brain-power is not greater than with us. As a wholesome corrective, however, there constantly crop up instances of that strange mechanicalness in the Chinese mentality for which it is so difficult to account. I was once holding a competitive examination in English for some Clerkships, and when it came to the Dictation took up at random a Times,' arrived that morning, dealing with the situation just before the Boer War. One sentence ran : "The Dutch, no less than the other Powers, are interested in the maintenance of the political equilibrium in South Africa"; and the most promising candidate of all-a particularly bright youth, who ultimately secured the first of the coveted vacancies,-while doing the whole piece of dictation otherwise without a fault, wrote, in his clear, round, alas! too legible hand: "The Ducks, no less than the other Birds," &c. was At another examination, when told to give the masculine equivalents of certain feminine forms, one of which "mother-in-law," a boy wrote in all seriousness, "father-inprison." A third youth showed the most astounding acquaintance with the World's geography. He knew every little German State and its capital, the length of the Amazon, the shires of England, the exact height of Kinchin Junga. But when, as the merest form, he was asked some simple questions regard ing his own country, he was found to be totally ignorant. At first it was thought that, for some occult reason, he was pretending. But there was no pretence about it; he did not know. Asked the reason, he nervously explained that at College he had been top of the 5th Class, and so far ahead of his classmates that he had been given a double remove into the 3rd Class, and that it was only in the 4th Class that the geography of China was taught! Fickle, however, we have now wandered far from La Belle Dame Sans Merci. Though successful in proving myself unfit to touch her garment's hem, I have, I hope, said enough to show that the Lady has rewards for those who persevere in their wooing. And I unreservedly retract the silly and untrue statement as to the price they pay. It was only made in fun-and envy. No; Sinologues are not mad; not more so, at least, than the rest of us. And, in spite of their great learning, they can be very human too; as witness these verses, written by one of the greatest of the Sinologues-a very perfect, gentle knight, long passed-and worthy, I submit, of rescue from the ashpit of Oblivion Was carried away by the cruel And the gaoler she's bribed with a taotai of gold, And away she is filed from the traitor's hareem, The Portuguese caitiff, Pyjamah the Though the punkahs may flash, and MUSINGS WITHOUT METHOD. DEBAUCHING THE WORKING-CLASSES-HIGH WAGES AND SHORT HOURS-THE PRESTIGE OF ENGLAND ABROAD-THE SINGAPORE BASE-THE FATE OF HOLLAND-THE PRICE OF PEACE AT ANY PRICE A LOST DOMINION AL. CARTHILL'S INDICTMENT OF OUR EASTERN POLICY-WHAT PANDITJI THINKS-THE LOGIC OF SURRENDER-THE MASSACRE WHICH IS TO COME. THE Socialists, who now pretend to govern England, are doing their utmost, and not without success, to debauch the working-classes. They are They are telling their dupes that they may live without working, that there will always be doles to support their idleness, and that if they happen to be unemployed they may live in other people's houses and need pay no rent. So eagerly do they wish to make both men and women mere slaves of the State, that they propose to give a dole to every boy and girl when they leave school. This is a simple method of beginning the old-age pension at fourteen. When the work ing-men, for a whim, hold up the community to ransom by calling unjust unnecessary strikes, the Government hastily summons the masters, whether they be County Councils or private venturers, to surrender. Worse still, if the working-men do their duty, as should be expected of them, they are treated as benefactors of the Commonwealth. Have we not seen the sad spectacle of Mr J. H. Thomas publicly thanking the men at Wembley for doing the job, for which they are well paid? By such means as these, the Socialists, with their eyes on the ballot-boxes, are turning what used to be a brave and industrious class into shirkers and tyrants-into shirkers, encouraged by word and act to refuse a good day's work for a good day's pay; into tyrants, who impose their capricious will upon the public, and expect, like all tyrants, to be lulled to sleep with hymns of flattery. The King can do no wrong. There was a time when the British working-man set a high value on his independence, and refused to be pauperised. In those days he would have scorned to live in another's house without paying rent for it. It was his laudable ambition to "pay his way," to win by skill or strength enough to support his wife and children in some comfort. This simple ambition receives no encourage ment to-day. With tears in their eyes, the leaders of the Socialists deplore the workingman's unhappy lot. They sob they have acquired a tiresome habit of sobbing-when they think of his uncertain fate. Though they are chiefly responsible for his misfortunes, him to strike and to ca' though they have encouraged and property. But it is hard for them, however wise they may be, to stand out against the iron tyranny of their leaders. Meanwhile nothing can be done at home except to hope for a change of heart and manners. And abroad we are in still worse case. There was a time when an Englishman might move about the world, secure in a sense of his nationality. He knew that were he illtreated, his Government would avenge the injury done him with all its strength. To-day an Englishman may be murdered or robbed, if he leave his own house, with impunity. The Russians, who have killed one of our representatives and murdered or imprisoned or tortured many British subjects, are welcomed as allies to an intimate conference, and are not frowned on if they bring with them their infamous propaganda. To take another instance, when one English soldier was killed in Ireland and others severely wounded, Mr MacDonald hastened to condole with Mr Cosgrave. That was his first amiable thought. He did not protest, with the vigour which a true champion of his countrymen would have shown, against a cruel and cowardly murder. He did not insist that at all costs and at all hazards the murderers should be brought to justice and punished. And his sin is the greater because the crime was not unexpected, and will probably be repeated. The murder of Englishmen has always ap It That there are thousands of working-men who heartily despise the lachrymose appeals to pity made by Mr Wheatley and others may be readily allowed. The wisest in all trades still respect law, justice, peared both pleasant and pro- ington. "If we were to pro- at To While he makes no tempt to protect or to avenge Englishmen abroad, he is exquisitely sensitive to the susceptibilities of foreigners. His attitude towards the Singapore Base is characteristic of those Ministers who think that it is never worth while to conciliate the friends of England. them it is a matter of indifference whether they alienate men of their own race or not. What they deem of supreme importance is to surrender to those who are potential enemies. For that reason, and that reason alone, Mr MacDonald is determined to give up the project of the Singapore Base, approved by the late Government, and anxiously looked for by our Dominions oversea. Now, Mr MacDonald freely admits, to begin with, that the Singapore scheme is not contrary to any agreement at Wash are driven to create a great fleet in the Pacific for the purposes of a needed Imperial defence, then the strategical position of Singapore is second to none in the whole vast area of those waters." So much he confesses. He confesses also that the experts are against him." The Government," he said, "has sought the advice of its proper advisers, and has received exactly the same advice as was received by its predecessors. The advisers dealt with naval strategy, and did their duty, but the Government was responsible for coming to a decision. The Government had the fullest confidence in the Admiralty advisers, but their advice must be considered with the whole problem the Government had to face." We would that we had the same confidence in the Government which the Government presumes to have in the Board of Admiralty! Mr MacDonald and his friends, having rejected the advice of the experts, are content to chatter aimlessly about the whole international problem which they have to face. What do they know about the international problem? It is their pride, not always justified, that they are or have been "manual workers." Of the most of them |
