CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 232, 19 February 1913, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

REAL GRIT. There are varying degrees of persistency. Some men start out with great zeal, but turn buck at their first defeat, while failures only enhearten others, call out their reserves, and make them all the more resolute, determined to win. For some men every defeat is a Waterloo, but there is no Waterloo for the man who has clear grit for the man who persists, who never knows when he is beaten. Those who are bound to win never think of defeat as final. They | look upon it as a mere slip. They get up after each failure with new resolution, more determination than ever to go on until they win.—o. S. Marden. GERMAN POLITICS. A successor to Herr von KiderlenWaehter as German Foreign Minister has been found in Herr von Jagow. His training after a brief experience as a civilian administrator has been wholly diplomatic, anil the greater part of his official career lias been spent in Rome, first as n subordinate in the Embassy and tben as Ambassador. He was popular in Italian society, and enjoyed the reputation of a cultured man whose personal taste? are rather for art than for politics, {lpiirions seem to differ as to his diplomatic success. He did nothing to prevent the war in Tripoli, which was more embarrassing to Germany than to any other Power, but after its outbreak his personal amiability did much to ease the tension. He does not belong to the Bismarokian school, and the German press seems to doubt bis ability to "work" it. It is said that his sympathies are on the side of an understanding with Britain. But it must be remembered that the Foreign Minister in Germany hardly enjoys greater power than the permanent head of our own Foreign Office. External policy is really under the conlrol of the Chancellor, and be in turn is directly responsible to the Kaiser.

TRIBAL- SAVAGERY. Dreadful stories of tribal savagery are coming from Southern Nigeria, where the British authorities are o7igagod in an effort to suppress the horrid Juju rites. Human sacrifices are an important part of the ceremonies connected with the .Juju cult, anil it has hee.n shown that an organisation of priests exists for the purpose of providing victims when they are required. Those priests are quite ready to accept a hrihe from any person who wants to compass the death of a private enemy. A chief named Kanu Okuvu. who is at present lying in prison, was the Jujn leader, and he has heen proved to have maintained a profitable slave trade with the human material provided by the priests. The victims were too terrified to resist or escape lest death should be their lot, and Oknru sold thousands of men, women and children into lifelong servitude. The officers who investigatcd his crimes found that, he had a large slave compound in the dense bush at the back of his home.

The existence of this place had not been suspected, although dozens of while oiticials had been within a few yards of it. The commissioner who undertook the enquiry was poisoned by a servant, but his life was saved by the army doctors. The Juju priests evidently are prepared to fight for the existence of their peculiar religion.

A GALLANT UESCT'L. | There was much excitement at Moturoa on Monday evening, when out of the mist in the near sea a horse was seen swimming laboriously shorewards with the white figure of a. man clinging to it. At least half the population—three men. seven children, a billv goat, one of Fladdy Panagan's donkeys and Ellen Terry--were quickly on the beach, ready to lend any assistance that lay in their power, (seeing that the shore-com-ing couple were in imminent danger of getting wet a number of campers launched a boat and went to the rescue, while Ellen Terry was removing her boots and violently calling for her valet to assist her with her braces. When the struggling derelicts were readied by our modern Grace Darlings it was found that, the rescue party had saved a, large cur-iously-shaped log that bad drifted down from the sfokaii or some other old place. Not to be denied the rescuers towed the log ashore and the adjacent Maoris quickly converted it into a mixture of mince-meat and kindling wood.

RECK LESS SURF-BATHERS. On Sunday week there were quite h number of narrow escapes from drowning on the Castlocliff beach at Wanganui. The Wanganui Herald states that time and again bathers have been warned of the dangers existing at certain spots on this beach, but warnings appear of little avail, and surfers continue to run risks, the taking of which can only argue a sad lack of common sense. Here and there along the beach there are deep boles with an outlet through which a current runs with great force. Such spots can always he recognised by the comparatively smooth water in them, yet bathers are continually getting into these dangerous places, and not infrequently find themselves in trouble. This want of ordinary care has resulted in a score or so of narrow escapes this season already, and but for (he voluntary and self-sacrificing work of the Oastlceliff Surf' Club several drowning accidents must have already occurred. On the Sunday afte.rnaoon in question no fewer than eight bathers got in trouble and had to be rescued. Six of the rescues were directly due to the efforts of the members of the Surf Club, one of whom had a bad time himself while effecting a save. Two or three of the rescued ones were in a. bad way when brought ashore, and the life-savers themselves were considerably done up by their exertions by the time the afternoon was over.

THE UNLUCKY YEAR. The alarming predictions of Mr. Frederic Harrison, which were mentioned in a cablegram a few weeks ago, seem to have had some connection with the superstition relating to the number thirteen. The noted historian demanded the -raising of an immediate war loan of £150.000,000 for the purpose of preparing the Empire for a life-and-dcath struggle and suggested that at the same time Britain should concentrate her forces by abandoning Egypt, Malta, Gibraltar And the African territories. The year 1813, Mr. Harrison reminded the readers of the English Review, saw "the downfall of Napoleon's Imperial ambition, just as 1713, l>v the Peace of Utrecht, marked the collapse of the ascendancy of Louis Quatorze." A. new century plus the om in us thirteen seemed to him "to have something in it of fate," especially when it was associated with a war which had closed to Germany the path to Asia Minor. "Nothing outside Europe is now open to Germany," added this alarmist. "It is therefore inevitable that the mighty German Empire, swollen perhaps by the German part of Austria, will seek 'compensation' for its exclusion from places 'in the sun'—within Europe itself. Tt has won 'compensations' and accessions thrice before—in ISfi-J, i.n IS(SG. in 1870; and four or five times since by demanding fresh 'compensation,' it has brought Europe to the brink of war. We have to see what are the compensations it demands in 1913." Mr. Harrison did not explain if the immediate expenditure of £150,000,000 on battleships and regiments would avert the calamities which he feared. The adoption of his proposal certainly would ensure (he Rritish taxpayers regarding 1913 as a very unlucky year.

POLITICAL NAMES. Political controversies areas fierce and frequent now as if a general election were due a month hence. After a long rest the Opposition press is rampant, and the sticks and stone darken the air. The Ministerialists cling closely to the name "Reform," which certainly helped them mightily to win the last election. New Zealanders were convinced that some reformation was important, and Mr. Massey undoubtedly received the aid of many liberals who were disgusted with the weakness and opportunism of the Ward Government. But, obviously, the name "Reform" cannot endure for ever. The sooner the promised reformation is completely done, the shorter must be the term of the word "Reform" to designate the party. Eventually a word must be found by the party itself to convey the general character of the Administration. In the meantime, the Government press seeks an advantage by applying the term "Anti-Reform" to almost any criticism of the party, whether that criticism is good, bad, or indifferent from the public viewpoint. It is a strategic attempt to persuade the country at large that an attack on the Government in any matter is a diabolical plot against "Reform." Surely this is becoming a word to join the vague company of "democracy." "Labor," "efficient," "'economy," and others. The Opposition terms itself the "Progressive Party." and calls out "Tory" at the Government and. the Ministerial organs. It is just as absurd to shout "Tory" constantly at the Government as it is for the Ministerial journals to resort to the thin ruse of '''anti-Reform" when discussing all critics of the Government. The Government's life ■will have to depend on more solid things than a paper currency of "Reform" 'and "'anti-Reform.''—Wellington | Post. ' "' i