THE BENGAL AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION

To The Editor Of The Statesman

SIR, – In my younger days, like many other foolish people, I joined the Automobile Association of Bengal, paid my subscriptions, and sat down to wait for the promised benefits. I even wrote letters to the Secretary pointing out bad and dangerous pieces of road, but, as my letters were unanswered and the benefits didn’t materialise, I resigned. The Association is now apparently being resuscitated, or revitalised, and many of us are being asked by circular or otherwise to join once more. Being of a careful disposition, I ask myself what advantage am I to obtain by joining and, judging by results, I can see no benefit whatever. The Automobile Association and R.A.C. at Home produce results evident to all car-owners. They have motor patrols, telephones on the roadside, and arrangements to get you home if your car breaks down. There, then, are two definite suggestions for the Association – bring down the price of petrol, and pay some attention to bad and dangerous roads.

MORRIS COWLEY.

Howrah.

A FARMING IDEA

To The Editor Of The Statesman

SIR, – The growing needs of Calcutta require some kind of a farm (not too far off) to be started, and the same to be worked on English or American lines. With a dairy you must combine a stock and poultry farm to make it effective, and if possible a fishery. It seems at first sight a big undertaking. It has to be considered that the needs of Calcutta are growing day by day and a small business would be ineffective. May I suggest that some public-spirited gentleman, Indian or European, should come forward and carry out the scheme? On co-operative lines, for a dairy farm to be worked on shares of Rs 100 each a capital would be required of Rs 3,00,000. This is not a large amount, although it looks so, and should yield a good 10 per cent on the outlay. I would suggest that it be worked on English or American lines, or Indian if this be considered expedient.

HANDY MAN.

Calcutta.

QUEEN VICTORIA AND THE DANISH WAR

To The Editor Of The Statesman

SIR, – It is not quite certain that historians will accept Professor Rait’s attempt to contest “the generally accepted view” that Queen Victoria was pro-German – more especially in the earlier days before circumstances had revealed the danger for Europe and England involved in Bismarck’s policy of blood and iron. The passage quoted by Professor Rait in which the Queen expressed her opinion that Prussia should be made aware of what “she herself and her Government and every honest man in Europe thought” of her proceedings is not new. It related merely to Bismarck’s over-riding of the Duke of Augustenburg’s claims to the Duchies after Prussia had occupied them by force. Queen Victoria ultimately learned the lesson but Bismarck had by then tasted the fruits of victory made possible by England’s compromise with the right, and the militarist German Empire, which in 1914 was to plunge the whole world into war, was already well in the making.

HISTORICUS.