FOREIGN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 31, 5 February 1910, Page 8

FOREIGN.

The Paris floods caused over £50,000,----000 damage in the capital and its environs alone, and 100,000 people were rendered homeless. Miles of streets in Paris were Hooded, and many quarters resembled Venice. A boat service used the street to deliver food, etc. An idea of the extent of the floods may be gathered from the fact that the whole of the Seine Valley from Harvre to Park was inundated. The relief funds were supported in a most noble manner. Nearly all the Europeaji monarchs gave £ 1000 each, and the public subscribed most liberally A terrible mining disaster is reported from Colorado. While the miners were at work in the Colorado Iron and Coal Company's mine an explosion occurred, and the exits were blocked. Out of 149 men entombed was only one survivor. The day after came news that an explosion occurred in a colliery at Drakesbro, Kentucky, resulting in 40 men being entombed. Twenty bodies have been recovered, and it is feared that the other 20 have also perished. The preliminary inquiry into the frauds perpetrated by M. Alberti has bsen concluded, and it appears that his defalcations amounted to £833,000. M. Alberti was formerly a member of the Danish Ca>binet, and was concerned in very extensive frauds in connection with the dairying industry. The German Ambassador in London (Count Paul Wolff-Metternich), at a 'banquet in London on the Kaiser's 'birthday, said the Germane were a peaceloving people They had no thought of war for attaining their national aims, and cast no longing eyes on territory for settling their surplus population, for emigration had declined to an insignificant figure. What the German people required was employment at home, and therefore they depended to a larger extent on their exports. Xo market, continued the Ambassador, was gained by brute force, but the peaceful conquest of trade was accomplished by intellectual industry, skill, and knowledge. The Greek crisis has advanced a stage during the week, King George having yielded to the demands of the Military League to /cull a National Assembly, and a provisional new ministry has been formed. M. Dra.comis is Premier and Minister for Finance, M. Zorbas, Minister for War, and M. Kallergis, Minister for Foreign Affairs.