dit. von Bethmann-Hollweg) did not find it necessary to resign when the Reichstag recently passed a Vote of want of confidcncc in him as an indication of dissatisfaction at his failure to clear up the Zabern affair, one of the leading English newspapers remarked somewhat scornfully that the Reichstag was "only a- very eminent debating socicty." A detailed study of the constitutional position in Germany, by the Berlin correspondent of the Westminster Ga-e.ttc, suggests, however, that this is an extreme view, not warranted by the facts of the ease. The position as hij states it is,.brie.fly ll ,that while the Reichstag cannot force the resignii-' tion of a Chancellor by passing a vote of non-confidence, it can readily do so by the simple expedient of refusing Supply, and has in fact exercised this power on a past occasion. By itself alone a non-confi-dence vote causes a Chancellor no very great discomfott because he is responsible only to the Kaiser whose constitutional prerogative at is to appoint 01' dismiss his Chancellor. Despite the letter of the Constitution the gap between the present German, executive conditions and a Parliamentary Executive is a small one. A Centre member, Hkrr Erzberger, proclaimed some years before the non--eonfideuec vote system was adopted that- political conditions had so fay developed that the Kaiser could hot maintain ' a Chancellor whom the Reichstag was determined to overthrow. As matters now stand in Germany the nonconfidence vote system is a political blind alley, whereas, under tho old system, the Reichstag f*qt rid of Prince Bi'i.ow without difficulty. Instead of challenging the Emperor's right, it simply made .Prince Bulow's position unbearable. "Today, if tlie Reichstag, whether as a result of Zabcrn or of some new conflict, likes to make thft present Chancellor's position unbearable," according ito the cArrcspondent quoted, "it can undoubtedly force him to resign, though - the resignation might take place after an interval, this in order that no precedent should be established." It ftppears that only the Socialists were willing to push matters to a conclusion in regard to the Zabern vote. The Centre Party and the National Liberals regarded the vote as one indicative of dissatisfaction with the Chancellor's conduct in A single matter, and did not wish him to rc&ip. Tho Chancellor <swcd his immunity on this, occasion, liOtlo the want of constitutional machinery to force- his, resignation, but to the fact that there was no majority in the Reiehstig which was willing to reject the or Estimates, ia order to force him to the wall.