MAIL NEWS

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 64, 16 March 1900, Page 3

MAIL NEWS

BRITAIN AND RUSSIA. LONDON, February .19. Official notice was given to the House of Commons to-day of the mobilizing of a large Russian army on the frontier of Afghanistan, and the conI Urination of the earlier press reports I lias stirred up anxiety that overshadows the news of the Boer war. The Govern men t spoke through George Hamilton. Secretary of State J for Lndia. Mr John Herbert Roberts | (Liberal) insisted that the nation had a right to know whether the Government has official information concerning the disquieting reports that had been persistently circulated. The Government, Lord Hamilton announetci, had received information which indicated an increase in the number <'' Russian troops on the Afghanistan frontier. The relations of Great Britain with the Ameer, he added, h.id uncergone no change. This assurance was accepted as a confirmation, in the language of diplomacy, of the recent report that the Ameer had sent a special emissary to the Viceroy of India to get from Lord Curzon a formal assurance that Great Britain, notwithstanding the Boer troubles, would stand by Afghanistan to prevent tlmattned encroachments by Russia. All of Russia's transCaspian army is now mobilised along the frontier of Afghanistan, within striking distance of Herat. The Czar frankly admits his ambition to get a seaport in Persia, and the massing of this great force at Afghanistan is popularly believed to l;e a step to carry out this ambition. The "Daily Chronicle," in a rather alarming editorial to-day, regarding the Russian doings on the frontier, after reciting what is known of the position of affairs there, says: '"Roth parties in Parlament have repeatedly asseverated that the very next step —that of Herat—means war. There is no doubt that Russia could take Herat to-morrow if she liked. England would need a month to reach the same objective. The only barrier between Russia and her prey is a moral one." RUSSIA AND PERSIA. It is semi-offlcially announced that the St. Petersburg Government, at the request of the Government of Persia, and in view of good relations between two countries, authorised the Loan Bank of Persia to take up a loan of tweniy-tivo million five hundred thouj sand roubles about to be issued in Persia, under designation of a five percent, gold loan of 1900. The Loan Bank therefore contracted to take up the loan, which is repayable in sev-enty-five years and guaranteed by all Persian customs receipts, except revenues of custom-house at Fars and custom-houses of the Persian Gulf. In event of delay in payment the bank will have, the right to control the cus-tom-houses. Persia agrees to redeem all former obligations out of the new loan, and not to contract any other foreign loan till the new loan is paid off, without consent of the Loan Bank. Russia guarantees the bonds of the Persian loan. A dispatch from Berlin reports this move virtually means that Persians become Russian. The Press view is that Russia may have, made a bad financial bargain, but politically considered the transaction is of the highest importance. London opinion is that Persian loan has finally accomplished Russia's long laid plan to obtain complete political and financial control of Persia, with the double object of ousting the British and obtaining an outlet in Persian Gulf. GERMAN NAVY BILL. The first reading of the Naval Bill took place in the German Reichstag on February Bth. Admiral Tirpitz, First Secretary of the Admiralty, presented the views of the Emperor. The House and galleries were crowded, and many notables were present. Tirpitz, in introducing the bill, said historical events during the past two years have made such an impression that the necessity of a strong fleet for ■ Germany had been recognised in constantly widening circles. The discrepancy between Germany's naval power and that of other countries was so great the federal Government saw therein a distinct danger if these conditions were allowed to continue. Indeed the danger appeared all the greater as the commercial competition of the world according to all calculations would become more severe during the next ten years. It is impossible to improvise navies, particularly during war. Many years are required for their establishment. Ships and crews, squadrons and commanders, cannot be conjured up by stamp of foot, but, with dock yards and harbour accessories, require long years of preparation. Germany cannot know what adversary she may have to contetnd with, therefore she must be prepared to meet the strongest. AMERICAN CONSUL AT PRETORIA An incident in the African wai which has also become an incident ir American politics, had its origin ii the sudden departure from his post o; duty of United States Consul Macrum stationed at Pretoria, and his subs?1 quent explanation of his conduct Macrum arrived at Washington recent ily in conditions that seemed to pro mise that he would be promptly dis credited and dismissed from the ser vice. He had insisted upon being re lieved from duty at Pretoria at a tim< when the Government needed his ser vice, and the' Secretary of State, Hay finally granted him permission t< . come horor. The popular impressiox in this country was that Macrurr^wa: ■ too anxious to get awrrr from a pro spective scene of war, and to shir! j responsible duty. Secretary Hay sai< ; i nothing to remove this impression, bu , promptly appointed his own son a , Consul to Pretoria. Now Macrum i , back', and he gives a version of tin ; affair to the anti-administration pres . that puts the Secretary of State in ; , not very enviable light. It also show that the treatment Macrum receive* ,j at the hand of the English Censor am r ! other representatives of the Britisl ' service in South Africa was such as t 5 [ call for explanation at least. Mac rum's chief complaint is that th 1 United States ofiicial mail was openei . jby the Censor and held for weeks ■ The Consul also charges that the Brit r ish had the United States consula \ code and stopped not only his letter . but all official dispatches passing be tween himself and his Government > |In proof of what he says the eonsu , j produces envelopes that bore the U.f- ---! j seal and the impress of the Britisl , j sticker, with which they had been re I sealed after the American seal hai \ : been broken. Not only does this irn \ i ply a breach of courtesy, but all th I ! circumstances indicate that Secretar j Hay sought to make a place for hi * j son, and to do so did not scruple t< ' i place the Consul in a false lighi Whether this be true or not the enem " ies of the administration will arraigi

him for it, and for conniving with ilie ■ English in revealing the secret correspondence of the Government. The j Macrum. incident will be vigorously j used in the approaching1 presidential | campaign. J KLONDIKE. Tlie days of possibilities for poor ' men in tlic Klondike country are over. Capitalists there have given out that they mean to work the mines with | Chinese cheap labour. It is estimated ■ that the mines of that region will run this year with a larger output than ever. Some place the figures at twenty : millions. However, the ground on the ! big paying creeks has all been bought up by the rich companies, or \a held in reserve by Government, to be worked hereafter with costly machinery. Meantime deposits of coai have been | discovered near Dawson, and that city |is appealing to Washington for relief |in the matter of mail service, through its Hoard of Trade. The rush this coming season will be to Cape Nome, which has turned out to be the richest gold district ever discovered. The tales of finds in this region are so fabulous that they are ! scarcely accepted, though vouched for |on the highest authority. The openingl |of navigation is now eagerly awaited, as the condition of Nome city during the winter is unknown, and is the cause of much anxiety. COLD STORAGE STORKS—CORNER TN EG CIS. The Chicago cold storage warehouse men hold enough eggs at present to give each inhabitant of United States a square meal. In the attempt to corj ncr the e^g market against the antij cipated winter scarcity, they own two j hundred and fifty two million eggs. The corner was a failure because most of the winter was so mild that hens have gone right on laying eggs. Hens are now idle and warehousemen nope to recoup themselves. PARIS EXHIBITION. It has become obvious that next to France, the United States will be the largest exhibitor at the Paris exposition. The American Republic has about seven thousand exhibitors, and Germany comes next. The greateli care is being exercised, and none but exhibits of standard qualitj' will appear. The American Chamber of Commerce in Paris has appointed a committee of thirty to furnish information to countrymen on all matters of business during the Exposition. These will have oiliees in the United States building', and will put American sellers and buyers in communication with those whom business interests demand they should meet. American exhibitors are entitled to space in the enormous official catalogue now in preparation ' ,at the office of Commissioner-General > Picquard, wherein will be given dcs- . cription of goods exhibited and exhibitors' addresses. The catalogue, which will serve as a book of refer- i enee, will consist of twenty large volumes. N AVAL ESTIMATED. The year's Naval Appropriation Bill will carry more money than has been voted by Congress in any regular annual appropriation bill since the Civil War. The department asked for seventy-five millions, and the amount will not be cut down much. MOLTNEUX POISONING CASE. Upland B. Molineux, New York Club man, and son of distinguished father, has been convicted of murder of Mrs Katherine J. Adams, and sentenced to die in electric chair at Sing Sing prison, during the month of March. Harry Cornish gave, his aunt, Mrs Adams, powder sent to him through mails and labelled "remedy for indigestion/ The powrder proved to be cyanide of mercury, and Mrs Adams died, as had previously Henry C. Barnet, a.nother club man, who also received the cyanide of mercury through the mails.) The relations between Cornish, Molineux, and Barnet were close, and though evidence was circumstantial the conviction of accused has re- ' suited. Molineux was not married at the time the poisonings occurred, but later married a beautiful young woman to whom Cornish and Barnet had \ paid marked attentions. LATE CAPTAIN WOHLER,. Captain Henry Wohler, for many ■ years prominent in the seafaring ■ community at Papeete, Tahiti, was • found dead in lodgings at San Fran- • cisco. Tie had blown out the gas and ■ had been asphyxiated. WHEAT FOR INDIAN FAMINE. The farmers of Kansas have shipped . third car of corn, which will go to | Bombay for relief of the famine suffer-1 | ers. The railroads carry the corn ) free, and steamships at half rates, for ; which the farmers have raised the money. ~ SAMOA. The exchange of ratifications of the - Samoan treaty took place on February 17 at Washington, and similar exchanges occurred at London and " | Berlin. rj ARGENTINE WOOL TREATY. , lAn effort is being made to recall the f Argentine reciprocity treaty from 1 Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, | J i and defeat it in open session. It is a I treaty which makes twenty per cent. I \ reduction in tariff on wool. The price _ jof wool has already been seriously affected, and may be still further _! depressed if the treaty is permitted to "j remain where it may be revived at I a | any time, with the danger of ratifica-^ '' I tion. Members of Congress who have ," j wool-growing1 constituents are urging '; that the treaty be taken up by Senate • i and killed. " ' s | TRADE STATISTICS. '»I A special from Washington says: — c : American, exports Increased in 1809 by cl twenty million dollars. Nineteen milt lion of tliis increase was in exports to s Asia and Oceania. The total imports s ; increased IG4 million, and 48 million of c \ this increase was from Asia ' and s: Oceania. A large proportion of the a increase in exports was in cotton and s cotton, goods, machinery, and other [] manufactures of iron and steel. Of d increase in imports, from countries of \x Pacific, raw silk, tin, fibres, and sugar 0 were the most important items,. ~ TERRIBLE RAILWAY COLLISION. c ■In a rear end collision on the A Chicago and North-western railway, 3. at Ford River, on February 8, twelve t- persons were killed and five seriously r and four slightly injured. A fast '3 freight train was making fifty miles an :- hour, forging1 ahead through a blindt- ing snowstorm, which prevented the d engineer from seeing signals ahead. 5. When the rear lights of the express h ti'aln ahead were seen it was too late ■- even to check speed. The passenger d car of the forward train, containing a '■ dozen people, and baggage car ahead, c was telescoped. The wreck caught fire .V and the scene was terrible. 1 ; CARNEGIE STEEL COMPANY. t. ' The New York Tribune of February t- 17 says:—Charles M. Schwabe, Presin dent Carnegie Steel Company, who was

in the city yesterday, has recently returned from Washing!on, where he went, it is said, upon business relating to the formation of a proposed armourplate trust. According to report, fifteen firms, in the world, practically monopolising armour-plate contracts, have decided upon such a combination in order to dictate prices to various Governments, and Secretary Chandler is reported as saying that Schwabe admitted the existence of such an agreement. It is said that the price fixed upon by the alleged combination for armour plate is $545 a ton, which many considei' excessive. Schwabe would not talk about the matter. THE AMERICA CUP. The Gorham Company has completed a massive gold loving cup presented to Sir Thomas Lipton by his American friends. The cup is fourteen inches high, and stands upon a marble base. The design is modern Martele. The symbols and decorations are in relief, and the inscription is simple. The gift was planned as an expression of Sir Thomas Lipton's qualities as a gentleman and a sportsman. DEATH OF A CAPTAIN. When the Prince line steamer Asiatic Prince arrived at New York on February IS, news was received that Captain Woodhouse died from yellow fever and was buried at sea. Woodhouse was formerly captain of a steamer of the Anchor line of the Mediterranean fleet. He was fifty-two years old and leaves a family at Liverpool.