The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, Octobkr 3, 1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1306, 3 October 1914, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, Octobkr 3, 1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The political campaign will com mence in this constituency almost immediately. To-day, at a conference of delegates representing the Government Party in this constituency, Mr W. H. Field was almost unanimously elected to champion the cause of the Government. We believe the choice is a wise one, and with the Party properly organised—which it has not been in the past—his chances of success at the polls should be assured. Mr Byron Brown was also a candidate in the Reform interest, and it was rumoured that no matter what the result of today’s ballot, he intended to go to the poll. If such is the case it will result in splitting the votes, but the Party lines will be drawn so light that very few votes will be cast by Reform supporters outside the official candidate. The other candidates will be Mr B. R. Gardener (Opposition) and Mr J. Robertson (Social Democrat).

Germany’s losses since the outbreak of war must be enormous. It has been estimated at Paris that the German casualties in Belgium and France since the first attack on Liege, eight weeks ago, amount to 400,000. General French, before the great battle of the Marne, estimated German casualties at 200,000, and since that time there has been almost ceaseless fighting of a strenuous character. The thirty-five German casualty lists, published up to last week, which however, do not bring the totals up-to-date,' officially announce to the German public 250,000 casualties.

Such a strong censorship exists concerning war news, that many weeks may elapse before the world will know the details of the great battles which have and are now being fought in France, and Belgium. It is very difficult for the close student of the war to follow what is happening with any degree of certainty and much is left to speculation. Of naval engagements, also, we are kept in the dark. The war correspondent has lost his job. ISJo doubt the success of the war in great measure depends upon the closest secrecy being maintained. We can rely with confidence, however, upon the men who are controlling affairs. According to Kitchener the Silent, the war will not last as long as he at first anticipated. This is good news indeed, but it doesn’t follow that there will be any slackening in preparations or operations until a settlement is effected. Great sacrifices have yet to be made. It is safe to assume that the back has been broken of the German war lords invasion of France.

The most important suggestion made by the Education Committee in respect to the Education Bill deals with the Minister’s proposal concerning the readjustment of the boundaries of educational districts, and the reduction in the number of the education boards from 13 to 9. The original schedule has been deleted by the committee, and it is now proposed that “there shall be eight or nine education districts, which shall be determined by the Governor on the report of a commission to be set up on that behalf.” When the Bill was introduced there were numerous objections to the proposal to abolish various small boards and to disturb the boundaries of others. The Wanganui and Taranaki Boards would be merged into one. This suggestion has met with considerable opposition from both districts. In any case an adjustment of the present boundaries is necessary. The committee was unable to settle this vexed question, and, as the Minister had already stated that the proposed boundaries were only of a tentative character, the recommendation for the appointment of a Royal Commission to determine the boundaries was apparently decided upou as the best way out of the difficulty. The clauses dealing with the constitution of boards have been amended by the committee in one important respect. Subclause 5, which provided for the election of education board members representing suburban school districts by the municipal electors, has been struck out. This means that if the Bill is passed as now ameuded the boards will continue to be sleeted by the school committees, as at present.

A remarkable letter in denunication of the German Emperor has been written by Protessor F. V. Riethdorf, of the Woodstock College, Canada, and a former German soldier. Alter statiffjg that the quarrel in the present war is not with the German people, Professor Riethdorf says:—“We must deeply sympathise with the German people in the sufferings and dangers brought upon them by their ruling classes, by an oligarchic, insane, military government. It is the Germany ot the ‘clinched fist’ and the ‘drawn sword,’ of the ‘shining armour’ and the ‘sabre rattling in the scabbard,’ that calls for no sympathy on our part. It is the Germany that has precipitated the monstrous world struggle of the day that fills us all with horror and indignation. I am a native German, and a former German soldier. My own position in this struggle is perfectly clear. My loyalty to the British flag makes me stand against any and all enemies of Britain. If

need be. 1 should even fight against Germany, though with a bleeding heart. Furthermore, I desire disaster to the German army in this way, for the reason that it will mean restoration of fellowship among the Western nations tor one of the greatest peoples of Europe. A liberated, free, democratic Germany will start a new and lasting era of prosperity, of peace, arm in arm with England and France. Germany’s defeat will mean the establishment of a German republic, and the elimination of William 11., and all that he stands for. Such things as ‘Divine right’ and ‘mailed fist’ are anachronisms, an insult to the intelligence of the people ot the twentieth century. William 11. is the common foe of Europe, and he must be eliminated. Defeat of Germany through this war means ultimate salvation gad freedom for her ; Germany will be the greatest gainer through defeat.”