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LONDON TOPICS

FINANCE AND SECURITY [Pkoji Our Correspondent.] May 3. Mr Chamberlain's “ great expectations ’’ phrase has raised bright hopes of lurthur and mole substantial tax remissions next year. Against this optimistic outlook it is urged in some quarters that the disarmament fiasco will compel us to strengthen our defences and that this will prevent the taxpayers’ hopes being realised. But such an argument is really shortsighted. Finance is the sinews of war. However efficient our military and naval defences, how could this country face another gigantic struggle, or even a minor one, with income tax at its present • level ? We have no tax reserve short of ruinous confiscation. That is the real peril of our failure to give full effect to the May Committee recommendations. We have even forgotten these. A peace-time Budget of £800,000,000, and income tax at anything over 2s 6d, are a standing national menace. CONSERVATIVES AND NEXT ELECTION. By declaring himself for a “ National Party,” Sir Thomas Inskip has given the Conservatives food for much thought. Whatever may be the inclina'•tions of the central office of the party, it is clear that a national bloc will be an important, if not decisive, feature in the next General Election. Many Conservatives are determined to contest that event on their own platforms. Those most farsighted among them, however, realise the danger, both to themselves and the nation, that lies in any such action. The Conservative Party has not escaped the disintegrating influences of the times, and a Tory candidate does not approach his electorate on the clear-cut issues that he used;to do. Conservative principles, as comprehended by the ordinary voter, are, in point of fact, reflected most clearly in the policy and actions of a National Government. It is when Conservative candidates become too mark-, edly Tory that they are most sure to meet with disaster at the polls. If the Socialists are to be prevented from making a mess of the country again, as they did in 1929, the Conservatives will have to make sure without delay that the planks of their platform are running parallel. For the present, at any rate, “ nationalism ” is their most reliable gauge. REAL LORD CURZON. Mr Harold Nicolson’s biography of the late Lord' Curzon, judging by the published extracts, will be a lively book. The author likes Geijrge Nathaniel, but dissects him remorselessly. We get a glimpse of a jovial, sentimen-' tal egoist behind a statuesque front of Roman patrician. When Curzon went to the Foreign Office, after the war, L.G. humiliated him frightfully, according to the biographist, in front of foreign statesmen as a sort of revenge for his own uncle’s treatment in Wales bv the territorial magnates. Curzon, so L.G. srtid. was constantly sending his resignation by a lame messenger and a retraction of it by a swifter one. This was in the days when L.G. turned the back garden of N0..10 Downing Street into a garden city annexe of the Foreign Office. Curzon suffered greatly, but bowed his head in pure patriotism. Mr Nicolson tells the story of Lord Curzon’s western front visit, when he was shown the old brewery at “ Pop ’ which was used as Army baths. He watched our Tommies disporting in the hot water vats, and 1 said: “Dear me! I had no conception that the lower classes had such-white skins!” Though he denied the authenticity of this story, Mr Nicolson says Curzon loved it none the less. If that is so, it shows that Lord Curzon shared the same illusions as 1 Punch ’ and our corps commanders. But our war time battalions were neither exclusively nor mainly composed of “ the lower classes.” Trench khaki levelled all social caste. There were public school accents in the ranks and aitchless Sam Brownes. I met in one battalion a Tommy who was a clergyman with a good'degree and a company commander who was a second-rate professional boxer. BUSIER BEES. Even German apiarists have now gone militarist. One earnest Teuton advocates enlisting bees for army use. Apart from its proverbial dislike for detour, he claims that the bee’s homing instinct is better than the pigeon’s: hence it would be an ideal substitute for either battalion runners, dogs, birds, field phones, or wireless, all liable to be knocked out by the barrage. He would identify the messenger bee, with its microscopic despatch, by dipping it in coloured powder The tragedy ot even the insect world being roped into the next war is partially relieved by the thought of battery commanders chasing bees on the battlefield and brigadiers armed with butterfly nets. Why not facilitate prompt delivery bytraining the army bee to sting brass hats on sight in some receptive spot? It will be a dramatic moment when the corps commander claps a hand to the seat of his Jodpores and exclaims: “ Ah! News from the front line!” NEXT “ BIG NOISE.” It is evident that the coming man in the British Array is the new Mastergeneral of Ordnance. Sir Hugh Elies has been hustled into this important post only four months after being appointed to command a Lancashire Territorial division, and his promotion as lieutenant-general was not by seniority, but over the heads of a good many other officers. Army opinion is that, particularly if the war clouds gather again. Sir Hugh Elies is-destined to be the future Commaiider-in-Chief. He belongs to the corps known to exaspei# a tod war time infantry fatigue parties as “ the blinking B.E.s,”.and the tanks wore under his wing at Cambrnj. But the legend about that Nelsonic order —“England expects that every tank will do its damnedest " —is pure Fleet street invention. Sir Hugh's move to be Master-general of Ordnance is a sure sign that the British Army’s mechanisation will be speedily developed. Before long we shall have tank brigades and tank divisions. JAPAN IN THE AIR. Tt has not escaped the attention of America that an aerodrome has been established on Sain Pan, one of the South Sea island group put by the

I League of Nations under tlie inundate of Japan. The aerodrome has, of course, bent designed and built by Japanese officials. The explanation of this development given by Tokio is that tiie aerodrome is to be used for scientific anil atmospheric observations, for the protection of Japanese fishing interests, and for better communications between Japan and the mandated island group. But as the construction of this island air base coincides with the new longdistance flights by Japanese seaplanes, one of which lias accomplished a 2,380 miles non-stop ftygj.it, it may be that Japan is determined to utilise those islands as important outposts of her sea defences in the Pacific. STILL A HUSTLER. We arc to have another visit ibis summer from General Smuts, the distinguished old Cambridge graduate who fought against ns in the Boer War, for us in the Great War, and as an imperial statesman ranks second to none now living within the British Empire. The general, who set a hot "pace for Prince George when they recently went mountaineering together in South Africa, is a person of the most indomitable energy. He will, for instance, fly from South Africa to London this summer, just to keep an engagement to deliver a lecture, and then fly hack again. At one time there was "a hope that General Smuts might manage to settle the unhappy differences between Whitehall and Dublin, blit this task was beyond even his achievement. Mr De Valera’s vendetta is too deep-rooted in past centuries to be short-circuited by modern diplomacy. ROYAL COUSINS. 'The King and Queen of Siam are making friends right and left during their London visit. Everybody likes them, and they are popular wherever they go. King Prajadhipok is a thoroughly modern young ruler, the first Siamese monarch.to abandon, polygamy. He has given his queen, who is a cousin, royal status. The latter is a most attractive little lady, with all the chic of a fashionable Parisienne. She dresses with irreproachable tasty, and delights in West End shopping expeditions. King Prajadhipok’s great hobby is the cinema, but eye trouble compels him to forgo it to some extent. He is an Old Etonian, thoroughly imbued with modern ideas on many subjects. Not that a public school tie guarantees that. His uncle, who is an Old Harrovian, led a rebellion against him in Siam not long ago, and is a strong reactionary. AT SEA. Most people know that Mr and Mrs G. B. Shaw left London some time ago on a voyage to New Zealand. Conditions on the voyage seem to have been rather contrasting, because in a postscript to a letter Mrs Shaw describes the sea trip as “ too hot, too cold, and too long.’’ There is a suggestion of ennui about the '‘too long,” which may explain why G.B.S. himself was driven to occupy his leisure in a deck chair by writing yet another play. The MSS. of this reached his secretary in London last week. It is, as usual, written in copper plate shorthand, and will have to be transcribed by the lady secretary, who can read Mi; Shaw’s shorthand at sight now. Incidentally G.B.S. forgot the names he had given two of his characters in the play, and, possibly for preface-writing purposes, cabled to London to have them cabled back to him. SURPRISED. Members of Mr WoodfuU’s Australian cricket team are like oysters the moment they suspect a pressman amongst them. But they do not disguise their surprise at the enthusiastic character of their popular reception m this country. One might infer, from what they say and also what they do not say, that the Australians were rather afraid they might be subjected to public affront. Such things have often bapepued, even before Jardiue’s time, to our cricketers in Australia, and notably in Sydney. But the British public is a sporting one, and has not taken the leg-theory controversy quite so seriously as Australians do. So far from being insulted, the Australians got an ovation, spontaneous and fervent, when they were spotted at Wembley for the Cup final. Whether our team retains the ashes or not, 1 think the British public will keep the “ cricket'” honours. MECHANISING EVEN THE RING. Things have changed a Jot since the fistic champions of old, whose names are still household words, used to tight for hours on end for less than the cost of a second-hand motor car to-day. The very latest ring equipment, a luxury touch in keeping with modern purses, is the electric fan. Instead of a second fanning his man between rounds, as he sits with arms extended on the ropes in his corner, we shall have the whirl of electric fans as boxing interludes. The fans are fixed in each man’s corner, and swing on a swivel bracket. Curiously enough this innovation, though it may be an American gadget of course, was first introduced in tins country » few days ago at a minor Service boxing tournament. As a rule the Services stand for the rigour of the game and the established order, but in this ease someone seems to have had a brain wave. Electric fans will no doubt now become the rule. J. should say a skilfully employed towel might be better. OLD GROG. Sotheby’s have just auctioned heirloom portraits covering three centuries of family history. The gallery was started by the father of au admiral, a gentleman who was a Secretary of State in 'William lll.’s reign. His son, Admiral Vernon, was feted by Parliament, 'and had medals struck in his honour, after his feat in 1739, in command of only six ships, of capturing Bortobello from the Spaniards. All this has been long forgotten by a generation that is now forgetting even the Great War. Yet Admiral Vernon’s renown is undying in the Royal Navy, But it is anything but an epic fame. Ho is remembered, with what feelings gny ex-serviceman of the Great War can guess, if ever he queued up for rum issue, as “ Old Grog.” He was the man who first had the disastrous idea of watering down the British blue jacket’s rum ration. No wonder we almost took the count at Jutland! GREAT TOM. Last week-end Big Ben. in his clocktoucr at Westminster, ceased thundering the hours. U would obviously be incorrect to say he went ou strike, for that is precisely what he did not do. But he is taking a holiday which is really a rest cure. Great Tom, though only' the second biggest bell in St. Paul’s Cathedral towers, is now understudying the invalid.- Remarkable precautions had to be taken by the B. B.CJ. experts before changing over. The St. Paul’s microphone had to be specially protected, by thick rubber linings, against the pecking of pigeons, who regarded the normal cottonwool stuffing inside a football bladder as a kindly provision against their nesting season For three months now it will be St. I’nul’s. and not Imperial Parliament, that gives the time signal to the Empire at large. Compared with Big Ben. Great Tom is a mere haritonc-tcnor. but listeners have doubtless rioted that bis ecclesiastical timbre is truer than that of his lay principal.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19340622.2.22.5

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Evening Star, Issue 21753, 22 June 1934, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
2,192

LONDON TOPICS Evening Star, Issue 21753, 22 June 1934, Page 4

LONDON TOPICS Evening Star, Issue 21753, 22 June 1934, Page 4

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