NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 215, 9 June 1920, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

When the mantle of tho founder of the Salvation Army descended eight years ago on his son, General Bramwell Booth, it fell on worthy shoulders. General Booth has now come to make an inspection" of tho Army's work in New Zealand, whero it IB a well-tried and useful institution, with thirty-six years of solid social service behind it. Since its formation in England jn 1865 tho Salvation Army has revived in modern form the work of the mendicant friars of the Middle, Ages, who went out into tho highways preaching tho Gospel, healing tho sick, and helping the distressed. Its work is worldwide, and its splendid activities during tho war enabled its worth to bo appreciated by circles with which it was previously little in contact. General Bramwell Booth is said to unite'the abilities of his father and his mother, and is both a first-class administrator, with a thorough grasp of tie endless ramifications

of tho Salvation Army's work, and a powerful and magnetic preacher. His visit should do good in still further enlarging the field of an organisation that is perhaps the most daring and successful experiment in practical religion in existence to-day. *' * * * . In expressing tho opinion that the bulk of the motor accidents now figuring so frequently in the Press are tho result of carelessness, the Coroner at Palmerston North was not wido of the mark. The reckless motorist, with his death-dealing propensities, is a person who must be got off the roads. In these columns we have time and again directed attention to the means by which this might be done—the annual registration of all. drivers, the endorsement on the licenses of all convictions for driving to the public danger, and the withdrawal of the licenses of all persons who glaringly or repeatedly offend. The 1 present rate of mortality on the roads deserves tho early attention of Parliament. ■Although the election for tho Presidency of the United States does not take place until November, tho first round in the contest begins in a few days' time with the meetingof, the Republican Party's cenvention in Chicago. The Republican candidates number fourteen in all, and the political prophets in America have a baffling task in attempting to pick the winner. _ Thcthree most prominent personalities in tho contest are Senator Hiram Johnson, of California, General Leonard Wood, and Mr. Herbert Hoover. Senator Johnson is an ex-Governor of California, and in the Senate has been a determined opponent of tho Peace Treaty. His d.ownrjght_ earnestness, combined with his gift of powerful and sometimes ferocious invective, have gained for him a great hold over the masses. As President his greatest defect would probably be an extreme narrowness of vision in dealing with foreign affairs. General Wood is the favourite of Conservative Republicans. Ho has not hitherto figured outside tho Army, where he has won a high reputation. MR. Hoover is a mining magnate, who gave up all his private interests to organise the Belgian Relief Commission, afterwards became United States Food Controller, and is now controlling an organisation for fending some millions of European children. The demand for his candidature came from outside the party Its strength is not fully known, but it is thought that if the contest for the nomination is prolonged it may quite possibly end in his selection. Of all the overseas portions of tho Empire Australia alone is in possession of an efficient naval force. Those who remember the old controversies as to whether the Dominions should contribute money to the Imperial Navy or provide and man vessels of their own will read with' interest Admiral Beatty's statement in our news columns'this morning that in the test of war the Australian Navy had justified itself. Cooperation in naval matters is essential to Imperial defence and the Australian Navy had shown what form that co-operation might take. The story of the development of tho Australian Navy is tho story of the development of the Australian na* tional spirit. That the Navy camo into being on its present scale was due mainly to New Zealand's gift of a battle-cruiser, in 1909, which prompted the Commonwealth to enlarge its original naval scheme very considerably. Naval defence on a scale not hitherto contemplated is a burdon which the other Dominions in self-respect cannot avoid taking up before many years are past. Tho cost will bo heavy, but wo must be prepared to take our. full proportionate share in maintaining that safety, of the seas which is essential to our prosperity and well-being. *.* * * ' The importance of securing ample oil supplies under Imperial control is instanced by a remarkable confession made by Mr. Hughes in Melbourne recently. Had an emergency arisen the Australian Navy couTcl not have been moved, as no oil-fuel was obtainable for it in the Commonwealth. The speedy naval craft of the present day are all oilburning, and until the Imperial Government's oil enterprise in tho Middle East is put on its.feetsolidly supported, let us hope, by the Dominions—dependence on oil means dependence .on foreign sources of supply. The Imperial Government is now experimenting with alcohol as a substitute for peErbl in internal combustion engines. The experiments show that alcohol can be extracted from vegetable substances for much less than the present cost of petrol. No cheap and satisfactory methoclhas so far been discovered of making the alcohol undrinkable. : Tho . development of alcohol for power purposes is a step that • shouM go hand in hand with tho extension and 'conservation of the Empire's oil supplies.