THE UNITED STATES TO-DAY.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 August 1924, Page 4

THE UNITED STATES TO-DAY.

«f> I.OI51) JJIUKKNIIKAIVr! .M A.STT'.Ii I.Y STUDY. 11. \V. Wilson in ret iewing the Kail c.f I',n kenhead's hook "Auierica Jtevisited";* has the followin'.' to -ay m the London "Ilaily Mali": - This volume of speeches and articles is marked by all the high qualities which distinguish l.ord Birkenhead s studies. It has concentration il |-nrp..se. and It is the work of a brilliant ii.Lellei t an intellect that is | erha; s the must h:illiatit and penetrating of our time.

l.ord llirkenhc ol combines in ti ra.e decree the two e-sentials cl depth ol thought and vigour ol style. Ills tellections are always worth studying, even where he does not completely tiniviuce. 11 is crc.se is never leehle el dull: he invariably emi loys the simplest and clearest cxpie.-sim-.s: and a touch e.f irony gives an tilic:st:al alliailiveuess pages. To read him is as cient a 1 'ensure a' it is to listen to his judgments. where he brines out tile substance from a mas-, of lads, and in a few sentences, terse and pi'"tnant. declares the cirditi of a master mind.

His ac< limit of the I nited States as lie finds it tii-day. six years alter his lost i llll i>rtai:l visit, is if singular interest and shows what chances there are taking place. The exti aordina ry sj'-sviid cl is ;m i*\;i 1111 : W hen I liist knew A lucre a (lie writes) I should il.nikl . . whether there were more than twelve coll ionises in the whole of the I nited States. Ilie late .Mr (dadstc.ue was nine, much against hi. wishes. inmpell-c-.l to piav I'ulf. IL' is re; orteil to l’ave coailoeiitcd iq.nn the experiment that it was a good walk spniled. fu ll would l. inlonh te'i ly have heel, the verdict :bl years ago of any Do | , r cent of the wide male ; opulatiou ol ■!:,• ITiitc.l States cf Ati-o: i -a. lint mtlay. . . I sui pose thee are iikout tlirce times as many liisl-ilass golf loui-c.-, in the United Slat's of America os in any niuntry i f the world. tiiK \i:i.);o .Midi; \i ion Ili one I I .: 1 1 c I nilcd SI at • lias not ohnne,od. Il is ..till ivsi lately I'lotoclinni't :

It is evidently ini| a • ■ ihlc to erediiiite cf Protect inn that it is destructive of the eenniMiiie ITMiim.- of uati'iu which cm'iraccs its ductrines. For the prosperity o! the Failed States is e.xul aratil and I'hcni'iiicnr!: ami yet on my lepent 'd visits t-i ihat eotlutry il .so happens that I have never mat a prominent hu-ine-s man who was a Flee Trader.

One of the new i|nest i-nis that have arisen is the northward uiigiution of the Negri), which is 1 ringing grave 1 tohlcnis with il : Alnm.-l like a horde cf locusts the Xi'groe.s of the South are invading city alter city of the l'ifli and iudisciimimiting North. A while area of t'hieago and not a d is; emit a hie one fift ’en .veers ago inhabit 'd exi-lusively by a white poj'ttit! on. has now liei-ii i ande.l over in uudis'iuted p.i.-s-essien In ihe dull; invader. And a large dealer in real estate V! n had spent his life oerrting on that hieincss in CTiic.'i'ro in', n nii'd me that he i inild at J■ i■ i■ - I■,ll distern no liniii m the invasion. Lord |!ii kenheail sees teiy chaidv tl.mt in the I'niLid Stales of le-dnv me Kuglish element i-- i• i danger cf F-ing swamped “Ly an "Uornioiis infusion of Irish, fb'iman, Italian. French.! Scanitinavian and oilier element'." lie leds u.s abandon as obsolete “the talk that l b od is thirker than water." I’uomurnox. M hat lie has to sav :;f the working ol I’rohibil ion is of extreme importauee ITo.it it' hearing mi the i|i:vstimi of i Temperance: I A practical- i rmnu'iitai v upon the sii'-ct.- s cf t!.'c Knit ".I States authorities in excluding alt-olio! is to he found in the fact, that the host Scoteh whisky was only (id a bottle dearer in New Y..rk thin in Almilieal. And this was not supplied through dangerous channels. lot by a most rose- iieil h otlegger, who to my knowdeilge belonged t at least cue faildv g :o:l club in Now Y’ork.

The pc >r ate forced to abstain from liptioi'. in ortlcr that ilicv may he “sjic-.-ded ui "; the rich can gci what lii|tior they want. Fill rciical of I’rohihition f.oi-tl I'-irkenheatl does not think probable, hecati-e. among other lea-

I* <• i- l l.v lit-t time in th" histcrv of any eoiintiv the whole iollucmc of th" drink trade now an illegitimate, not a legitimate trade—-is thrown upon the side of fanatical tcciot.ili-m. I was indeed informed, and up,oil credible authority. that many bootleggers' clietjiies decorously masked, of cour-o. help to swell the funds cf prohibit i >n. Could a situation more savagely ironical be e mceiveil 'f

TYlien he turns to Canada, there, teo, tie lias to warn us. Immigrants ,-rc p Hiring into the great Dominion who are not of British extraction: and the time may not lie far oil' when, if we make no return for the preference they now- give us, in will lie recalled. Til Iv PF.1511. OF WAR.

The la-t chapter in the hook gives the famous address delivered last year to Glasgow University, with its sober criticism of the visionaries and tlieii schemes. Probably posterity will regard it as prophetic, for. after all. it does but state patent facts. The people wh i ignored realities were the real authors of the Great War. Tn-dav. as in Iff I. we are reminded that The world i-rntinuc's to otl’er glittering prizes to thes? who have stout

hearts and sharp swords. . . It is for us. therefore, who in our history have proved ourselves a martial, rather than a military, people to abstain, as has been our habit, from provocation; but to maintain in our hand the adequate means for our own protection.

And we are further given-this grave warning:

I do not niyself know of n moment in

the la-.t four tears in which there has appeared to be prospect cl permanent- pence in Fuii'pe than at tile present moment. This is a wise book, and il" its c nI'lusioii- seem sumhie. that is because it d-:i!s with lin t-: and haentlse the facts of inter nation.tl life do not encourage reliance cu • \uhcr.ini sent intent ali-m.