As wa indicated in a leading article on another page, a very great. deal of comment is being made om the behaviour of different sections of populace when the earthquake disaster burst upon Japan, and a certain amount that is not very. complimentary is going the rounds. We do not propose to attempt here to deal with anything like crowd psychology, although it might be advisable in the event of a continuance of the worst of these reports to enlarge on General Haking's warning to soldiers that surprise is the mother of panic. We must realize the inevitable existence of such panic, and in the circumstances it only befits the case that we should emphasize one of the brightest aspects of the case. It is in connexion with the Empress of Australia, and while many handsome things have been said about her already, hardly enough has been written to, indicate how the grand work was accomplished. We may try picture the position of the Empress boat. First of all the wharf beside her collapses and hundreds of people perforce crowd aboard, the majority of these doubtless merely trying to collect their thoughts in the midst of calamity. Then fires break out, on land and sea, and before she escapes from them her bow has been scorched. Nor is it the work of an hour or two to escape, but almost the work of a whole day. Finally more refugees, among them many in a hopelessly hysterical condition. From start to finish there has been one long drawn out battle against fire, a battle which meant in its final result the life or death of some 4,000 people, and the Empress of Australia comes out of it with the magnificent record that not once did danger lead to disorder. The praise for this—and no praise can be too high—- belongs to the captain, his officers and engineers. From the first moment until the last there was a complete control of the situation, and the splendid morale of these men communicated itself to the rank and file and so the victory was won—as great and courageous a victory as any of the war. It will go down in the proud annals of the Canadian Pacific Steamshins how the captain carried on while almost blinded by the heat and his officers and engineers scarcely better off, and their names with that of Captain Kent will not lightly be forgotten.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.