228 



REVIEW OF REVIEWS. 



A Boom Year at Home 



Mr. Lloyd-George introduced his 

 budget on April 22. If the increase in 

 expenditure continues at the present 

 rate it will soon reach i, 200,000,000. 

 As it is, Mr. George estimates an in- 

 crease this year of iJ^/, 500,000, due 

 chiefly to the demand of the Navy and 

 to National Insurance. The Chancel- 

 lor anticipates so large an increase m 

 receipts owing to the booming state 

 of the country that he requires to put 

 on no fresh taxes at all. The amount 

 he expects to receive is ;^i95,825,ooo, 

 and expenditure will be ;^i95,640,ooo. 

 Last year iJ" 12,000,000 was paid off 

 the national debt. Mr. George is cer- 

 tainly very optimistic about his re- 

 venue. The danger in the situation is 

 that such boom years cannot continue, 

 whilst almost all the expenditure e.x- 

 cept the i,"45,ooo,ooo for the Army 

 and Navy is bound to increase — cer- 

 tainly not get smaller. Unless, there- 

 fore, some reduction can be made in 



KING AI^ONSO OF SPAIN. 



the war bill, additional taxation is in- 

 evitable next vear. 



Attempt to Assassinate King Alfonso. 



A third attempt was made, un April 

 12, to assassinate the King of Spain. 

 He was returning from a grand mili- 

 tary review near Madrid, when a man 

 in the crowd fired three shots at him 

 from a revolver. Onh' liis consum- 

 mate horsemanship saved his life. The 

 would-be regicide, a Catalonian, was 

 almost lynched b>' the crowd. Recently 

 King Alfonso received the leader of the 

 Republican Party in audience, and al- 

 together he appears to be endeavour- 

 ing to weld his i>eople together as 

 much as possible. But to be King in 

 Spain is by no means a bed of roses. 

 In Portugal an organised attempt is on 

 foot to reinstate King Manuel, but lias 

 little likelihood of success. The Re- 

 publican administration appears to be 

 as corrupt as was that of the old 

 regime, with this difference, that old 

 King Carlos was but one, whilst the 

 heads of the Republican party are 

 many. 



Wailing-in China. 



Australia being one of the countries 

 which has absolutely refused to allow 

 Asiatic races to enter it, must view 

 with considerable anxiety the action of 

 other Powers which are following her 

 lead. It is prett\' obvious that the 

 380 millions of China are being cooped 

 up and hemmed m b}- their white 

 neighbours, that ere long, to avoid suf- 

 focation, they will have recourse to the 

 sword, and there will be" a life and 

 death struggle. The onh' doubtful 

 point is when this will occur. China is 

 unready at present ; she cannot yet 

 rely upon Japan ; she can only watch 

 and wait and prepare herself for the 

 struggle. The new President, instead 

 of being able to create a great, wide- 



