WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 January 1918, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE GERMAN COLONIES, ATTITUDE OF MINISTERS. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Tan. 25. The remarks attributed to t..e London Spectator in a cablegram published this morning epitomise very happily the views which have been expressed by Mr. Massev and 'his colleagues in regard to the suggestion that the colonies wrested from the Germans should be restored after the war. Of course it is the fate of the Pacific colonies that immediately concerns New Zealand, but probably there would be some difficulty in differentiating between these and the others, and if the Prime Minister goes to the Imperial Conference it will be with a. firm determination to oppose any proposal that may be made for the restoration of the conquered territory. He does not imagine that the representatives of the Dominions will be able to dictate to the, Imperial Government a question of this sort, but he believes that public opinion at Home is strongly in sympathy with the desire of the outlying portions of the Empire to keep themselves free from the menace of German neighbor!!. WELLINGTON NORTH, Dr. Thacker, whom the papers arc. decerning as the man who backed Arnst for the sculling championship, has carried his campaign in favor of Mr. Poison's candidature for the Wellington North seat as far as Napier, and is now extending it to Gisborne and Auckland. The doctor's chief incentive to breaking all the expressed and implied conditions of the party truce seems to be :>. consuming desire to air his accumulated grievances against the Minister of Defence in particular and the high officers of his department in general. Beyond promising that when Mr. Poison gets into Parliament "the soldiers and reservists will have the finest man in the country to fight for thorn," he has nothing to ;e:,v about his candidate's qualifications, b, t he is denouncing Sir James Alleri and his administration with unmeasured fervor. Meanwhile there is a rumor that the Wellington North seat will not be vacant for some months, and a suggestion that the doctor has commenced his campaign a little in advance of the probabilities. « SCARCITY OFTEACHER3. It scarcely required the application of the Wellington Education Board for the exemption'of its remaining male teachers from military service to bring home to the public the fact that the national system of education is being very seriously impaired by the demand for soldiers. Since the beginning jjf the war the board has given every facility to the members of its staff to go to the front, and the teachers have shown themselves so ready to bear their part ir the great struggle that it has become impossible to fill the vacancies (hat are occurring, except by makeshift appointments In come of the country districts it lias been necessary to put in charge of schools women or girls who have no certificates and no education beyond the sixth standard, with the result that children arc growing up less than half taught in the most rudimentary subjects and barely knowing the meaning of discipline. MLITARY EXPENDITURE. It is expected that the War Expenditure Commission will commence its investigation almost immediately, and that its report will be ready for presentation to Parliament even if there should be a session so early as the end of April. Whether or not it would be presented in that case is another question, but in the meantime the military authorities are betraying no disposition to withhold information concerning matters within the scope of the order of reference Journalists who have sought to brush up their acquaintance with the various branches of the Defence, Department, in preparation for such developments as may occur later on, 'have found the officers in charge as frank and courteous as ever. If there has been any change it would seem rather to be in the direction of being more communicative than less. The general opinion remains, however, that the commission will be able to suggest a laige reduction in expenditure. PLANS OF MINISTERS. Some of the rumors that have-been afloat lately regarding the plans of Ministers are mentioned this morning in the New Zealand Times. The journal has no definite information to give, because the important decisions are not yet made. It is common gossip in political circles that Mr. Massev does not want to go to London this" vear. that the Ministers would be glad to send Sir James Allen to the War Conference, that if he went Mr. Massev would take the portfolio of Defence and would hand over Lands to Mr. Guthrie, who i 5 expected to succeed Mr. Herdman. It has been stated freely that Sir James Allen would be very unwilling to transfer control of the Defence Department to anybody, and that in any case circumstances may demand Mr. Massey's presence in London. The invitation to the War Conference is extended to Prime Ministers. The actual events have still to shape themselves. It is certain that if Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward go to the War Conference, ig ,)ikelv to meet about June next, there will be a short early session of parliament. The business would be chiefly financial. It would be necessary then to have another session later in the year, opening in September or October. But all this is still in the air. Sir James Allen presumably would consent to go to London if his colleagues pressed the point stronglv. The decision will have to be made in the near future, and then a definite announcement will be made by the Prime Minister. THE NEW CHINESE CONSUL. The new Chinese Consul for New Zealand, Mr. Shih Yuan Lin, is an interesting gentleman. He has served in the Chinese Foreign Office, has been attached to the Chinese Embassies j n London and Washington, and has special qualifications for the duties he has now assumed. He is pleasant of manner, well read, and willing and able to discuss manv topic* with evident knowledge. Mr. Lin believes that the volume of trade between New Zealand and Japan is going to increase rapidly in the future! The Chinese people arc becoming exporters of produce and manufactures on a large scale and they are acquiring a taste for many oversea products and the capacity to pay oversea prices. The rulers of China realise that if they are to develop an export trade on a big scale they must have an import trade. In conversation witli the new Consul, the representative in New Zealand of some 400,000,000 Chinese people, it is oasv to ralise that China is waldne and

that she is ready to play a part in the j affairs of the nations. China, V mentions, has undertaken to send 500,000 men to France to work behind the lines, and she is preparing to send troops to serve in the firing line. The China of tfday is a republic, and the rulers of China are as much opposed to Prussian militarism as the British or the Amcri'cans are. Their ideals of democratic freedom are high—possibly even higher than ours, for the Chinaman is essentially a lover of peace and order. "Mr. Lin is not yet ready to discuss the more complicated problems of international relationship as they affect Australasia on the one hand and China on the other. But he thinks that there is no reason why New Zealand and China should not exchange products and manufactures to their mutual advantage. He will try to promote here an improved understanding of Chinese policy and character. THE MAIN BODY MEN. Ths grievance of Main Body men v?ho have been granted leave without pay in New Zealand, after returning on leave for domestic or business reasons, is under consideration, and there is good reason for believing that some of the men will get their pay. The Defence authorities are not disposed to lay down a rule that all men returned on leave shall receive pay, but they are inquiring as to the conditions under which the leave was granted in the cases already under notice. Your correspondent received an assurance that the cases would be considered in no ungenerous spirit. Tiiere appears to be a certain amount of laxity at tiie other end in sending men on leave to New Zealand without first establishing their status clearly. Enquiries are being made by cablegram.