NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 72, 19 December 1918, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY

It would be very interesting to know a little more about "the wellattended meeting" of the Wellington Patriotic Society which is reported to be demanding a speedy reconstruction of our politics. The society, the public is informed, is considering proposals for thoroughly organising its forces for immediate action, and as a- m-eliminary sten calls on each of the existing political parties to make known its political principles and its programme, and to supply details of its party organisation. The information sought would be of much interest to many outside the circle of membership embraced hy the Wellington Patriotic Society. But before making these demands would it not be well for the society to give a little information to the public concerning itselH Who, for instance, were the conveners of this "well-attended meeting'"? How many members were present on the occasion? Who are the citizens of light and leading who are organising thij? great movement to galvanise- into life our moribund political parties? * * * # It would perhaps be unwise to base undue expectations upon the promise that secret documents in the German Foreign Office will shortly bo made public. There is an evident likelihood that no more will he brought to light in this way than the la to- military masters of Germany thought fit to leave open to discovery. Jieer Haase, a member of the German Provisional Government, is credited with tho statement that documents do not confirm the occurrence of a secret Crown Council at Potsdam. This is a reference to the Council held early in July, 1014, at which Germany and Austria are said to have rounded off their arrangements for a European war. The absence of documents, of course, offers no proof that the Council did not take place. There is already ample evidence that the Central Empires deliberate-ly-planned thy war, and if the present Provisional Government of Germany offers a,real or pretended absence of compromising documents in rebuttal of the various charges that have been made and sheeted home in this connection the only result will be to show that it is not as much out of sympathy with the war party as it claims to be.

The story is repeated that the exEmperor Karl intends to be a candidate at the forthcoming election to the Austrian National Assembly. This looks rather like an attempt to cast ridicule on the last of the Hapsbubgs to pecupy an imperial throne. As information goes the ex-Emperor ha-s neither the ability nor the strength of will that would enable him to play an effective part in political turmoil. It is not inconceivable, however, that he contemplates entering politics in tho hope that he may ultimately be chosen to rule, either as king or president, over the German-popu-lated fragment of his former empire. His prospects in such an adventure, if he has it in mind, can hardly be regarded as bright. In any practicable adjustment of the boundaries of German-Austria a minority of its population would consist of people who hate Karl as the living representative of a vile tyranny, while the German majority might be almost as much inclined to find fault with him for failing to maintain the tyranny by which they as a race profited. It seems on the whole more probable that the ex-Emperor is seeking the foreign asylum he is - said to have been refused in Switzerland than that he is seeking popular election in Austria,

It is to be hoped that both the City Council and the Government will take- due notice of the statements made by Mr. A. A. Gellatly in a letter which appeared in our correspondence columns yesterday under the heading, "The ffousing Problem." Mr. Gellatly refers to the housing conditions at Lyall Bay, and quotes instances of overcrowding, which, if true—and we fear that they are—can only bo described as shocking. Here is one: A building 2-1 feet long by 12 feet wide is divided into four rooms. Three of these rooms are occupied by a family of nine! One room is used as a living room; six people sleep in one of the bedrooms and three in the other. Living under theso conditions costs this family in rent 255. per week. The fourth room is occupied by two people, who pay los. per week. At pre-war building prices this house, it is stated, would cost £100 and the land £200. On a return of £l(M per tiniitim in rent, the proprietor is making !i0 per cent. A number of otlvr equally startling cases are emoted by Mil. Gellatly. ■ If the City Council has no l°gal powers to prevent this sort of thing, then it must obtain them—and spcodily.

The Berlin Press is publishing the experiences and impressions of the navaJ crews who surrendered the German warships to £he British. It affords a peculiar joy to note that tho cold, polite aloofness of tho British seamen, from Admiral

Beattv downwards, produced an effect which it is safe to say no amount of reprobation could havo approached. The Germans returned boiling with impotent rage and vexation of spirit. It wa's the British way—and a surprisingly effective way—of intimating to their enemies that on performances and conduct they had been definitely classified by decent people as objects of contempt and loathing, When the French army of_ occupation entered the German city of Mainz a deputation of leading citizens waited on Generals Fayolle and Mangin, and assured them, in their servile German way, of their loyal support and so forth. To this. General Fayolle replied with a frank denunciation of the Germans for their unparalleled brutality and vandalism during their various campaigns. Though hardly so effective in its chilling effect as the British way with the German seamen, General Fayolle's reply no doubt gave i these German citizens a good deal 1 to ponder over after four years of newspaper camouflage.