NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 68, 14 December 1918, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

The representations thai, arc being made by the Allied Governments to the opposing factions in China constitute a friendly attempt to promote a settlement of internal differences in , that country which for some time past have been at a Irtage of deadlock. So far as. the Allies arc concerned the hopes that were raised when China declared war on the Central Empires were very imperfectly realised. Some steps were taken by the authorities at to raise a force which was ostensibly intended for service with the Allies, but the real aim of its organisers apparently was to fortify their own power at home. A Times correspondent in Poking stated recently that the "War Participation Bureau" had not accomplished anything for t-hy Allies. "In fact," he remarked, "the militaris-' tic coterie, who arc waxing fat on foreign loans, ignore the European war, and have not yet'liad time or inclination even to arrest the activities of German agents or to intern enemy subjects. To-day (October, (5) regulations for internment we.rc issued, but they mainly deal with the various positions Tin , the Chinese at camps'." This obviously is a state of affairs the Allies are interested in terminating, if possible, both from their own standpoint and out of regard for the welfare of China. The immediaW problem is that of promoting a settlement, between north mid south which would enable them to work together. At Peking Hsu Smn-eiUNr. holds office as . President-elect, but it is maintained by the Canton Government, which holds sway in i,by southern provinces, that Hsu SiiinciiANG owes his election to a bogus Parliament. At the. beginning of October the Canton Government declared war on the President-elect, but apparently only as a means of registering an emphatic protest. It is said that the south has no personal objection to Hsu Shih-ciiaxo,

and would undoubtedly have elected him I'rcsidcnt had the existing differences regarding Lhc status t>f the Peking Parliament been settled. If the Allies succeed in unravelling the tangled skein of Chinese dissensions they will do something at once to advance China's welfare and to root out a nest of German influence.

■:':■ _« » $ The suggestion of the Commonwealth Government that the Imperial authorities , should send a naval squadron and some captured German ships to Australia on the occasion of the peace celebrations is a- capital one. Our own Government, if it has not already" done so, should hasten to second" the invitation sent. The glorious part the Navy has played in "the war and its wonderful achievement in keeping the ,sea routes open are nowhere better appreciated than in New Zealand, the most distant of the British Dominions. Fighting ships sent to this country to join in the peace "lebrations would be assured of a royal welcome, whether.or not they brought a German submarine or two ■in convoy. No practical difficulty is likely to arise, for the'squadron's detailed to visit this Dominion and others need not be large so long us they were composed of representative types of fighting ships. ■ Such an opportunity of bringing the people of the Dominion into touch with the Navy to which they owe so .rriuch ought, not to ..be allowed to pass. . < ■

A commendable determination . to profit, by • the lessons of the influenza epidemic was manifested by the group captains and others who met and conferred on Thursday last at the instance of Mn. W Foster. It is an excellent idea that 1 the.facts and information gleaned, by ' the heads of'the. various local organisations in the. course, of their activities should be brought together in a compact report. No:'doubt this document, when it is compiled by the-' sub-committee set up for that purpose, will be of great value to the Government .and to the City Council and other loc.fF bodies interested. Matters, are hardly yetat a- stage at which it .'is possible to lay down a clear line of action in connection with the housing and other reforms the_ necessity of which has been so plainly demonstrated, but the sub-committee's "report should furnish the material, for practical and workable proposals. It is a matter of common agreement that some-portions of- .the city badly need cleaning up, but it'may be doubted whether any full solution of the problem of congestion will be.found until means of communication with the suburbs and outlying areas arc considerably improved and extended. There is. a great deal to be said for the proposal put forward at the meeting that all girls should receive some instruction in nursing. , Most women would find an elementary knowledge, of nursing useful, and in emergencies like that through which we have just passed such knowledge is of the utmost' value. . • ■ . ,• •

Sydney's method of grappling with the influenza epidemic is likely to stand as an object-lesson to the. world. As soon as the nature of this appalling visitation was realised by the authorities, steps were taken to prevent the disease from spreading through Australia. Adopting the principle that prevention is better than cure an iron blockade was instituted against the germicidal invasion. The enemy was blocked , at the gate. Sydney's quarantine station, right in the heart of the city, so to speak, became a ml de me for influenza cases and suspects. No communication was permitted with the outer world. Save for a few odd eases of" the usual mild type of influenza in Victoria, Australia has br.cn kept clear of the gra-ver form of the malady, and that by simple isolation, rigidly enforced. It was reported a few days ago that the Sydney medical staff were in hopes of establishing a quarantine record. With ordinary luck they should do it, and incidentally emphasise the'enormous importance of quarantine- in dealing with preventable epidemics.