TOPICAL READING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8297, 28 November 1906, Page 4

TOPICAL READING.

Mr Edgar R. Waite, of the Canterbury Museum, has reaeived from his correspondent, President David Starr Jordan, of the Leland JuDior University, a pampblot in whioh President Jordan details tbe results of some of bis investigations in connection with the late San Franoisco earthquake. After tracing the noorse of the rift across the map of California, the writ r arrives at the 00-jclusion that' the chief oentre of tbe disturbance was in the sea, because where ftbe fault enters the land near Point Arena, the disturbance is greater than anywhere else. Ab the land fault is traoeable for nearly 200 mile* to the southward it is reasonable to suppose that tbe sea bottom is broken for a 1; least an equal distance to the northward. The President, therefore, thinks it likely that tbe centre of the "trouble is located in a great submarine valley off Gape Mendocino. He also suggests, as a remote possibility, that the rift may have some connection with the arising, simqltaneously with the earthquake, of a new island in the. Bogoslof Group, in the JBehring Sea.

The cabled intelligence that electrioal energy generated at Niagara is being delivered in Toronto to the extent of 40,000 horse-power direct our attention to the immense developments of which the utilisation of watarpower has now been proved capable. Considerably over 3,000,000 horsepower is said to represent the total energy that up to 15 years ago was running to waste over the Niagara Falls. Already something like 700,000 horsepower has been token up fOi? the generation of electricity, and will soon be distributed over the country around Erie and Ontßrio, through a radius of 100 miles or more, No doutt this represents an immense encouragement to industrial enterprise, and a distinct; cheapening in the coat of production of Manufactures, And when «e reflect upon the vast and valuable resources in the way of waterfalls and high-level natural resetvoira that we ourselves possess, we may see in tbe recent history of t,he Niagara district a prophecy nf the rapii industrial development |that will ensue in thus country when once we have harnessed our lake 3 acd rivers to work our will. But in the case of Niagara; at leasr, there is another side to the question; and ut the present time a strong movement is gathering head in Canada and the United States to prevent the further exploitation of tho balls, lest, in the first place, one of tbe most magmfioeut illustrations of Na lure's power aud teauty should be de stroyed, and lest, in the second place, the nplendid na'.ural forces there imprisoned should be set free only for the enrichment of a handful of unscrupulous aud insatiable millionaire?.

The Monroe Doctrine, which is lauded by Mr Elihu Foot as ''the saviour of American idealism,", originated in fi very aiiunlo manner from a very actual anrj practical necessity. Briefly, tho "Holy Alliance" of Sovereigns, which endeavoured to foroo reaction upon Europe after the final overthrow of Nupoleonism at Waterloo, and which Bpoadily established political restrictions upon tho Continent wbioh eatiauged tbe sympathy of all good Englishmen, . proposed to reconquer the rcfolmd south American colonies of Spain. Inforination of this intention was conveyed to the American Minister in Loudon by the British Government of the day, A and it was suggested that tho United States should prevent a very .serious,danger to its own peatfo and prospects aud to all constitutional government on both sides of tho Atlantic by opposing any attempts upon the liberties nf the Latin Republics. Realising the urgency of the situation, President Monroe, in his next Message to Congress, declared it to be the policy of tho United States to prevent any annexation of Americau territory by any Euro-

peao Power. The knowledge that' tbe two Anglo-Saxon-Powers were in complete harmony on the point at iesufi, and the impossibility of transporting armies aoroas thousands of miles of ooean before tbe age of st«nm, in the fac* of naval opposi tion, compelled the "Holy Alliance" to submit to what at unoe became noted as the Monroe Dootrine, and to abandon its - designs upon the Spanish, Republics of Central and South America. This is the genesis of one of the most, famous political dogmas recorded in history; It was certainly made of tbe good red earth of common senee, hut the American imagination bus certainly breathed upon it, and rnadu of it a living politiual faith, which is carrying tha Great Kepnbiio far heyond the intentions of President Monroe.