April 4, 1908.]
all the naked truth. That is why they all have votes now, and why they consider women unfit to have votes. Taking them nt their own valuation, we are going to venture on some homo-truths-that is to say, on what we believe to be truths, We indulge in this preamble because we feel sure they will not sound pleasant.
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His Excellency the Governor must, share any obloquy that in conséquence approaches us. It was his speech to the Volunteer Reserve Association that set us thinking, and prompted us to this rashness. The main object of that Association is to train its members to shoot their country's possible enemies. Many prizes are offered as inducements to make them improve their marksmanship, but no member is expected to join as a "pot-hunter," nor even for the sport of the thing). We have no right, of course, to aver that not a single member joins with the idea in his mind of one day taking part in war, but we have the right.to say that we would receive any statement to the contrary with scepticism. Though it is not merely a sporting association," we should be surprised to learn that anybody ever joined it except as a means of affording diversion. Evidently the pot-bunters, if any, are very few; but it seems only reasonable to us that the majority view their connection with it as a hobby, to be taken up when required, and ignored when not. "We cannot expect," said His Excellency, "that every member shall keep his patriotism burning at fever heat and go every week to the range to shoot as a regular soldier does his course of musketry.' Of course not. And moreover, candour suggests that it is not feverish patriotism that makes the regular soldier do his duty. He does it because it is his duty. A sense of duty should make the Reservist or Volunteer as regular as the soldier, but then the soldier is obliged to be regular-the others are not. There is a reason for this lack of patriotism and for this absence of the sense of their obligations, and His Excellency himself gave the clue when he spoke of "generations of immunity from invasion." Potentially we have no doubt whatever that every Briton is patriotic to the backbone, but genera- tions of peace at home have resulted in a natural development by ordinary evolutionary process. Real patriotism of the "fever heat" variety exists now only as the human caudal appendage exists, in a rudimentary form. We have to break through the skiu to find it. We really believe it is true and just to say of the great majority of our countrymen that they have got very close to the Chinese intellectual contempt of physical warfare, and for similar reasons. His Excellency referred to demonstrations of martial spirit during the South African War. He certainly was not admiring the "maffickers," so he must have meant the large numbers who volunteered for active service. It is unpleasant but true that even from those, great reductions must be made, before we can begin to deduce the real patriotic spirit. There again was "the sport of the thing." There, too, were less worthy motives, desire for change, and mere emotionalism. One man confided to us that he had for years believed war to be an ignoble profession, unworthy of hu- manity, and that in cases of ordinary necessity he would cheerfully let his coun- try's success depend on mercenaries. He might (he would go no further than that) take up arms if an enemy were at our very ga.es, and his family, property, and home were in danger. Seeing a friend departing for "the frout," with the band playing Soldiers of the Queen," he suddenly felt
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CHINA QVERLAND TRADE REFORT.
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CONSULAR REPORTS,
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men are:
(Daily Press, April 2nd.) It has been remarked that no one. ever expects to see anything humorous in a comic paper; and now a writer in the Far Eastern Reviewo bids us abandon expectation of finding iu commercial reports any informa- tion of business value. Not to misrepresent him, Mr. JOSEPH J. KEEGAN, who describes himself as a practical business man with sufficient successful experience in foreign maskets to enable him to judge fairly," devotes his strictures to what he calls “the absence of value" in the " Daily Consular and Trade Reports" issued by the American
a curious thrill, and an irresistible impulse really in the first bloom of youth. So we to volunteer himself. In this glow of what transpose the masculine phrase, he believed to be patriotism, he did so the different," into question form, and enquire, same day, and (he said) repented the same "Are they?" Do they prefer pleasant evening. All night he mentally dwelt on speeches to statements unpleasant but just ?. the realities he now foresaw, felt sure that Sometimes we wonder. Incidentally there at the first crisis he would prove unworthy was the CHIEF JUSTICE's remark that there and unfit, and all his contempt for legal are no such things as gentlemon in the murder
"revived. He was quite bonest English courts now.' Unhappily ambigu- about it, deplored his "cowardice," as he ous, we will not pretend to misunderstand called it, but declared that his chief feeling that remark. It is, of course, a restatement was shame at his treachery to his own of the old humbug that all men are equal tental convictions. He had no desire to in the sight of the law. It is pleasant kill a single Boer; had doubts, in fact as hearing, but it isn't true yet, while we have to the justice of the war. All these shame imprisonment in the first class" for men ful confidences were needlessly made after like a NEVILLE who steals hundreds of his application had been refused. He was pounds worth of jewellery, and another class rejected because he had a wife and family for the offender who poaches a rabbit or dependant upon him. We are quite sure he steals a loaf of bread. Long ago, when the would have been like many more when the study of human nature was perhaps not time came, and done his duty worthily, but, seriously attempted, someone wrote that it was evident his was not the right patriot-all men are liars." Nowadays we say ism. It was a mero emotion begotten of that every man is the soul of honour till music-not only the melody of the military he is proved otherwise. Cowardice is now brasses, but the music of marching feet, and defined as an achter intellectual perception of the cheers of the crowd. One implies of peril; theft is kleptomania; falsehood more. It is unnatural to suppose that one is .terminological inexactitude; a cheating unique. At that time, moreover, the coun- representation is a custom of the trade"; try was not calling for volunteers. It is in short, a spade is an agricultural imple within our knowledge that many men offered ment, and hardly even that. While it is themselves about then with motives it would vulgar, vituperative, indiscreet, and finde- not now be seemly to betray, as some died, cent to call it a spade, are men so very and others: rodeemed their initial fault by different after all? . good service. With regard to volunteering generally, it is on record how many hastened to resign when the risk of being summoned to active service was supposed to be imminent, and this must be noted in order to show that with some at least the sport was the thing. We have no scorn or blame for them, by the way. We repeat that the Chinese contempt of soldiering is not peculiarly Chinese, Given the conditions, it is bound to grow. In this matter of war, if ample consideration be given to it, the reflection is inevitable that the nations have all become “ pot-hunters. Wars nowadays are for material rewards.
"La gloire appeals no more as it used to do. War is practically universally regarded as a regrettable necessity now; it used to Bureau of Manufactures of the Depart- be a pleasing enterprise, lightly entered ment of Commerce and Labour." There is. upon, for the sport of the thing." no sort of divinity hedging practical business Even His Excellency, who has proved men; they are more approachable than himself i' the imminent deadly breach," kings; and on occasion they have been hopes war will "never come." It is unknown to eat and talk with unbusinesslike pleasant, but true, to say that no one hopes outsiders. As a direct result of this human for, or talks of, or recommends war except trait, we have been enabled to acquire an those who do not know personally what it idea of their attitude toward the various means, and who do not expect to have to people who condescend to advise them from take part in it. Let them that make the time to time. We regret to say that they quarrels be the only ones to fight, and then sometimes fail to be overwhelmed, with see how peaceful the world would become. gratitude for the voluntary assistance The hearty British aversion to conscription proffered them in their pursuit of fortune. is enough to warrant our remarks regarding They read newspapers because they want to the average opinion of soldiering, and it know the news, and it appears they never does not seem too much to add that the hope to obtain from them any valuable aversion to the regular drill and training commercial "tips.". When they encounter, in the Volunteers is suggestive of the real as they often do, a consular report in the spirit of the average member of the Volun- public pross, they read it if they happen to teer Reserve Association. There is no real have time and nothing better to do. They reason (especially if patriotism and public entertain the singular idea that business duty are professed). why ninety-five per men know their own business, and that few cent. of the meinters should not join the real business men ever give anything away regular Volunteers. In justice to them as either to journalists or consuls. Mr. KERGAN a body, we assume that they make no such is a business man who seems to have been claims, that they do not share the view of reading American consular reports for their His Excellency and of Sir HENRY BER humour, as a mental relaxation. Of any KELEY as to the objective of the Association. other value they may have be is more than They were, at the annual meeting, in a sceptical. Their information is neither position similar to that of the women we substantial nor authentic, he says. Mostly inentioned at the commencement of this it is only optimistic reports that are noticed essay in candour, swallowing compliments by the public, but there is another kind that they did, not deserve. If they liked them, sometimes gets big headlines, " usually and believed them, they will resent the consisting of abusive remarks directed foregoing comments, as a woman would against the American manufacturer for his resent a man telling her that she was not lack of enterprise, or for what is commonly
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