AN 10 1914

The Outlook

607886

A WEEKLY REVIEW OF POLITICS, ART, LITERATURE, AND FINANCE.

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VIEWS AND REVIEWS

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Colour Decoration of Architecture ...
Wild Animals at Home

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William of Germany

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Some Recent Books

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The Indian Peril

Plain Words on Woman Suffrage

Advertising the Army
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United States and Mexico
The Truro. Helston Division
Lord Grey's Anti-Nationalism
Indian Sedition

FINANCE OF THE WEEK

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222

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The Glacial Period, or Great Ice Age:

1.-The British Isles. By

Edward Hull, F.R.S.

Literary

Portraits XVII :
Thirteen and the Futurists.
Madox Hueffer

L

THE WEEK.

ORD MURRAY is really returning at last. His
great oil-bursting mission has broken down for the
nonce, and the matchless personal charm which kept
the Coalition rabble in expectant discipline has broken down
before Yankee bluff. But the reasons for his return may be
ignored in the general satisfaction that he is coming back.
Recent disclosures have revealed how futile an affair the
Marconi investigations have been without his presence. He
holds the key to the mystery. He alone can make the
absconding Fenner dispensable. He alone can "clean up.
the Marconi midden. The respective flutters of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Lord Chief Justice
were comparatively simple affairs. The public may be said
to know the nature and extent of them. It is far different
with the ex-Chief Whip. We have only an uncertain
knowledge of the extent of his financial plungings, but the
knowledge is sufficient to make it imperative that the whole
truth should be divulged. Lord Murray speculated not only
on his own account, but on behalf of the whole Liberal
Party. He invested the Ministerial secret
the Ministerial secret funds in
American Marconis as well as in British railway stock on
the eve of a settlement of a coal strike, the news of which
was just as exclusive a tip as that given by Mr. Godfrey

Isaacs.

ANY impartial student of the Marconi mystery will be
well repaid for a perusal of this article, " England hath Need
of Thee," from which the above extract is made. It con-
stitutes an indictment which ought to leave the Cabinet no
option but to appoint another Committee specially to examine
Lord Murray of Bogota. We have not of course the
smallest expectation that the Cabinet will do anything of
the sort. Office Barnacles do not commit hari-kari when
they are disgraced. But what the House of Commons may
not be permitted to do may yet be within the capacity of
the House of Lords. Shorn of all their powers and privi-
"leges, the Peers have still a high standard of honour to
maintain. In the Lower Chamber a precedent has been
established that a member of the Government may traffic in
tips given by a Government contractor, even if that member
be custodian of the national purse, chief legal adviser to
the Crown, or controller of the party ballot. The Lords
however have accepted no such interpretation of Ministerial
obligations. They may well insist that one of their number
shall clear his name from the sigma cast upon it before he
is allowed to retain his seat. We do not profess to know
what the statutory process, if any, may be, although the
conduct of the absentee both before and after the Select
Committee's inquiry would seem to make an impeachment
not impracticable. Still pressure an the part of the majority
of
of the Peers should compel the desired result. It is the
plain duty of the House of Lords to insist upon a full and
unconditional explanation of all Lord Murray's financial
dealings since the beginning of the American Marconi ramp.

A CURIOUS distinction between Lord Murray's speculation
on his own account and for the party fund is that in the one
instance he purchased American Marconis at £2 and in the
other he paid £3 5s. for them. On this point Mr. Maxse FOR let us summarise the case against Lord Murray. The
comments in the January number of the National Review points are admirably arrayed in Mr. Maxse's article. Any in-
as follows: "In order to get the 2,500 [Marconi shares] quiry which may be held will, of course, seek full informa-
the Chief Whip must have applied for 15,000 shares, which tion as to the mysterious "special" account Lord Murray had
necessitated him pledging the party funds to the tune of at the National Bank, Charing Cross, which, according to
nearly £50,000. There is of course the alternative theory, the Assistant Manager, was operated . . . for political
which however has its disadvantages-namely, that the and party purposes." A Committee will also want to know
allotters of shares would regard the Chief Ministerial Whip if that account is still open; if not, when it was closed. And
as so desirable a shareholder that they would gladly give him why the pass-book was not handed over to Mr. Illingworth.
all the shares he asked for. In other words, if not privileged At what date Lord Murray became aware of the defal-
in price he was privileged in allotment, and one can readily cations of Fenner: if in July 1912, why no proceedings
conceive the joy of interested parties in spreading the great were taken against the missing broker between that date and
and good news in the proper quarters that the British Govern- his disappearance in April 1913. The little matter of the
ment was 'in' the new-born Marconi Company. What" investment" in Home Rails on the strength of the settle-
an asset to the boomsters! No wonder the £1 shares rocked ment of the coal strike, then unknown to the public-
to £4 in a few hours."
another "straight tip "-would fall naturally within the

scope of the inquiry, as would Lord Murray's prolonged absence and his refusal to appear before the Select Committee, or to give an explanation of his share in the Affaire Marconi in writing.

sense.

THE Radical Press is endeavouring to make capital out of Mr. George's particularly silly letter in which he refused the Duke of Sutherland's offer of deer-forests. The assertion that the Duke undervalued this land for probate and overvalued it in his offer to the nation is simply nonsense, and everyone who knows anything about the offer and the rhodomontade that inspired the offer knows that it is nonThe Duke of Sutherland considered the land in question to be suitable for deer-forests and nothing else, and the value for probate-preliminary and provisional, by the way-would be assessed on this assumption. Mr. George then tells the world that lands devoted to deer-forests, were it not for the wicked landlord, might become closely populated rural paradises. "Very well," says the Duke in effect, "if you honestly think that, give me twenty-five shillings acre for this potential market-garden!" But Mr. George has now been told all about deer-forests, and therefore wriggles, with characteristic slimness, out of the entanglement in which he had placed himself. If our Radical contemporaries believe that it is to the interest of their party to call attention to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's latest and cheapest manœuvre, they must believe that party to be composed almost exclusively of village idiots.

an

are already recognisable as exhibiting the same lawless ambition which prompted the pounce upon Tripoli. It is difficult to see how either France or England can hesitate to impose an absolute veto upon plans which are irreconcilable with French and English security in the Mediterranean.

DURING the past fortnight we had occasion to note the prudent and judicious attitude which our Foreign Office, happily breaking with some of its recent traditions, had just assumed as regards Southern Albania and the Ægean Islands. We reserved the expression of too strong a condemnation of one section of Sir Edward Grey's Note to the Powers which seemed to deprive Turkey of the important islands of Chio and Mitylene on the Asiatic coast. It might turn out that the Foreign Office had not committed itself quite irretrievably. The proposal that the Lesser Ægeans, with Rhodes, should be surrendered to Greece as soon as possible appeared to be so distinctly covered by Italy's own promises that it was hard to see how the Quirinal could evade its own engagements.

It was in conformity with the fundamental necessities of British security on the Mediterranean fairway to India that Sir Edward Grey reminded Italy of her obligation, under her treaty with Turkey at Lausanne, to restore to Turkey the Ægean Islands which she had occupied during the war arising out of the piratical seizure of Tripoli. Neither Rhodes nor any other of the Turkish islands in the Ægean can be suffered to remain in the possession of Italy except with the most deadly danger to our communications with Egypt and India. Unfortunately, but quite in conformity. with what was to be expected by students of Italian ambition in the Levant, Italy has received Sir Edward Grey's intimation with a more or less polite evasiveness which does not speak well for the future.

If there is an epithet that suits the list of New Year honours it is "discreet," and we can well imagine that it was perused with dismay and indignation by many of the faithful paymasters of the party. Evidently Mr. Asquith for once asserted himself and determined that, since the Government is already in such bad odour, no new occasion for derision should arise. Sir Archibald Geikie's Order of Merit has been deserved over and over again. Mr. Bryce's viscounty, It is well to remind our readers that from the very first we may all pretend, was granted for his services to European news of the Italian raid upon Tripoli in 1911 THE history. Sir Rufus Isaac's peerage was a natural corollary OUTLOOK placed on record its appreciation and its warning of his most regrettable appointment as Lord Chief Justice, on the subject of Italy's immediate and ultimate aims. and we can only be grateful that his brethren have, at any While a large section of the Ministerial Press in this country rate for a time, been passed over. Mr. Ure's peerage is of was exhibiting towards the Italian filibustering some of the the same nature; and only a curmudgeon could grudge either sympathy and good-will which the Balkan Committee Party Sir Charles Cripps or Sir Harold Harmsworth their new was afterwards to extend to the massacre policy of the honours. For the rest the recipients of knighthoods are too" Balkan Christians," we held that Italy was driving at the commonplace to cavil at. Clearly the Government is at control of the Central Mediterranean, and that, if unlast alive to the fact that public opinion is watching its hindered, the fanatics of " Italian Imperialism" intended to every move with the keenest vigilance. be masters of the narrow waters between Sicily, Southern Italy, and the African shore. We asked our readers to

THE answer which the Italian Government has returned

WE are informed that the Russian Forward School is contemplate the necessity of the British Empire having to busy at Paris urging the French Government to use its ask permission from Italy to send indispensable reinforceinfluence at Athens, to encourage Greece to resume hos-ments to India, for example, past the mainland and island tilities against Turkey before the new Dreadnought ports and citadels of the Italian power on both sides of the purchased by the Ottoman Government can leave England. fairway just at the gates of the Levant. In case of war, of course, the vessel could not leave an English port for delivery to Turkey. At the same time. the Russian Ministry for War has further prolonged until April next the service of the troops who had completed their training last September, thus adding four hundred and fifty thousand to the normal force of the army. It is reported that the Greek rising in Southern Albania has been commenced by the "Sacred Battalions" organised for the purpose of resisting the Albanian Government.

THE foreign events of the week still maintain a certain decorum of the Christmas and New Year, but are not devoid of significance on that account. The Parliamentary and constitutional crisis in France loses none of its importance in its developments. The question of the German instructors for the Turkish Army continues to be discussed in various accents of dissatisfaction in the philo-Russian Press. The main interest, however, is undoubtedly afforded by the gradual revelation of the designs of Italy upon the islands and waters of the Ægean and Levant. Those designs

to the British Note on the Albanian boundary and the execution of the Treaty of Lausanne removes none of the apprehensions which have been caused. On the remarkably thin pretence that the Albanian boundary is quite enough to surcharge the brains of European diplomacy, the execution of the Treaty of Lausanne and the restoration of the Egean Islands are airily reserved for subsequent consideration. As a matter of fact, a just settlement of the South Albanian question would be greatly facilitated by an honest fulfilment of the treaty with regard to the gean Islands. The fear of being diddled out of the islands must make the Panhellenic agitation all the less disposed to moderation in the southern districts of Albania.

WHILE refusing to lay cards on the table on the Ægean question, which touches so vitally England's security of communication with the East, the semi-official organs of the Italian Government are volunteering some vague infor

If he were

mation concerning Italian intentions in the Ægean which which are part of the Presidential function. certainly encourages the worst suspicions. Originally the to go alone, he knows that he would be at once accused of Ægean Islands were to be restored to Turkey on the with-"Personal Government." drawal of the Ottoman army from Tripoli. Though that condition is fulfilled since several months, the Italian Hag still flies at Rhodes. An additional condition is now mentioned with an air of authority by the journals of the Italian Ministerial Party. "Turkey must also reimburse Italy all the costs of the public works and defences which Italy had to construct during the occupation of the islands." | As if Turkey has millions to spare!

AT the same time all the most violent sections of the revolutionary Syndicalists and Socialists organise manifestations of hostility to the policy of moderation preached by M. Briand, and favoured by the President. The efforts to spread disaffection in the army are the subject of complaint in all directions. A significant demonstration of the intensity of the revolutionary passion which is aflame to-day was to be seen in one of the most populous of working-class

amid a concourse of fanatical Socialists, and, it may be suspected, Anarchists as well. The choice of the great Terrorist as an idol of the New Jacobinism is, indeed, grimly suggestive of the class-hate which is the motive force of the present agitation against a patriotic policy in France.

THIS most impudent pretension, which is to be super-constituencies. A statue to Robespierre was inaugurated added to the Treaty of Lausanne by the mere cupidity of Italy, is another way of saying that the Italian fleets and garrisons will remain in all the most advantageous naval stations of the Central Mediterranean just so long as they are not forced to quit by some Power far greater than the Ottoman Empire. The most influential journals of Italy, confirmed by influential journals of the Triple Alliance like the Neue Freie Presse of Vienna, state positively that Italy will hold the Ægean Islands until Turkey has paid all the costs of occupation, and has granted Italian enterprise a reserved sphere of influence in Asia Minor. We understand that our Foreign Office has clearly intimated that such demands are incompatible with British policy. Well and good. But hostile ships and garrisons are not removed by enunciations of British interests. Interests require more material interpreters and exponents.

IT has been left to us again to express clearly what is going on, and what is being attempted in the Eastern Mediterranean on the fairway to Egypt and India. It must be added that here again, in this supreme difficulty, our Liberal policy towards Turkey is playing the game of the rivals of England. As Turkey in Asia must have powerful allies against Russia, and as our Liberal Cabinet fetches and carries for Russia in every quarter from Skutari to Teheran, the Turks, whatever were their ancient predilections for us, are driven to the side of Germany, Austria, and Italy. To accentuate even in this crisis the besotted folly of Liberalism towards the Ottoman Empire, Sir Edward Grey has again suggested that the great islands of the Asiatic coast, Chio and Mitylene, ought to be taken from Turkey! Turkey is still a powerful factor in the East, even without reference to the Indian Moslems. Sir Edward Grey persists in forcing Turkey to accept the terms of the Triple Alliance.

JUST to point attention to the fact that Turkey may soon be a Power of importance in the Near East, we may do well to take notice of the purchase by the Ottoman Admiralty of the vast Brazilian Dreadnought or super-Dreadnought, the Rio de Janeiro. Recently launched, hastening to completion, equipped with many of the most formidable developments of naval science, the enormous battleship of 28,000 tons will vitally alter the balance of power between Turkey and her Balkan enemies, but will not diminish Turkey's need of the Triple Alliance in the voluntary default of her ancient ally, the British Empire.

WE are informed from private sources that Colonel Hawker, chief of the Ottoman Gendarmerie in Eastern Anatolia, has been raised to the rank of general by the Sultan, and has had the force under his command largely. increased by the accession of 5,000 picked troops from the regular Turkish Army. General Hawker, who is an old Guards officer, will now have 20,000 men under his orders for the protection of law-abiding Ottomans without distinction of race or creed. While Russia, unfortunately supported by France, continues to raise difficulties in the way of peace in Armenia, it is gratifying to find that the Sultan is represented by an English officer of the highest reputation and competence. Turkey would welcome scores of British officers in the work of re-organisation, and they would be a better guarantee than fifty "Concerts of Europe" for the real progress of civilisation in the Near East.

THE landing of a force from the cruiser Hermione at Belize, British Honduras, to patrol the borders of Mexico and Guatemala has provoked the usual talk about Monroe in the Press of the United States. It seems almost incredible that publicists, even American publicists, can be so foolish. As if the Monroe myth, at its best or worst, was ever seriously put forward to prevent the European nations from protecting their possessions in America from invasion. After all it is not the assertion of the Monroe Doctrine, as applied to European invasions of Latin-American territory by the States, that seriously counts, but the tacit British acceptance of that assertion. And it should be obvious to even the meanest American intelligence that hitherto only the power of the British Navy has held the South American States inviolate. With Great Britain opposed to the doctrine, or even neutral, how on earth could the States enforce it?

THE Wolfe birthday dinner at Westerham last night will, it is hoped, mark the beginning of new interest in the lessons which the life of the conqueror of Quebec has for the British people. The story of George II's retort when Newcastle said that Wolfe was mad has often been told. "Mad, is he? Then I wish he would bite some of my Generals." To foster such madness as Wolfe's, to induce patriotic hydrophobia by disseminating the Wolfe spirit, is the object of the Wolfe Society, which the Rev. S. Le Mesurier has organised. It will have its headquarters. appropriately in the place where Wolfe was born, and give the little Kentish town a further claim to be called Imperial Westerham. Overwhelming optimism may say that the croakers to-day are merely echoing the very complaints. which Wolfe made of England's unreadiness and inefficiency. But if there is some truth in that, what guarantee have we that a Pitt and a Wolfe will be forthcoming at the critical moment to turn dross into gold?

WHILE the battle of principles and non-principles in the French Republic is being debated between the Parliamentary advocates of Moderation and Jacobinism, the progress of the strife is marked by innumerable incidents which all go to show that never since 1871 has the impulse of hate and passion been more evident. Some of the fiercest animosities rage around the person of the President, M. Poincaré himself, in spite of the impartial position secured by law to the chief of the French State. The Caillaux Cabinet, though comprising legally the Ministers of the President, leads the campaign of personal hostility. M. Poincaré cannot even obtain the escort of a responsible THE appointment of Mr. G. S. Street to the office of Minister to accompany him on any of the ceremonial visits joint censor rendered vacant by the death of the late Mr.