Ixx.w iii. 



I he Heview ot neviei*^. 



NON'EMUER. lyl. 



naw men in the society. Sir Gforgu related that 

 iic li.KJ met ("ommodore ("loodeiiougli in the Chiita 

 war, and he had become a total abstainer on the 

 advice of Sir George's father. The Admiral did 

 not hesitate to speak of the advantages of total 

 abstinence to himself, mentally and physically. Sir 

 ( leorge strongly urges moderate drinkers to knock 

 off lirjuor altogether, so that they may be able to 

 sav to " weaker brethren," " Don't do this becaiis<' 

 I tell you, but do as I do !" The Admiral's example 

 in this respect probably ex[)lains the conduct of the 

 men on the Australian .sijuadron, which is recog- 

 itised to be exemplary, a.shore and afloat. A member 

 of his audience asked Sir George whether it w'a.-^ 

 [Kjssible to "knock off grog in the navy?" His 

 r<'ply \vas that they were moving that way, and seek- 

 ing to have a penny a day added to the pay instead 

 of grog. The reform would do good, and he hojjed 

 to see it. " Australia is before the Imperial navy," 

 he added : "no grog is given out in the Australian 

 na\ \ . " 



It can hardly be doubted that Sir 

 The High Ciedrge Reid is Australia's best ad- 



Commissioner, verti.sement in England. During 

 the month he has \ieen extending his 

 s])liere of influence in ("anada and the United States, 

 and the cordiality of his reception must be accejited 

 as a tribute to the High- Commissioner as welT as 

 to the growing imjwrtance of the Commonwealth 

 Tn his annual rejxjrt to th<: Commonwealth Govern- 

 ment, Sir George shows that he is keenly alive to 

 the j)ractical interests of Australia. He complains 

 that British newspapers do not keep in touch with 

 Australian affairs, and explains that the reason is 

 an embarrassment of .s<'nsational news from every 

 cjuarter of the globe. He gets about 90,000 words 

 about Australia into the Briti.sh press mostly free of 

 cost, and says the papers would take any number 

 of g<j<)d photographs if they could be secured. Sir 

 <rtx)rge is distributing sets of eighteen postcards 

 afniong school ehildnii, and a hundreil thousand 



(■(_)pi<-s of a children's book on Australia. Other 

 forms of i)ublicity include exhibits on railway sta- 

 tions, a biogra])h motor-car, cinematograph theatres, 

 onniibus advertising, window spaces and lectures. 

 The High Commissioner has induced British am- 

 bassadors and Consuls throughout Europe to act 

 as Australian trade agents. On the . .subject of 

 emigration Sir George says that shipping companies 

 require an assurance that emigration will t^e encenir- 

 aged and assisted for the next four or five years at 

 least before the\ will liuild the necessary pas.senger 

 steamers to relie\e the present congestion of j)as- 

 senger "trafTic. 



Th<- most interesting bit of news 

 JoiDing Naval relating to defence matters has come 

 Forces. (iQjn the Prime Minister, and Ijeen 



reiterated by the Minister of De- 

 fence, ft is to the effect that there is reasonable 

 probability of New Zealand at no very distant date 

 joining in an Australasian naval defence scheme. 

 .Sen.'itor Pearce admits that " the thing is still in the 

 air," but he has lieen encouraged by a recent speech 

 made by the New Zealand Minister for Defence to 

 believe that th<' Dominion and the Commonwealth 

 will come to common uiid*-rstanding on the matters 

 of defence, ft is satisfactory to know that the Com- 

 monwealth Government has not been behind in mak- 

 ing friendly overtures, and though twice an offer to 

 take a certain number of New Zealand cadets and 

 train them has been declined, the Minister is .san- 

 guine that it will yet lie accepted. Senator Pearce 

 .st>es no reason win there should not also Ix; a 

 common understanding regarding military matters. 

 If the one, why not the other? Surely Australia 

 and New Zealand are near enough and clos<-ly 

 enough related, with identical interests, to make 

 Ixjth desirable. .Meanwhile the programme of Aus- 

 tralian defence is being |)ushed forward. The Aus 

 tralian unit, so far as ships are concerned, is .said to 

 111- Hearing completion. The work of establishing 

 ihe three naval ba.ses i> pifm-ding. 



