MAIL NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2048, 8 April 1907, Page 1

MAIL NEWS.

Spectator Summary, Saturday, 2nd Fobruiiry. the GBit MAN ELECTIONS. Tlio Gorman elections, in defov.vc of the predictions of all obsi .voi.s n Germany an ,le seuliere, lin e ■ e suited in a severo chock to G '• ts t ed Democrats. The Clerica's haw cm creed from the,first batkv. • ' r.n - ger than over, having secured eightynine seats outright, as against eighty-eight in 1903. The Social Democrats have won outright 29 seats, as against SC at the last election. They have lost outright 21 scats, and have gained one, at Mullianson, in Alsaeo. They retain their strength unimpaired in Berlin and Hamburg, hut they have lost heavily in cities like Konigsberg. Breslau, and Magdeburg, and in Saxony, their old stronghold, they have suffered a complete debacle. Of the other parties, the Holes have secured eighteen seats, the Conservatives forty-one, the Free Conservatives ton, the National Liberals 20, the Badical nine, the Anti-Semites oiglit, the Alsatians nine, and other minor parties four. The Social Democrats claim that their vote has increased throughout the Empire by a hundred and fifty-two thousand, which, in view of the general growth of population since 1903. is trifling

and means a very real set-back. Some of the best known of tlieir leaders have suffered defeat, such as Herr Bernstein, who lost liis seat at Breslau to a 'Railicnl. The victors have been either National Liberals, Radicals, or Conservatives, so that between Socialists and Imperialists there has been a clear issue.

GOVERNMENT DELIGHTED. The Government are, of course, delighted, and Prince Billow claims the result as a popular ratification of Imperialism, and Herr Dornburg as a vindication of his colonial policy. The truth seems to be that the great personal popularity of the Emperor and the extravagances of some of the Socialist loaders have stirred the nationalism of moderate men, who usually do not take the trouble to vote. At the same time, it is difficult to claim the result as a we can say is that the only party with which the Government can in no circumstances treat, the Social Democrats, have been signally defeat ed. If with the Clericals there vote the Polos and the Alsatians, the Centre bloc on the first ballot will number nearly thirty more than the members of the proposed Government bloc. The Social Democrats, oven in tlieir reduced numbers, -are stronger than the National Liberals and Radicals combined. The denot tlio anti-Ministerialists, and the Centre return stronger and more self-confident than ever. In those circumstances, the policy of the Government must bo a moderate and conciliatory one. The people have passed a vote of confidence •in the Emperor, which does not necessarily cover his Ministers.

THE DUMA ELECTIONS. The returns of the primary elections for the Russian Duma being still not properly classified, do not shed much light upon the situation. The St. Petersburg results, which we noticed last week, and which showed an overwhelming majority for the more moderate section of the Social Democrats, were apparently not indicative of the feeling of the rest of the country. The returns for four hundred and fifty-four communes, in some twenty provinces, show that out of nine hundred and eight delegates, two hundred and six belong to the. Right, six hundred and thirty-one to the Moderate Centre, and seventy-one. to the Left. The Right are the Monarchists pure and simple, ancf the Left the extremists, but the Centre is still an unknown quantity. This is the ordinary classification of the returns, and it carries us little further. The peasants who, after all, are numerically the largest class of the population, may, as tlio Times suggests, be politically supporters of the autocracy and economically supporters of tlie Revolutionaries. Among tlie so-called Moderates there seems to ho a large section who are pledged to Constitutional reform, and there is every clianco that the Constitutional Democrats, and others allied . with them, may form a strong Central party which will hold tlie balance of power in tlio forthcoming Duma.

FAMINE IN RUSSIA. The Times of Wednesday published a striking appeal to England from M. Nicola Shishkoff, a distinguished and highly respected member of the Zemstvo Relief Association and ex-member of the Council of Empire, for funds to relieve the famine in the province of ,Samar;), in South East Russia, a district of some sixty thousand square miles with a population of nearly three millions.. M. Shishkoff gives a terrible picture of tbe distress of the inhabitants, and the inadequacy of the relief funds available from public and private sources. Sixteen years ago, as the result of a famine far less widespread and intense, ■sixty thousand people perished of starvation, scurvy, and typhus in the Same province, though seventeen' millions of roubles were contributed by private charity, and tho resources of t-lie State were then not crippled by a disastrous war. “What,” he nsku, “,'jrp iye to expect now, when tho harvest is twice as bad, when the crops have failed on two consecutive years, and up to the time private benevolence has given barely two million roubles?' - ’ M. Shislilcoff. who has been for four months in the famine-stricken districts, and in now undertaking a mission to Great Britain and the United States, will, wo trust not appeal in vain to the generosity of the two richest countries in the world. The nature of his demand, as well as his detachment from party politics, are a guarantee that aid can be offered without giving rise to any diplomatic difficulties.

FRANCE AN 11 TIIE VATICAN. The French Bishops, as tho result of their conference, have made a proposal of the greatest importance, which may lie the foundation of a settlement of the whole difficulty. Beginning by asserting their complete agreement with and loyalty to the Vatican, they declare that they will consent to try an organisation of public worship under certain conditions. They have sketched a draft contract between tile parish priests on tile one hand and the local municipal authority on the other hand, and subject to the ratification of the bishop, which- provides for the full legal use of the church for eighteen years, and the devolution of such right to successive incumbents. The Mayor undertakes to refrain from any interference with the actions of the incumbent, unless the preservation of public order demands it. Tho bishops add that the contract must be made universal through France, in order that the organisation of the church may not he dependent upon tho arbitrary will of magistrates. Unless accepted everywhere, they will accept .it nowhere. This latter

demand, as wo have argued, may cause difficulties, but the proposal is a noteworthy one, and contains the hope, at any rate, of a settlement.

BLACKMAIL IN TURKEY. The Times correspondent at Con-, stantinople sends to the Wednesday issue of his paper ail . extraordinary story of a conllict which has arisen between the German Embassy and Fellini Pasha, (he chief of the secret police. Tlio latter is an aide-de-camp ni the Sultan, in high favor at the Palace, and has long been notorious for tlio blackmail ho lias levied from local merchants. Recently ho seized a cargo of wood bought by a German firm for consignment to Hamburg, and when the Gorman Ambassador sent a dragoman to take delivery, lie used force to hinder him. Baron Marschall von Bieberstein is not a man to take insults lightly, and he has accordingly sent a Note to the Porto describing Fellini as a “brigand” and a “notorious criminal who dishonors tlie personal prestige of the Sultan,” and demanding the punishment specified for the offence in the criminal code. Such punishment is loss of rank and either perpetual banishment or penal servitude for life.'and there is likely, to bo .a fierce contest before the German Ambassador carries liis point. The German Embassy has the gratitude of all the other foreign missions in its manful crusade against this intolerable blackmailing.

FOREIGN PATENTS. In an excellent speech delivered to the Walsall Chamber of Commerce on Monday Mr. Lloyd George announced that he intended to introduce a Bill compelling foreigners to work tlieir patents on British soil and lor the benefit of British industry. This decision, which involves the abandonment of the unsatisfactory compromise of the Patent Act of 1902, lias been hailed in some quarters as indicating a tendency on the part ol the President of the Board of Trade to break loose from Cobdenism, and admit the need of reciprocity, ii not protection; but the argument seems to us farfetched. No such question of principle, however, is involved in the important and satisfactory • anil ouiicements made by Mr. LloydGeorge in regard to the measurer about to he taken in order to render the Intelligence Department of the Board of Trade more effective, to enhance the practical utility of Consular reports, and in general to strengthen the Consular Service. Here we find ourselves entirely in accord with the comments of The Times. All these improvements will be of little avail if the general conditions of the Consular Service fail to attract or retain men of the right stamp. A contrary method is adopted in Germany and other countries, where promotion to some of the higher and more responsible diplomatic appointments is open to Consular officials. With us the tendency of recent years lias been “to make the barrier between tlie two services more insurmountable. than ever.” In these circumstances, as tlie Times puts it, “it is all tlie more important that the whole conditions of the Consular Service, as to emoluments, leave, and general status, should he put on a more satisfactory looting.”

THE EDUCATION QUESTION. The Archbishop -of Canterbury made an interesting speech on the education question at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Diocesan Education Society on Monday. He repudiated tlie charge that tho church claimed one-sided treatment. They only asked that two principles should be safeguarded, first, that if the voluntary schools were to be still used as they should have, whatever their denomination, precisely the same treatment ; second, that there should be no repudiation of the conditions on which the voluntary schools were built in days gone by. The State had invited them to build and carry oq the schools now known as noil-provided schools ; pledges had been given by Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Forster, Lord Ripon, and others; and while admitting that tho nation must retain the right of reconsidering the bargain, lie contended that no attempt had been made to justify a wholesale change by showing that those to whom the responsibilities had been entrusted had failed to discharge them. Subject to the maintenance of those broad principles, lie admitted that thp voluntary schools could not go on for the future exactly as they were to-day, and that definite changes must ia'ke place on the lines of accepting popular control and the freedom of teachers from denominational tests. Though recent efforts at a settlement had failed, ho djjJ not despair of success if the Government approached the whole question afresh with a less complicated scheme and took counsel with moderate, reasonable, thoughtful men on both sides of the controversy. There was, lie added, a big body of central opinion in England which did not want this question settled, a desire which lie himself shared. The Archbishop’s speech was moderate and conciliatory hut lie laid himself open to the reply of Lord Crewe on the following day that it was useless to reopen communications with a view to compromise except ou the lines discussed and rediscussed before the House of Lords.

AUSTRALIAN INTERESTS. Lord Tennyson presided on Monday flight ap a banquet, bebj to fpntmemorate the first settlement in Australia on 26th January, 1788 ;—the first banquet, it may be added, which the united representatives of Commonwealth and Stafes had over given together. Speaking, “not as a party man, hut as an Imperialist to Imperialists,” Lord Tennyson expressed four hopes with regard fo the Colonial Conference. First, lie hoped that a co-operative system of local defence throughout the Empire would be constructed by the conference. Personally ho approved of the scheme of an Australian torpedo flotilla, manned and run by Australians, and he was glad to find that Lord Brassey not only supported t!iis gohpmn, hut regarded the Australian annual contribution of £200,000 to our navy as a mistake. Secondly, he hoped that an Imperial Intelligence Committee would be organised and established in collaboration with the various Governors and Premiers, and with consultative powers ill regard -to the external relations of thp colonies. He preferred this to an Imperial Advisory Committee in London, as that might bp apt to create friction ipul distrust among our autonomous communities. Thirdly, Lord Tennyson hoped that the Australian delegates would lay before the conference a well-considered scheme of preferential tariffs in favor of British commodities without any attempt to strike a bargain ; and his fourth hope, which he believed would be realised, was that Sir Henry Camp-bell-Bannerman as Prime Minister would open the conference, since it was not- only Colonial put Imppriaj, and such an act would gratify the Empire 'and would demonstrate to foreign nations the essential oneness of the Mother Country with our over-

sea dominions. Lord Elgin, who also spoke, said that he would cordially welcome Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman in this capacity. We need hardly say that, apart from his fiscal aspirations, wo cordially share Lord 1 ennyson’s hopes, and art* glad to find him supporting the creation ol an Australian navy.

THE LARCHMONT WRECK. HEROIC CHRISTIAN WOMEN KNEEL AND SING ON SINKING Sill ID LONDON, Eeh. 17. Never since tlie troopship Birkenhead went down in Simon’s Bay fifty years ago, with British soldiers lined up on her decks, have such sublime heroism and fortitude bepn displayed (, i a doomed ship as that ol the little party of ten soldiers of the Salvation Army who went bravely to their deaths on the American liner Lurchmont at “knee drill.” Above the cries of anguish and terror could ho hoard the cries of men and women singing the triumphant refrain of Baring-Gould’s beautiful hymn “Onward, Christian Soldiers” and “Nearer, my God, to Thee.”

Alone of the 180 people on the doomed ship they rose superior to tlieir surroundings. The story of their heroism stands out in glaring contrast to that of tlieir companions. Panic-stricken men, maddened with tear, fought frantically to get possession of the steamer’s boats. Like wild beasts they savagely trampled women and children underfoot. Chivalry had no place on the vessel. The captain was one of the first to leave. And of ISO souls hut nineteen survived.

The Larchmont was an American line! - , sailing from Providence to New York with 100 passengers and a crew ol thirty.

It was in Rhode Island Sound that tlie disaster occurred. The passengers were mostly asleep when the liner and a three-masted schooner, Henry Knowleten, came into collision at midnight. The scene that ensued is indescribable. W ithin a lew slioi t minutes the Larchmont went down into the icy waters of Rhode Island Sound.

BOATS SWEPT OVERBOARD. Huge seas crashed over the stricken ship, which sank with appalling rapidity. Lifeboats were cut from the. davits and were carried away by the mountainous seas before they could be secured. The sailors made a Bilious rush to get into the smaller boats before the passengers. Some were pitched into the sea as the boats were swept overboard.- Great clouds oi steam arose when the inrusliing water reached tlie boiler-room, and it was imagined at first that the steamer was on fire. Amid the scenes of terror and stampede the Salvation Army women officers remained perfectly cool and collected. They assembled on tlie deck and calmly abided tlieir fate. -Like tlie British soldiers who went down on the Birkenhead, the soldiers of the Salvation Army faced death with heroic fortitude. “There ar.e boats for us,” said the officer in charge—a lady. “Ret us pray ” The devoted little hand knelt on the deck of the ship, already awash. The women were dressed as though for an open-air winter meeting. After the prayer, still kneeling, they sang, “Onward, Christian Soldiers” and “Nearer, my God, to Thee” were the selections. So the little gioup, with sublime heroism, went bravely triumphantly to their deaths. With regard to the charge levelled against Captain McVey, that his lifeboat was the first to leave tho ship, and that there was no attempt to provide for tho safety of passengeis, tho captain has explained that lie made no move to enter his boat until he had given orders to tlie men to lower all the boats and clear away the rafts.

While the boat was in the water, she was fastened to tlio ship by a rope which became caught and was cut by tlie boatswain, who saw that the ship was settling rapidly, and that the boat would be caught in tlio whirlpool and sucked down beneath tho surface.

GENERAL BOOTH’S MESSAGE. Eventually one of the boats reached Block Island. Only 19 people survived. Eight were passengers, six boing men, and two women. The rest were members oi the crew, among whom was the captain. Close behind this boat camp another, bringing fifteen dead and eight dying l>as.longcrs, victims of the cold. Captain Gray, of the Joy liner Kentucky. which was rushed to the scene of the disaster, remarked huge calces of ice on the beach, and on drawing near lie found that a number of bodies were encased in them. General Booth telegraphed to the Congress of Scandinavian Officers in New York, to which the Salvation Army officers who were drowned were proceeding, the following message of sympathy and ‘Consolation: — “My comrades, ltiy heart lnib been deeply affected by the terrble Larchmont tragedy. The beautiful Salvation heroism of your comrades to-day is ringing round the world, but with your eyes swollen with weeping, you will, I am sure, dedicate yourselves to the war in the prosecution of which they so triumphantly fell. Their memory will he a blessing and their names enrolled on our- glorious record of those who have died at their post. 1 am sure God is with you at your Congress, Neither life- boy- fjpittb nor any other tiling .shall turn us aside. We will be true to our God, the Army, and one another in seeking the souls of men. (Signed) William Booth, General.”

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