TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8278, 3 November 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

The Socialist; newspaper "Volkswaobt," published at Breslau, states that the German army manoeuvres in Silesia have been so realistic that there is a long list of killed and woanded soldiers. During some of the preliminary strategic marches before tbe actual operations of the mimic war began, the heat was so oppressive that large numbers of soldiers collapsed on the road. The route followed by some of tbe regiments was strewn with prostrate soldiers, who also lay helplesH in the adjacent fields and woods. During the manoeuvres themselves a private in the 9th Regiment of Dragoons was shot in one of the engagements, indicating that one soldier at least of the flriug army was firing real instead of blank cartridges. A man of tne 70th Oompauy of Field Artillery was thrown from his horse and killed in a charge. Other fatal accidents occurred, and the ii3t or wounded is muoh longer.

All the circumstances of the oase seem to us to favour the proposal made by Sir Joseph Ward, as Minister of Industries and that the commercial staff of the colony in London should ,be strengthened, says the Otago Daily Times. At the present time the permanent staff consists of the Pro duco Commissioner and an assistant, the salary of the latter being a charge against tbe Department of Agrioulturw, but tho Estimates for this year contained provision, in addition, for payment of bix months salary to an insoeotor in Groat Brit ain of New Zealand dairy produce. If we assume that the lal.q appoint menf; Is not to be of a temporary character, the coinnteroial staff at Home is now being increased to a total of three individuals. It will, however, not be contended by anyone that a staff of these dimensions is capable of watching adequately the interests of the colony in respect of shipments of produce that now exceed £12,000 000 per annum in value and embrace consignments for four or five ports on tho West Coast of the United Kingdom as well as for London. The representation of the colony at the produoe markets, in order that the interests of the shippers may be adequately safeguarded there, though an important matter, does not by any means exhaust the duties that are demanded of, and performed by, the colony's oommerioal staff at Home: As the Minister points out in his renort, the Industries and Commerce Department has been instrumental, through its offiues in London, in bringing the products of the colony prominently under the notice of the business people of various portions of Great Britain at exhibitions of different kinds.

It is impossible to write diplomatic history with any pretence to accuracy till long after the event; and anything that can be said ns to tbe relations between England and Russia hi the present time must be regarded rather as a uonjeoture than a statement of accomplished fact. But there is a large mass of circumstantial evidence to justify the opinion that England has been for some time past moving steadily in the direction of a friendly understanding with Russia. Such a "rapproanbement" is extremely probable ac the present juncture for several distinct reasons. It would, in the flr3!; place, ba the logical corollary to the "entente" with Franoe, which still maintains tbe Dual Alliance as a counterpoise to Germany. It would be entirely consistent with the principle of isolating Germany from the other continental Powers wh'oh appears to have dictated our foreign polioy since King Edward's accession. It will be a public recognition of the fact, now generally admitted by British Statesmen of both politioal parties, that Russia's foreign in fceresta are not necessarily in conflict with out own, and that judicious negotiation may secure an adjustment between England and. Russia as decisively as between England and Ftauoo. On all these grounds it is possible to defend an Anglo "entente," and the recent comments of influential Russian newspapers on this subject show that we have little to fear in the way of a national prejudice, or factitious opposition to any advances we may choose to make. A little while ago a few hundred enthusiastic amateur politicians foregathered in London and founded

a new Association which they called the, Middle Glasses Defence Organisation. They were of opinion that the middle classes, whiob formed the great body of British voters, had never been thoroughly exploited. Historians had been - unanimous iu ascribing the solidity of toe Empire, the high standard of publin morality, the financial credit of the nation, the physical*prowess of the race, and practically all the other virtues of the British, excecting their occpsional flashes cf genius, to the middle classes. There was no sole for middle class poetry, wnioh proved, of coarse, that the middle classes mast constitute the real power in the land. Election following electiun showed that the middle classes had inclined now to the Tories, new to the Liberals, and had always been the important factor in the contests, but by some strange and alogether inexplicable development of politics, they had always been induoed to vote for others people, never for themselves. There was Tory Governments and Liberal Governments, but never by any chance Middle Class Governments. The same thing had happened with the British workmen, but January showed that it would never happen again with the British workmen, and the enthusiastic amateurs agreed that it should never happen again with the middle olusses. So the new organisation was carefully planned on the model of the La bour Party, with branches, district councils, and central conferences complete. The amateurs were shrewd enough not to rush their new enterprise on to the market.