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There are some who argue from this that international contests should be avoided lest they should generate international ill-feeling. That is all nonsense. America and England are to be united, we must not be too squeamish about such evidences of temper as are inevitable when differences of opinion manifest themselves. You cannot make an omelette without

breaking eggs. Neither can you bring two nations together nor two individuals together without multiplying points of friction, which, when nations or individuals are very headstrong and self-opinionated, will often culminate in much bad language. But unless people do come together and

pared with the Americans, in the athletic sports. It is true that the heat was terrible, but the Americans broke their own records as well as ours, and there is no doubt that we were fairly whipped. No one can reasonably deny that we are taking our licking like gentlemen. It is one of the disadvantages of making sport the ground of meetings of nations, that sport has an immense attraction for the scum of both nations, and the riffraff of the saloon and the slum cannot be expected to behave with the nice courtesy which should prevail around the lists in which an international tournament takes place. Still, even the sportsmen of both nations will learn

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take the risk of friction, they will always remain apart. So far from deprecating the international contests because they afford an opportunity for displaying the seamy side of national character, that is a bagatelle compared with the importance of accustoming the two nations to take a keen interest in friendly contests. As another British yachtsman has entered" his yacht for next year's race, there is no harm done, and whether we win the cup or lose it, we can rely upon our people bearing themselves. in seemly fashion.

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in time to be civil, and that will be a great gain. I sometimes think there is more hope, from this point of view, of the conversion of prize-fighters than of editors.

The

Science.

The British Association met this year at Parliament of Ipswich. Sir Douglas Galton, the President, delivered the inaugural address, which called for little remark. The meeting, on the whole, was somewhat commonplace, but it was relieved by one or two papers of somewhat sensational interest. One, which was followed by an interesting discussion, described the cannibals of West Africa from a somewhat sympathetic point of view. There is one tribe that habitually eats all its old people as soon as they show any signs of decrepitude-a primitive method of

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settling the problem which we are fumbling over in our Old Age Pensions, and it also consumes all the bodies of enemies who are slain on the field of battle. The results, from a physical point of view, are declared to be so admirable, that it would seem as if the cosmic forces which lead to the survival of the fittest would tell in favour of the cannibals of that tribe. This, however, is only seeming, for cannibalism has a fatal disintegrating tendency. Union is the secret of Progress, and the experience of mankind shows that your brother never quite trusts you when he has at the back of his mind the thought that you are wondering whether he would taste better roast or boiled. The other paper was that by Mr. Flinders Petrie, in which he deprecated the excessive zeal shown by some civilised people in thrusting their opinions down the throats of every race with whom they come in Mr. Petrie's paper led to quite a demonstration against clothes. It would really seem as if we were at last beginning to learn that morality and civilisation cannot be exactly measured by the amount of dry goods we can hang round the human person.

contact.

A Japanese

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through the newspapers in vain for a single utterance
by any of the Liberal chiefs. After the general elec-

tion
every one rests. Mr. Morley abode in his tents
in the North of Scotland. Lord Rosebery went to Dun-
robin, Lord Spencer has gone to India; Mr. Asquith,
Mr. Acland, and Mr. Campbell Bannerman seem
On the other side,

to have disappeared into space.
Apropos of our duty towards the coloured
Warning races with whom we come in contact,
about Opium. there is a very instructive passage in the
report of the peace negotiations conducted between
Li Hung Chang and Count Ito, which has been sent
me by a correspondent in China. The plenipoten-
tiaries were discussing the future of Formosa, when
the question of opium came on the tapis.
The
following is the report of the conversation which
took place :-

H. E. Li: Formosa is very malarious. You lost many lives there before. Most of the Formosans smoke opium in order to counteract the effects of malaria.

H. E. Ito: When we take Formosa we shall forbid opiumsmoking.

H. E. Li: It is an old habit with the Formosans.

H. E. Ito: Yet Formosa was populated before opium was produced. We have kept opium out of Japanese ports by the most stringent prohibitions, and have consequently no opiumsmokers.

H. E. Li: I admire that.

H. E. Ito: I discussed the question of the prohibition of opium with Minister Yen, and he heartily agreed with me. H. E. Li: Great Britain insists on bringing opium into our ports. We have increased the duties, but what more can we do?

H. E. Ito: The duty is much too low. Treble the amount would be none too much.

H. E. Li: We have spoken of it frequently, but Great Britain will not consent.

H. E. Ito: Opium-smokers are all indolent; you cannot make good soldiers of them.

H. E. Li: Great Britain has forced opium on us, and we cannot stop it.

H. E. Ito: If you devised methods to stop the consumption it would soon cease to be imported.

If China were to act on the Japanese hint it would be awkward for India. The anti-opium people, who

the only speeches of any note were made by the
Duke of Devonshire, and they were important
chiefly because of the calm but merciless fashion in
which he put the extinguisher upon the sanguine
hopes entertained by some of his colleagues as to the
possibility of heroic action in the direction of Old
Age Pensions
It would seem that we are going to
witness in the Unionist Cabinet the old duel that
used to be fought day after day in the Gladstone
Cabinet between the Duke of Devonshire and
Mr. Chamberlain. Mr. Chamberlain is a light
weight, but he hits hard. The Duke of Devonshire
is a heavy weight and a great stayer. As Mr. Cham-
berlain used to remark in the old days when they
used to have their tussles in the Gladstone Adminis-
tration, "Lord Hartington is slow, but keen, and he
always hits the nail on the head."

The One

Of course, at present all seems peace, Hope of the but you only need to pierce beneath the Liberals. surface to find how rancorous and bitter

is the feeling on the part of the Tory rank-and-file against Mr. Chamberlain and "the Birmingham gang," Mr. Chamberlain has certainly taken care of his own, and the appointment of Mr. Findlay as Solicitor-General was almost the last straw which broke the back of the Tory camel. For the moment, however, the word has been passed that even a majority of 150 does not justify open sedition; but there are many slighted politicians

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At the meeting of the Trades Union Congress, at Cardiff, it was definitely decided to make that body more strictly representative than it has been hitherto, At all previous Congresses, many of the Unions were represented twice over-first, by their delegates, and then by the delegates of the local trade councils, of which they form a part. It has been decided that henceforth the trade councils are not to be entitled to direct representation, and it was further determined that no man, who was not working at his own trade, should be eligible as delegate. Mr. Burns, among others, will no longer figure in the Trades Union Congress. John Burns is in Parliament, but as for the others who failed to secure their election to Parliament, they are left out in the cold, and are wandering around in a somewhat disconsolate fashion. The proceedings of the Congress do not call for much remark, and it is to be feared that, although the new regulations are logical, they may have the effect of diminishing the popular interest in that Parliament of Labour. The meeting at Cardiff was attended by Mr. Gompers, who was representing the American Unionists. Mr. Keir Hardie was not present, as he was at the time engaged on tour in America. He spoke several times at Chicago, where the Trade and Labour Congress, after his departure, passed what was in effect a resolution of censure, although Mr. Hardie had been very careful to avoid saying anything uncomplimentary to Chicago and its citizens.

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the Irish electorate is not

so great as might be imagined from his pertinacity, his assurance, and his activity

in the House of Commons.

It is a thousand pities, when nothing divides the Irish parties except personal questions, they should not agree to act together in opposition. Sweet are the uses of adversity, and a couple of years of Tory government will probably do more to unite the Trish ranks than the eloquence of all the Liberals.

Mr. Price The Archbishop of Canterbury has sumHughes' false moned a private conference of the friends start.. of denominational education, in order to concert for common action in the assault that is to be delivered on the Treasury. It was unfortunate that, while the denominationalists are rallying their forces, Mr. Price Hughes should have deemed it expedient to throw a bone of contention into the opposing camp. Speaking at Grindelwald, Mr. Hughes put forward the astonishing suggestion that the Church party should merge all their schools in a national School Boards, and that, in return for this sursystem, managed, it is to be presumed, by the render on their part, the Nonconformists should assent to the Apostles' Creed being taught in all A more fatuous proposal public elementary schools.

was seldom launched with such an air of confident

simplicity by a clever man. To begin with, there is not the slightest intention on the part of the Church party to surrender their schools, and, even if there had been, their opponents would never consent to what would be equivalent to the State establishment and endowment of the Apostles' Creed. The only effect of airing such an extraordinary proposal was to create a sore feeling in the Liberal camp, and to encourage the denominationalists in their demands on the public treasury.

EVENTS OF THE MONTH.

Sept. 1. Parcel Pest Convention between France

and Great Britain gazette.

Memorial Church of the Emperor William E. consecrated in Berlin.

2. Trade Union Congress opened at Cardiff. Anniversary of Sedan commemorated in Ger

many.

Conference of the Institute of Journalists opened.
Strike in the Dundee Jute Trade ended.

3. The Shahzada left London for the Continent
en route to Afghanistan.

Serious riot between Hindus and Mohamme lans at Dhulia.

4. Sir Arthur Havelock appointed Governor of Madras.

Committee appointed to supervise the constru-
tion of the Uganda Railway.

Tasmanian Legislative Council rejected the
Universal Suffrage Bill.

Quinquennial International Metric Congress
opened in Paris.

6. Khama, the Bechuanaland Chief, arrive i t
Plymouth.

Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress left London for
France.

United States Government decided to make an
independent inquiry into the Cheng-tu Mis-
sionary massacre.

7. Trades Union Congress closed.

Antwerp Communal Comcil petitioned the King to withhold the Royal Assent from the new Education Bill until after the Electious. Defender beat Valkyrie 111. in the first race for the America Cup.

9. Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg betrothed
to the Hereditary Prince of Hohenlohe-
Langenburg.

Sir West Ridgeway appointed Governor of
Ceylon.

Annual Roman Catholic Conference opened at
Bristol.

St. Mary's Canal, the new Canadian water-way
connecting Lakes Superior and Huron, was
opened.

10. Annual Conference of the Library Association. The second race for the America Cup was awarded to the Defender on a foul, although Valkyrie III. beat Defender on her time allowance.

11. Annual Meeting of the British Association opened.

The Bechuana Chiefs received by Mr. Chamberlain at the Colonial Office.

MR. JOHN JENKINS, President of the Trades Union Congress. (Photograph by London Studio, Cardiff.)

SIR FRANK LASCELLES,
British Ambassador to Berlin.
(Photograph by Elliott and Fry.)

11. Sir Frank Lascelles appointed British Ambassa-
dor at Berlin.

Mr. Stoddart's Australian" team defeated the
All England Eleven at Hastings by 218 runs.

12. Sir W. O'Connor appointed British Ambassador
at St. Petersburg.

South African Government appointed a Com-
mission for the thorough exploration of Cape
Colony.

Lord Dunraven gave the third race for the
America Cup to Defender, and declined again
to race in American waters.

13. Knighthoods conferred on Mr. R. B. Finlay,
Q.C., M.P., and Mr. H. B. Poland, Q.C.
Transvaal Volksraad decided to extend the Pre-
toria Railway to Pietersburg.

14. Election riots between Parnellite and Anti-
Parnellite mobs in Limerick.

International Press Congress opened at Bor-
deaux.

Count Badeni was instructed by the Austrian
Emperor to form a new Ministry.

16. Fatal fire broke out on board the London and
Edinburgh Shipping Company's steamer Iona,
off Clacton; seven lives lost.

Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress returned to
London from France.

Envoys sent by Gungunhana to Cape Town
were stopped at Durban.

Consular Commission of Inquiry at Ku-cheng
stated to be obstru ted by Chinese Officials.
Lord Beaumont, whilst out shooting alone, was
killed by the accidental discharge of his gun.
17. Monument of Bishop Harvey Goodwin unveile i
in Carlisle Cathedral.

Legislative Assembly, at Sydney, passe! the
Land and Income Tax Assessment Bill.
Royal Assent was given to the Belgian new
Education Bill.

Sir James Stansfeld presented with the Hono-
rary Freedom of Halifax.

18. Pamir Delimitation Commission completed its
work.

Spanish forces in Cuba gained a victory over
the Insurgent leader Gie.

Seven Chinese leaders concerned in the Ku-cheng
Massacres were executed.

19. Netherland Company's Atlantic liner Edam run
down in a fog in the English Channel by a
British steamer; passengers and crew saved.
French troops reviewed by President Faure at
Mirecourt.

Dutch Budget Statement submitted.
Belgian Government recalled Capt. Lothaire to
give information concerning the execution of
Mr. Stokes.

20. Denouncement of Treaty (1854) between Great
Britain and Chili gazetted.

Celebration of the Anniversary of the entry of
Italians into Rome.

Austrian Emperor pardoned Hungarian, Rot-
manians sentence i for Political Agitation.
Senhor de Soveral appointed Portuguese Foreign
Minister.

21. Moorish Government officially recognised, the
British Vice-Consul at Fez.

Lieut. Peary, the Arctic explorer, arrived at
St. John's, Newfoundland, his Expe ition
having failed.

International Athletic Contest at New York
between representatives of the London and
New York Athletic Clubs, resulting in the
American team winning every event.

23. H.M.S. Minerva launched at Chatham.

French troops gained victories over the Hova forces on the road to Antananarivo. London Missionary Society continued its Centenary Convention. 24. Col. Gerard Smith appointed Governor of Western Australia, and Sir H. H. Murray Governor of Newfoundland.

Placards denouncing foreigners and Christians posted up throughout the Province of Chekiang.

Irish-American "Physical Force" Convention at Chicago opened.

French Council of Ministers discussed the campaign against the Hovas.

25. Conference of the Irish Agricultural Organiza-
tion Society.

Annual Meeting of the Highland Land League
Brazilian Chamber of Deputies rejecte the
Amnesty Bil.

Landslip in the Province of Yemen, Arabia:
100 lives lost.

26. Chitral Campaign brought to a final conclusion;
15,000 troops were withdrawn.

Legislative Council, at Sydney, shelved the
Bill for its reform.

News to hand of the death of Magato, the
Transvaal Chief.

27. Centenary Convention of the London Missionary
Society closed.

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THE LATE MR. JOHN WHITE,

Of the firm of W. H. Smith and Son. (Photograph by Burt Sharp, Brighton.)

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