NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 72, 18 December 1920, Page 10

NOTES OF THE DAY

A closer association of' the Dominions with Imperial naval policy is highly desirable. The question lias been rnisPd in the House of Commons and is ivorth following up from this end. A temporary halt hns been called in the construction of new capital ships, partly because of the adequacy of the* Navy in'the- imhiodinte lritcrnational/situntioli', 'and partly because, it is considered unwise .to build until the lessons of the. wnr havo been fully digested. Hopes w-cte entertained by many people that. thg late ivnr was to be the last war, and that liurope having toppled in that maelstrom of slaughter, ivould come out with tho resolve "Never agalnj? The appearance of a militaristic Government in Itussin* ambitious for world . adventures, tho defocti6n;'of the United States from theLaagnc of Nations and its embarkation .on an expansive naval policy, together with-the great increase in Japanese , armaments, hav.> all tended to produco an. international atmosphere by-no means unclouded. The sen is the life -blood of our iimpiro, and naval security is the sine qua non of its existence. The Navy , must h;; adequate, but the Umpire has nothing to gain and a good deal to loso in forcing the pace-in a pew race for naval armaments. At the moment the two chief warship-building nations are on onr side of the world. The changed ointrfi of international gravity makes it desirable that ive 6honld be in more continuous touch with Imperial naval policy, and thiire is no doubt that if . we are any given sums which the Dominions may vote lor naval purposes will be expended to more effective purpose.

When M. Clcinenceau announces that he intends to take a rest and that' henceforth not even journalism will tempt liiin, he speaks almost as "if he telt he was making an unwarranted and premature retreat from the heat" and-burden of the day. Not a great many men talk of rotiring at 79. The last census in New Zealand showed that out of a million people there were only about 7000 who had reached that age at all, and with most of these retirement, .we limy be sure, had been an,accepted state for some years.- If >f. Cleiuencen.il threatens not to found any more newspapers—four already owe their ! existenoe to liiiu—lie has nevertheless been busy during his present tour in India with a new departure in authorship.. Happy that his novel "The Strongest" had been successfully adapted for the kincma—the film was recently shown in Wellington—M." Clomenccau during tho voyage from Franco to Bombay worked out an adaptation for. the screen of another of his books. In 'lis seventy-nine years this indomitable old iiian, who saved l,uropc ten years after the New Zealand Public Service would have superannuated him, lias played his part as student, 'doctor of medicine, "professor,- municipal councillor, mayor, doputy, journalist, novelist, duellist, orator, Senator, and Prime, Minis."er. Whatever complaint may carry him off in the ! end it'is safe to, say that it will not be ennui.

The Soman Catholio Church is tho most potent force in tho South of Ireland, and if its weight is thrown actively on the side of a peaceable settlement it will mean the dnivn of brighter days for (hut. disturbed country. JJishop Colahail has spoken plainly, threatening.tho excommunication of all taking part in ambui'hef, kidnapping, and murder, but the hierarchy as a whole has not;; yet defined its attitude. In view of tho. unequivocal position taken up by the "Bishop of Cork, it can scarcely avoid indicating its intentions. Even the i|iost cursory .visitor to Ireland .realises what an 'immense factoi''"in the life of the peoplo the. priesthood is,..and tho influence of'the Church in'bringing'about a

settlement might. jirovo .nil important. Earlier in Iho year the Irish luid'.'visioiis of onlistiug the United States in their nunrrel with Britain, but the coursc of events there made it plain that American interest in the Irish question did not go beyond striking an attitude in bidding for the.Jrish-Amorican vote at. the Presidential (.'lections. Ireland has obviously no chance of imposing her will on the Uiitish limpiro by the employment force. She has every reason to take ad-', vantage of the British offer to concede her the fullest autonomy consistent with the national security.