MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 January 1926, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

[Australia & N.Z. Cable Association.]

MR, BALDWIN’S WARNING. 'LONDON, Jan. 0

ID. Hon. Stanley Baldwin, llio Prime Minister addressing the Classical Association, drew an analogy ltetween the fall of Ancient Rome and the present position of the British Empire, quoting Doctor Mat-Kail, to the effect that, in the end, there were insufficient Romans to carry on the work of the Empire of Rome. He added that there were fears among those who were responsible for the government of the country to-day. Those fears were not yet gripping, us by the throat, but nevertheless,, they were taking a, grisly shape in the twilight. Fears that the Great ’War, owing to its destruction of the host lives, to a numberless extent., lias left insufficient of the breed to carry on the work of the Empire. “Who throughout Europe,” remarked Mr Baldwin, “dues not know that one more war in the west—and our civilisation will fall with the same shock as that of Rome. She Weft danger signals along the road, which it is our duty to observe.”

BRITISH EMIGRATION. LONDON, Jan. P.

The Overseas Settlement Department states that a Church of England Council of ’Empire Settlement, which was appointed by the Church Assembly to deal with migration matters on its behalf, and which started operations in April, under the chairmanship of Lord Jellicne. has now rereived nominations for migrants wishing to proceed to Australia and New Zealand. Among the last nominations received was one from New Zealand for fifty lads.

ARM AAIE N T CO NE HR EX CE GENEVA, Jan. 8

Contrary to expectations, the Soviet has accepted the invitation to the preliminary Armament; Conference in February (arranged by the League of Nations). MARTYRS TO SCIENCE. NEW YORK, December 18. Nature guards her secrets jealously, and explorers who push forward the boundaries of science do it at the peril of their lives. The list of famous men who have died in the cause of science is long, hut to it should he added the names pf many humbler seekers after knowledge. Oskar Hoffman and his sister Selma, both chemistry students at Columbia University, were found dead in their furnished lodgings. They had been experimenting with a gas. THE ARMY IN INDIA. CALCUTTA, December 18.

Giving evidence before the committee which is inquiring into the proposals for the Indianisation of the Army in India, a number of Indian officers who command Indian regiments opposed the idea of an Indian Sandhurst. They maintain that it is essential that Indian officers should develop characteristic British level lieadeducss iu an emergency, which would only he possible by having an absolutely British education.

Colonel Rope, commanding one of eight regiments which have been selected for liidiaiiisaLioii, spoke well of Ids three Indian officers, but said lie had only seen them in normal circumstances. He doubted whether Indian officers, as a class, owing to differences in education and upbringing, could handle a sudden and great emergency for a long time. Indian officers who gave evidence, said the scheme for the Indianisation of eight selected units was most unpopular. They demanded that British and Indian officers lie trained and educated together in the closest associaI ion. Witnesses were closely cross-examin-ed by leaders of the .Swarajist and Independent parlies in the Legislative Assembly, who tire members of the <omnuttee. EITI.II) AND THE SKXES. LONDON, Nov. 9. “Thai tin* emancipation of woman has been accompanied by the progressive degeneration of man/’ This was the tempting subject of the ' debate over which Lord Darling presided at the University of London Union Society.

Iniifiutr, tin l topic, "he recalled that as a law student 50 years ago, lie took pari: in a delmtc at University College, following; which Lord Coleridge. then Attorney-General, who presided, predicted that one day he would sit on the judges’ heneh. .Summing up the dehate, in which no vote was taken. I.onl Darling said the question had been very well argued on both sides by people who obviously did not believe in their own arguments. Alluding to mi argument that women having cut their hair short, men had so degenerated to wear their’s long, he quoted from “The Rape of the Lock": DOPE’S DICTUM. Great Jove 'suspends the golden beam in air, And weighs the man’s wits ’gainst the woman’s hair.

Tie was not prepared to say a.s a result of the debate, that woman having risen, man had fallen, like two buckets in a well.

But it appeared to him certainly established that man and woman, having now become equal to one another, one only wanted to turn to Euclid to know that now that they were equal to one another, they were equal to anything. Miss Ethel Shawl, the only woman student to support the motion, said the fact that women earned their own living nowadays had lessened men' l sense of responsibility, making them grow lax. laxy and selfish.

Miss Baker (King’s College) said it was merely “spectacular chivalry’’ tv a man to offer a seat to a woman i a railway carriage. “Courtesy, if you like, hut not chivalry,’’ she added.