114 



The Review of Reviews. 



ominous of future trouble. A learned and thoughtful 

 writer in the current Quarterly points out that of 

 necessity as the result of the crippling of the Hquse 

 of Lords the Monarch will be compelled to assume a 

 more and more preponderant position as the balance- 

 wheel of the Constitution. Whatever strength there 

 may be in the forces to which the Qnarterly 

 refers, they will be reinforced by the memory of this 

 Indian trip. King George is a good all-round 

 sensible man who has scored his first great success. 

 I do not think that it will be found that it has turned 

 his head ; but the Prime Minister will probably find , 

 that George Rex et Imp., with the prestige of his 

 Indian triumph behind him, is much more difficult to 

 deal with than was plain George Rex immediately 

 after his accession. This may be for good or it 

 may be for ill, but on the whole, while recognising 

 the solid and sterling qualities of our Monarch, I do 

 not contemplate with much satisfaction what .seems 

 to be the inevitable increase in the power of the 

 Crown in the Constitution of Great Britain. 



The King has done well in India^ 

 A Lamentable but one thing he — or, rather, his 



Omission. Viceroy, Lord Hardinge— has left 



undone. Mr. Tilak ought to have 

 been released. Mr. Tilak's release would have been 

 the natural corollary of the undoing of the partition of 

 Bengal. Mr. Tilak is a gentleman, a scholar, and a 

 statesman. To retain him in prison after recognising 

 the justice of his chief complaint against the Adminis- 

 tration is difficult to reconcile with a policy of con- 

 ciliation. Nothing is so good an investment in 

 political settlement as the outlay of a little mercy 

 in the amnesty of political offenders, whose offence, 

 as in the case of Mr. Tilak, often consists in their 

 having seen sooner than their rulers the true policy to 

 he pursued. 



Lord Grey was [)resente(l with the 

 Canada Freedom of the City of London 



tiie Fore. '^st month, which was emphati- 



cally a case of honour to whom 

 honour is due. Lord Grey is one of the great 

 assets of the Empire, and the City did honour to 

 itself in doing honour to him. Canada was 

 also very much to the front last month owing to 

 the visit of the Uuke and Duchess of Connaught, 

 with their daughter, Princess Patricia, to New York. 

 The American newspapers, with their legion of 

 photographers, interviewers and spies, appear to have 

 outdone all records in the way of enterprise. 

 Wlicn journalist photograj^hers climb to the top of a 

 li( .U.SC in order to photograph a Royal Duke, this may 



be regarded as the limit. The Royal Party seems to 

 have quite enjoyed themselves ; the Duke took every- 

 thing in extremely good humour, and the papers are 

 full of praise as to his geniality and the beauty of 

 his daughter. The Duke visited Washington to 

 pay his respects to President Taft, and there also 

 his bonhomie and simple, frank, direct mode of 

 expressing himself created a very favourable im- 

 pression. Among other persons whom he met at 

 Washington was the redoubtable Champ Clarke, the 

 Speaker of the House of Representatives, whose inju- 

 dicious joke concerning the annexation of Canada 

 did so much to defeat Reciprocity. The Duke's 

 visit has naturally revived the report as to the inten- 

 tion of the King and Queen to visit America. Nothing 

 is definitely decided, but when they go to Canada 

 the American visit will probably be arranged. 



All political questions in America 



Who Will Be are passing under the shadow of 

 the 

 Next President ? the approaching Presidential elec- 

 tion. There seems to be general 

 agreement that President Taft's candidature for a 

 second term has no chance of success. The old 

 Roosevelt brigade is rallying round its former hero, 

 and a batUe royal will take place at the Republican 

 Convention as to whether Taft or Roosevelt should 

 be nominated for the Presidency. Mr. Roosevelt, of 

 course, is still in retreat, but there is no doubt that if 

 he were summoned to save the Republican Party he 

 would magnanimously respond to the appeal. On the 

 Democratic side the betting is now rather in favour 

 of the adoption of Mr. Woodrow Wilson ; but whether 

 it be Mr. Woodrow Wilson or some other candidate, 

 it is probable that the next occupant of the White 

 House will be a Democrat. 



\Vriting in the American Review of 

 RcTie7i's, Dr. Shaw says : — " The 

 indications have now become un- 

 mistakable that the rank and file 

 of the Republican Party desire the nomination of 

 Colonel Roosevelt. This sentiment is manifest in 

 almost every part of the country. It is obvious that 

 Colonel Roosevelt could not be expected to seek the 

 place. It is equally olnious that the Republican 

 voters should be allowed to express their views, and 

 should be permitted to choose delegates who will 

 properly represent them in the Chicago convention. 

 The control of State delegations through federal 

 patronage will not be so readily condoned this year as 

 it has been at some times in the past. No candi- 

 date on the Republican ticket can possibly be elected 

 this year if his nomination is merely due to the 



Roosevelt Redivivus. 



