in the States, or own industries controlled by American capital. The 'lumber-Baron' is both an Eastern and, I regret to say, now a Western, product, who prefers his pocket to the interests of the Dominion. "Most Canadian industries are in the hands of an American octopus, and to-day Canada is in a stranglehold, controlled or relaxed according to the bidding of American merchants and capitalists. British money goes to the States from British taxpayers. This is invested in Canada, and Canada's raw materials are hurried to the States to enrich the States and to employ its working men. . . . Last year over 100,000 Canadians left Western Canada to get work in the States. But Conservatives and Liberals stand by, complacent and smiling.. Truckling to the States is not sentiment. It is hard cash. This is not particularly pleasant reading, but it is borne out to some extent by an article elsewhere in this number, and is unfortunately in accordance with many known facts. Canada is steadily drifting away from the Mother Country in an economic sense, as Mr. Joseph Chamberlain feared it would without a conscious concerted effort to counteract centrifugal forces. The optimists of Ottawa imagine that their country can become a commercial annex of their mighty neighbour, while retaining her political independence-this is what "Canada a nation" means in their eyes, but all history is there to refute them. They must make up their minds as to whether they wish to become effective members of the British Empire, or so many States in the American Union. Our Statesmen must do likewise and decide whether they wish to see Canada outside or inside the Empire. "Yes-No " is not an answer to this question. THERE is no scope for jealousy between Mother Country and Dominions, and consequently no occasion for offence when a sanguine seer from Melbourne anticipates the good time coming when Australia will be a mighty nation of 100,000,000 and the centre of gravity of the British Empire will automatically No Scope for Jealousy move from London to Canberra. We sincerely hope that should it be still in existence at that distant day when Great Britain has shrunk to negligible proportions, while Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or any other Dominion realizes the expectations of optimists, that the National Review will unhesitatingly advocate the transference of the Metropolis, the Crown, and all the other symbols of our Imperial Inheritance to whatever may be the most powerful and populous community under the British Flag. Meanwhile our immediate problem is to do all that in us lies to strengthen the bonds that unite, consolidate, strengthen, and develop the King's Dominions, so as to nullify those Separatist and disintegrating influences that are for ever working for Dismemberment. They are only too visible in South Africa, whose spokesmen openly boast that "the status" acquired at the last Imperial Conference, conferred Sovereign independence on every Dominion and that South Africa in particular is as completely detached from Great Britain as, say, Germany, and is free to enter into whatever relations she pleases with other Powers and ex hypothesis she is entitled to declare war on the Mother Country or on any other Dominion. In Canada disruptionism is less in evidence, but as we have noted, powerful factors are pulling the Ottawa Government towards Washington and away from London. The responsibility of other Dominions is correspondingly enhanced, for if South African and Canadian tendencies develop, ultimately the White Empire might consist of Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and any other territories which by that time may have been made habitable for our race by scientific discovery and invention. Australia would therefore seem predestined to play a great rôle in the world, provided Australians prepare for it, and take full advantage of the wonderful opportunities that lie to their hand. Are they doing so? Or are they content to drift lazily down the stream of time, leaving the morrow to take care of itself? No boasts about their mighty future are of the least use unless coupled with an earnest and sustained effort to deserve greatness that may be achieved but that will certainly not be thrust upon them. WE at home have an immense stake in the Island Continent, and we watch its progress with the keenest sympathy The Land of Strikes and with ardent hopes for its eventual success. But Australians must not be above learning one lesson from the old country, which, though old, is not yet obsolete, viz. the necessity of tackling Political Trade Unionism and preventing it from ! strangling Industry and Trade and ruining the Australian working man. The present situation is discussed by an observant Australian writer elsewhere in this number. Like many of his compatriots, Mr. Gisborne is profoundly perturbed at the evil ascendancy this institution has been allowed to acquire by virtue of its own skill in organization, by the lamentable weakness of the Politicians, and by the past apathy of the People, who after the manner of Britons declined to look the danger in the face until it was actually upon them. Since this article was written things have gone from bad to worse, and several Australian ports are in a state of chaos as we go to press. It is very much the situation confronting us at home when our Reds and Pinks-the former manipulated from Moscow and the latter terrorized by the former-precipitated a General Strike. This was too much even for a "Peace in Our Time " Ministry, which to its own no small surprise suddenly found itself demanding the "unconditional surrender" of the General Strikers, which to its still greater surprise was forthcoming. In Australia the pretext for challenging the community was an award of the Arbitration Court-that employers are as a matter of course called upon to obey and invariably do so-in favour of " two pick ups " at the docks instead of one, which the Strangleholders prefer because it is more onerous to Trade which they are out to destroy. They consequently repudiated the award, and proceeded to tie up Australian shipping at as many ports as possible. This compelled the Commonwealth Government to take action, and sheer necessity should prevent any other issue to the conflict than capitulation of the belligerent Unions, which, judging by the cablegrams, do not command the enthusiasm of the rank and file. Pink Politicians, it is noteworthy, are playing their usual part of giving their "moral support " to the Reds and obstructing every measure of the Government. Australians have much to be proud of, but to be the happy hunting-ground of the kept anarchists of Moscow is a blot they should make it their business to remove. To be "the Land of Strikes" is not the highest claim to fame. The READERS of the illuminating article * contributed by Mr. W. H. Triggs (a Member of the Legislative Council of New Zealand) to the June number of the National Review on the thorny subject of Samoa will not have been surprised to learn that the New Zealand Government have been completely vindicated by the Mandates Commission of the League of Nations against the grotesque charges preferred by a cabal of local half-castes, who are entirely responsible for any chaos. The verdict of the Mandates Commission has been endorsed by the Council of the League of Nations and communicated by the Secretary-General to the Welling. ton Government. In summarizing the Report of the Commission over which he presides, the Marquis Theodoli declared it was not the business of that body to hamper local authority in maintaining order and respect for authority, as this would set an impossible example to other communities. It would be quite wrong if the 300 or 400 persons who had been arrested in Samoa believed "that they could avoid their sentence of six months' imprisonment simply by reference to Geneva." "The Commission wished the New Zealand Govern. ment to know that it was strongly supported by the Commission. The first duty of a Mandatory Power was to maintain order and prevent any unjust and illegal assumption of authority by anybody. "The Commission had no ground to believe that had the natives been left to themselves they would have shown serious discontent. How, therefore, had half-castes been able to stir up the natives?" *"New Zealand's Trouble in Samoa." 1 According to the Mandates Commission "it was because some of these half-castes were rich, intriguing, and active in political affairs, that they had no fear of employing all means of action, and that they had even gone so far as to endeavour to create a movement towards independence. Possibly the Administration itself had unconsciously provided a weapon for these agitators on account of certain imprudent speeches that had been made in Parliament by representatives of the Government concerning the election of natives on representative councils. A tribute should, however, be rendered to the disinterestedness and to the reforming zeal of the Administrator, while recognizing that this zeal had, perhaps, sought to achieve certain reforms too hastily. In regard to public health, the Administration had done excellent work, which its adversaries had presented to the natives in a false light, as was true also in the case of land tenure. The Mandates Commission approved the deportation of the agitator Nelson, which should be maintained as long as he refused to give securities for submission. The conclusion is that the whole trouble in Samoa was raised by three agitators, led by Nelson." Now that it is established that Nelson was the cause of the storm in Samoa, it would be interesting to know whether the agents of any foreign Power, hitherto disappointed in its colonial ambitions, were behind Nelson? THE air continues to take cruel toll of its would-be conquerors. It has become unusual to open a daily newspaper without learning either of some hideous The Air catastrophe or of some absurd fiasco. If we thought that the future happiness, progress, and prosperity of mankind depended on the conquest of the air, we might regard such disasters as "the price of Admiralty." But as we believe the very opposite, and are convinced that the world stands to lose immeasurably more than it can ever hope to gain by aviation, we grudge every life that is thus thrown away. We especially deplore the loss of young |