Lavish and reckless expenditure continues to be the order of the day, and (assuming the functions of Government) the bankers have felt called upon to issue a grave warning, which we print :— No one can realise the vastness of the task before the nation without becoming keenly conscious that it demands the strenuous cooperation of every man and woman, youth and maiden, in the country; that the nation's energies must be completely concentrated upon the production of really essential things; and that the production of all non-essentials must be wholly stopped. Moreover, not only must the nation avoid the consumption of all non-essentials, but must even restrict the consumption of essentials to the limits of efficiency. These things should proceed from the Government as a direction: surely this is not the time for spasmodic warnings from private citizens. The nation cannot be weaned from extravagance by advice. Admonition we have had in excess; we await such corrective enactments as will save the nation even from itself. The first step is to restrain municipal bodies from unnecessary "improvements," and to limit the luxuries-not the pleasuresof all classes. Compulsory saving will avoid compulsory loans. BOURCHIER F. HAWKSLEY. THE death of Mr. Hawksley recalls one of the fiercest controversies of modern times, in which he played a leading part as legal adviser and confidant of Cecil Rhodes. Political agitation on behalf of the "Outlanders" in the Transvaal culminated in the Jameson Raid, which ended ingloriously in the surrender of its leader on January 2nd, 1896, five days after the discontents appealed to force. This armed raid on the Transvaal Republic was engineered on British soil, and while Cecil Rhodes was implicated, there was a general belief that no less a person than the Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, Minister of the Crown, was directly involved in the conspiracy. Dr. (now Sir) Leander Starr. Jameson was brought to trial in London in May, sentenced to ten months' imprisonment, but released owing to illhealth in December. This was regarded as a vicarious punishment, and a few publicists, led by Mr. W. T. Stead, insisting that the credit of British statesmanship was at stake, urged the fullest investigation into the origin of the raid. Mr. Stead occupied a position of peculiar advantage and disadvantage. He was the confidant of Cecil Rhodes, whose services to the Empire justified the veteran journalist in hailing him as " the Abraham Lincoln of South Africa." To Mr. Stead it was unthinkable that this great personality should go down to posterity with a reputation tarnished by intrigue and chicane. To rebut this slander Mr. Stead therefore bent the whole of his remarkable energies, with the avowed object of rehabilitating Rhodes in the appreciation of his countrymen. Some months before the Select Committee met Mr. Stead published The History of the Mystery, in which the truth was fully revealed; but while the sheets were on the printing machines the greatest pressure was brought upon him to suppress those passages which fixed the guilt upon those responsible for the raid. Mr. Hawksley, as solicitor to Mr. Rhodes, took the initiative in persuading Mr. Stead that his duty to the public was secondary to the sanctity of secrets which had been revealed in confidence and, to use Mr. Stead's words, "the divulgation of which, in his opinion, though not in mine, would be detrimental to many interests, both personal and Imperial, in London and South Africa." To those who knew Mr. Stead's grip of purpose, scarcely ever relaxed, this concession was a remarkable tribute to the rare quality of Mr. Hawksley's advocacy and the sincerity of his character. When before the Select Committee, Mr. Hawksley's refusal to produce the vital cables, passing be Photo by] and Labouchere. Reputations were saved, but at what cost? All this is to-day but a passing memory, and to his many friends Mr. Hawksley will be long remembered for his faithfulness and the extreme care with which he pro [E. H. Mills. The late Mr. Bourchier F. Hawksley. tween London and the Cape, electrified the whole political world, and the reasons which-with difficulty-silenced Mr. Stead were readily admitted by stalwarts of the type of Campbell-Bannerman, Harcourt tected the in terests of his clients rich and poor. No trouble was too great for him, and his best services were placed at his friends' disposal without regard to reward or fée. Mr. Hawksley was associated, with Mr. Stead, as one of the first trustees charged with the disposal of Rhodes's millions, and this fact indicates the appreciation with which he was regarded by one whose judgment of men was seldom at fault. As fitting epitaph we can quote Pope's lines : Of soul sincere, In action faithful, and in honour clear; Reoccupation by Serbs of line between Prilep and Veles reported. Serbian Government removed from Mitrovitza to Prizrend and the Diplomatic Corps to Ipek. British defeat of Turks at Ctesiphon. Nov. 23.-Mine north of Bethune-La Bassée road exploded and crater occupied by British. Trenches on fourth summit of San Martino taken by Italians. Occupation of Mit- Nov. 24.-German cruiser torpedoed Le Grand bombarded by British aeroplanes. Bombs dropped on Bulgarian encampment near Strumnitza and Istip bombarded by French aviators. Bulgarians defeated by the French near Krivolak and Brusnik occupied. Germany's New Enemy. The revolt reported among the starving people. 66 Greek reply to Allies' Note: Greece neutral." Greek steamers held up at Malta released. Nov. 25.-German hut encampment at Achiet and Veveren, near Roulers, by Allied airmen. Arrival of British troops at Doiran reported. Germany's offer of peace to Serbia confirmed; offer rejected. Nov. 28.-Air fight off Ostend ; German seaplane sunk; also German submarine sunk by British aeroplane off Nieuport. Sheds at Habsheim, east of Mulhouse, bombarded by French airmen. Bombing attacks on German aerodrome at Gits and on ammunition factory at La Chapelette. Several German positions and part of Illuxt (Dvinsk) captured by Russians. Heavy fighting between Serbs and Bulgarians south of Prilep; retirement of Serbs. Prizrend taken by Bulgarians. Further Note to Greece from the Allies. Nov. 29.-Manifesto to his people of King Nicolas of Montenegro. Dec. 5.-Italian cruiser sunk by Austrian submarine off Valona. Steamer Petrolite, belonging to Standard Oil Company, chased and shelled by Austrian submarine in the Eastern Mediterranean. Dec. 6.-Turkish torpedo-boat destroyer sunk by British submarine in Sea of Marmora. Retirement of French troops from. Demir Kapu and new positions taken up at Gradetz. Confiscation by Roumania of foreign shipping. Dec. 7.-Enemy work in region of Het Sas bombarded. British attacked by Bulgarians west of Lake Doiran. The World Circus. [Zurich. "You see here, gentlemen, the strongest man in the world, Mr. Bull and Son, with his troupe in their wonderful balancing act. Goddam, his posi tion looks a little precarious." stroyer sunk by British submarine in the Sea of Marmora. Captain Stanley Wilson, conveying letters from the Eastern Mediterranean to London by Greek steamer Spetzia, taken prisoner by Austrian submarine. Dec. 4.-Five Turkish supply boats sunk by British submarine in the Sea of Marmora. Bulgarian attacks on the French at Demir Kapu repulsed. British retirement from Bagdad to Kut-elAmara announced. Falling back of French army from the front previously held in Serbia completed. Steamer Communi Oil paw, belonging to Standard Company, sunk by German submarine near Crete. Note from the United States to Austria on the sinking of the Ancona. Dec. 8.-Retirement of British from position west of Lake Doiran. Turco-Germans routed by the Russians in the direction of Hamadan, Persia, and Russian occupation of the Sultan Balak Pass. Dec. 10.-German coastal defences near Ostend and Zeebrugge bombarded by the British, and German airship and shed destroyed. New front of French in Serbia defined by course of the Bojimia and in touch with British troops announced. Decision of Allies to maintain the expedition at Salonica. Two Turkish gunboats and a sailing vessel sunk by Russians near Kephken, in Black Sea. Dec. 11.-General Castelnau appointed French Chief of Staff. Bombs dropped on Scutari and on Antivari by Austrian aeroplanes. Concessions by Greek military delegates regarding withdrawal of Greek troops from Salonica. Dec. 12.-Doiran, Ghevgeli, and Struga reported occupied by Bulgarians. Ghevgeli-Kilindir line occupied by the French. Text of American Note to Austria on the Dec. 13. Withdrawal of Greek troops from Salonica begun. Dec. 14.-British bombardment of Gommecourt and Le Mesnil. French bombardment of railway station at Mulheim, of enemy's installation at Hauriaucourt, and of works south of Hanipont. German ammunition depot north of Puisaleine blown up by the French. Air fight in North Sea; German seaplane destroyed by British aviators. Italian air raid on enemy's encampments at Chiapovano and Slaa. Austria's reply to the American Ancona Note. General Smith-Dorrien appointed Commander of British expeditionary forces to subjugate German East Africa. Dec. 15.-Command of British troops in France and Flanders relinquished by Sir John French, and appointment as successor of General Sir Douglas Haig. Hervilly aerodrome raided by Allied aeroplanes, and enemy battleplane driven down. Zeppelin L 22 reported accidentally destroyed at Husum, Schleswig-Holstein. Execution of two American bankers at Gorizia reported. Dec. 16.-Shells dropped on Sablons station, Metz, by French aircraft. Landing of an Italian army in Albania an- Reported agreement between Greece and Bul- Dec. 17.-Two enemy hydroplanes shelled by German marine patrol-boat Bunz reported German light cruiser Bremen and a torpedoboat sunk by submarine in Eastern Baltic. Austrian submarine reported sunk near Cattaro by striking a mine. German factory at Haifa, Syria, bombarded and destroyed by French cruiser. Dec. 18.-Fighting with aerial torpedoes east of Roclincourt, Artois. Message of Sir J. French to Army in France. Dec. 19.-Gas attack on British near Ypres. Dec. 20.-Troops at Suvla, &c., transferred. Kum, Persia, captured by Russians. Dec 21.-Lieut.-General Sir Wm. Robertson appointed Chief of the Imperial General Staff. French success on the Hartmannsweilerkopf. Japanese liner Yasaka Maru torpedoed in the Mediterranean. Dec. 22. Sir C. Monro appointed Commander of the First Army in France. Russian success at Robat Kerim, Persia. Text of new American Note to Austria on the Ancona case published Dec. 23.-Austrians repulsed by Montenegrins. Dec. 24. German attack at Hartmannsweilerkopf repulsed LANSING : America's Peace Ships. [Zurich. "Your voyage, Gentlemen, is not necessary, as our ships are already taking everlasting Peace to Europe." |