CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 58, 30 August 1911, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

THE ANNEXATION OF TONGA. A rumor that the Tongan Islands are about to become a dependency of New Zealand has been circulated by some of the London newspapers, and was mentioned by the Premier in the House of Representatives recently. The group of within the jurisdiction of the Western Pacific at-the present time, but most of its trade is done with this country, and King George 11. of Tonga and his subjects are known to desire closer relations with the Dominion. "Sir Joseph Ward," says the Daily Chronicle, "is believed to have convinced the Imperial Government that tke proposed change of jurisdiction is desirable, and an official announcement may be expected ere long that the Tongan group has been transferred from Downing street to the administrative control of the Government of New Zealand." If this report should prove to be well founded, the area of Greater New Zealand will be increased by some 385 square miles and its population by about 28,060. The Tongan Islands, or the Friendly Islands, as Captain Cook called them, would make a very interesting addition to our territories. King George 11. is a constitutional monarch, assisted by a Parliament, a Privy Council and a responsible Ministry. The present Pramier, Mr. Jione Mateialona, took office in 1905, when his predecessor was deported to Fiji as a result of an enquiry conducted by the High Commissioner, and he has proved himself a capable administrator. A few Europeans hold positions in the 1 Departments of Education, Customs and Health, but the majority of the public servants are Tongans. The most important religious body is the Free Church of Tonga, an off-shoot of the Wesleyan Church, and as late as 1890 there were complaints that this organisation was persecuting the natives who did not accept its tenets. The reigning King has given an assurance that freedom of conscience shall be preserved in his domains, however, and under his •rule trade and commerce have made satisfactory progress and various reforms have been introduced. New Zealand would gain no particular advantage by the "annexation" of the Tongan group.

ARMED LINERS. Several questions asked in the House of Commons lately suggest that there are Powers which attach more importance than England to the use of fast merchant cruisers in war time. A few yens back there was a considerable list of liners whick in this connection received a subvention from the Admiralty. But the policy which dictated that arrangement was brought under reviaw, and to-day the only fast merchant steamers in respect of which an annual subsidy is paid are the Lusitania and the Mauretania. The justification put forward for the change is that the scheme wa3 all very well when the speed of Atlantic liners- was superior to that of regular cruisers, but that now that these latter vessels can approximate to twenty-five knots they are pretty sure to catch anything but Lusitanias and 'Mauretanias. That,, at all events, was the effect of the statement made by Lord Granard on behalf of the Admiralty. It is interesting in these circumstances to find no less qualified an expert than Sir William White coming forward to express a doubt whether we are acting prudently in abandoning a policy which other Powers have imitat-ed—-to the extent in some eases, it is alleged, of actually putting the armament on board. Sir William White questions the wisdom of declining to consider a subsidy for any vessel with a speed of less than twenty-two knots. The point he makes is that no regular icruisers, -except a very few of the great cruiser-battleships recently built, can maintain a sea speed approaching twenty-five knots, even in moderate weather, for any length of time. On the other hand, in weather which would prevent the cruisers from being' driven hard, the merchant steamer, with her greater size and fuel supply, would experience no sensible cheek. By their decision the Admiralty would certainly appear to have definitely ruled out the huge twenty-one or twenty-two knot liners of the class which, to all appearances, is in future to dominate the North Atlantic trade. Sir , William White pleads for a reconsideration of the subject for one reason, because British auxiliaries would be at least a protection against the raids of foreign mercantile auxiliaries.

BRITAIN'S PROSPERITY. "You .will sometimes get people who come Ibaek from a. visit to England." said Sir William McMillan at a meet-

ing of the British Empire League in •Sydney, "and who begin to talk about the decadence of the Mother Country, and her relative ■ decline' as compared with other countries. I believe that this is all absolute nonsence. England is as , vigorous to-day as at any perioff of her history. She is as great as ever a,nd greater than almostany country in djpy part of the world. Her prosperity' is wonderful. Take a few figures. In 1901 her trade amounted to £870,000,000; in 1910 it was £1,200,000,000, aibout SO per cent, more than that of Germany or America. In the same year she spent on her_ railways £1,300,090,000. The deposite in her banks amount to £800,000,000. It is estimated.that the amount of money invested ill foreign countries is £2,000,000,000. Wherever I mode inquiry I sow no Bign of want of employment, no sign of deeay. 'England is goingi ahead year after year, and is to-day the commercial wonder of the wttHd."