A NEW IMBROGLIO.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 138, 12 June 1911, Page 4

A NEW IMBROGLIO.

If anything was wanting to render the position in Morocco quite intolerably precarious, ■ the lack seems to be supplied by the sudden and unexpected intervention of Spain. Under the terms of the Algeciras Convention, Spain shares with France the responsibility of keeping order in Morocco. But the two Powers arranged between themselves to delimit carefully their spheres of influence and activity. Spain, which still holds, as the last fragment of her Moorish Empire, part of the strip of coastline east of Tangier between the Atlas Eange and the sea, has already found great trouble in enforcing order there; in fact, last year she sustained at least one serious defeat, and ever since she has been content to assert a nominal authority in her sphere without attempting to coerce the wild tribes of the Riff into submission. But while Spain was struggling with these difficulties France made no attempt to interfere. The French Government has, in fact, observed carefully the letter of the Algeciras agreement, which states that within the French sphere the enforcement of the convention shall be left solely to France, and on the Spanish frontiers it shall be the exclusive right and duty of Spain. It is not at first sight easy to explain why the Spanish Ciovernment should have deviated from this safe and reasonable course. The leading French newspapers attribute this suaden display of militant aggressiveness to Spain's envy of France, and her desire to gain a littlo cheap glory in North Africa. We might have imagined that quite apart from Spain's own unfortunate experiences, which ought to be still fresh in the minds of her people, the amount of profit or prestige that France has secured in her Morocco campaigns is hardly enough to justify emulation at such a risk. Possibly, however, the Spanish Government feels the necessity for satisfying its subjects by doing something active and practical in Morocco. We know that the Moroccan policy has been all along extremely unpopular in Spain where the leaders of the people have endeavoured to obstruct the levy of troops, and have protested loudly that the King and his Ministers are sacrificing their country to an insane and futile ambition. And it is not unlikely that King Alfonso, harassed and bewildered by the discontent that is so clearly evident throughout Spain, has thrown himself into the arms of the i "war" party, and 13 snatching at the ! expedient that so many despotic rulers, have employed when they have found their thrones insecure, and have striven, in the words of our great dramatist, "to busy giddy minds in foreign quarrel." But whatever be the motive that has prompted this unexpected display of military activity, it ca!n only be regarded as inopportune and dangerous to the last degr.ee. For, in the first place, though it purports to be prompted by a desire to effect a diversion in France's favour, it is naturally resented by France as an encroachment on her rights. But more important, and dangerous by far is the risk involved in the possibility of German intervention. For though Germany failed to get all her own way at Algeciras, it is not to be supposed that the Kaiser and his Ministers are content to leave France in undisputed ascendancy in Morocco. Germany is merely biding her time, and already she has hinted in unmistakable language that if Franrji and Spain cannot keep order in Morocco, it may he Decessary for the Powers to tear up the Algeciras Convention, and start 1 all over again. France feels thai Germany is watching eagerly for her first false step, and this alone is enough to explain why the French nation resents so strongly Spain's ill-timed interference at this most unfortunate juncture.

The following is Mr. D. C. Bates' weather forecast for 24 hours from 9 jij£. tjliis day:—'"Moderate to strong northerly winds, freshening and squally, and probaibly gale, suddenly shifting, strong- to gale, with westerly winds and veering, south. Weather cool and changeable.' 'Very heavy rain may be expected. Glass fall, but rise fast-after twenty 1 hours." As an answer to the charge that the Government has increased taxation to, the detriment of the people, the Hon. R. McKcnzie, Acting-Minister of Customs, has had a highly informative return made up to show the real position. What the Liberal party has done is to shift the incidence of taxation, placing the burden upon shoulders well able to hear it. "Take the Customs tariff from 1887 to 1890," he remarked to a "New Zealand Times" representative. "There we find the following .Customs duties:—Cotton piece goods 20 per cent., kerosene Od per gallon, salt 10/ per ton, rice 4/ per cwt, sugar Jd per lb, tea 6d per lb, coffee 3d per lb, fencing wires 2/ per cwt, woolpacks 2/0 per dozen, glass 15 per cent, ad valorem, dried fruits 2d per lb, belting and other leather 20 per cent, mustard 2d per lb, oils 6d per gallon, paperhangings 15 per cent, spices 2d per lb, sheepshears 20 per cent, linen piece goods 20 per cent. Now, all these, articles are on the free list, and if we take the quantity of each imported last year and presume that they are still dutiable there would have been £715,000 collected in duty. So you see that instead of increasing taxation for the masses the Government has reduced it by that amount." , An adoption case was dealt with at the , P.M. Court this morning, by Mr. C. C. Kettle. The mother of the Child was a single woman, who bad been left to bear liar trouble alone, the father of the child having since married another woman. The adoption was approved subject to the applicant for the child filing papers showing he is a naturalised British subject. At a meeting of the Masterton A. and P. Association a communication addressed by the superintendent of the Manchester Ship Canal to Mr. W. D. Lysnar, of Gisborne, was read. This suggested that the producers of New Zealand should seriously consider the question of opening up trade relations with Manchester, which is claimed to be the best distributing centre in England. A meeting of former pupils of the Girls' Grammar School and Girls' High School was called for Saturday afternoon for the purpose of forming an old girls' association. On account of the ram the attendance was small, and the headmistress (Miss Blanche Butler) decided to postpone business till Saturday next, when a good attendance of old pupils ol both schools is asked *or. A public meeting of the ratepayers of the Tamaki West Road Board district will be held in St. Helier's school on Thursday evening, re rating on unimproved yaluea.

The wretched Weather marred the last day of the S Winter Show at Hamilton. >TeverS there was a good ess than £140 was taken attheaoeL° The gross receipts, however foil flOOshort.of last year. It elusion of the show on officials of the ture and visitors were ent^aniedfe 1, show officials, and during the 3? *?!# the _vla.yor (Mr. J A vi!„i *%"»«»" the prices and trophies. It is reported that ex-Captain r», ;: , has written to the Conr_X n fe? New Zealand forces to the efitft : he cannot see his w_y to „3 «** manhood by tendering 7 £'H" M 1 the letter which was °C cafe j? trouble, and accepting a M S of «*• reserve of officers' WPfeSiH conclusion, said he felt it wonti £ i ter for him and for *£?H HiS New Zealand, and S'^.ll The camp of the Fourth (Wail.lv Regiment New Zealand Mounted is situated at Newstead, _W nines from Hamilton. \£SsM the men are having a rather tS I time through bad weather, but wise the training is likely to " thoroughly enjoyable. A church B _L ? ? was held on by Chaplain-Major Cowie (AnkicaD,=S Chaplain Captain Darby (EomaTtf lolic). Major-General Godley is j_,Tf°; Ito arrive to-day, and on Friday ev 2 the regimental ball takes place ? | A lecture, entitled "A the h mverse," was given, by Mr Cl„- . L. Wrap at Kin/s Thea^lafe | ing. Tliere was a large attendance ML lecturer made the address moat inierS ing, and the audience were introduce* to phenomena and wonders of the W ens of which many of them hadprebaMv no previous knowledge. The lecture «_, illustrated by fil™ The Collector of Customs at JDyttelton has been informed that the master of the small steamer Wairau picked m . boat No. OS LN, twenty-five mfe'V Lyttelton heads on Sunday, afternoon landing it at Kaikoura. This 1 'boat'« registered as a fishing bc_t-owned'!,; Frederick East, who is liussing. n( a» Kakvpoi. So far nothing has -*e_fo_l of the man. It is now thought'i_jl he. may have gone to sleep, in.iis'ioat while fishing and got rarrfedout by tin stream. The police are diligently searcl. ing the coast for any trace of the to A pair of horses attached to a landaq took fright on the Lake-road near Beach, avenue, Devonport, yesterday, jhajtl',. result was a collision with ,'a telegraph post. Fortunately the occupants of the vehicle only received a shaking, .si the damage done to tlie, not very serious. .:.".."' The epidemic of fUgue la Manchuria has (according to the Petti correspondents of the "Japan "'fiie?") died away in almost as miraculous"jmii ncr as it came. Its' disappearance. hat been a surprise to medical jnen aiiio foreigners generally throughout China. It was feared that every tpjvn ifonH' have to experience the -a-ffful tragedy of Fu-chia-dien, the sister city of iSarhin, no one town learning the lesMttfroman* other. To some .<-rtenf..iha:jnii.thcase, but the Chir^se,..even"in remote villages, took the ksson-"quickly. Their conservatisia did not long.Oppose the methods wfcddi their'-^'&sOT_te_tap-proved and ordered: ; l i_Jß r 'is = to mean that Hie advanced flip jot tdieip education not only have the support if the Government, bjutare _Vs'6.. ; inaJrfiig headway aniongthe mai&es of the people, A serious outbreak of-anthrax in existence in the Werribee. district for the past two months (says the Melbourne correspondent of -. the, Sydney "Daily Telegraph")'- Up'toHhepeßent about twelve cows have died in the Werribee district. ' The infection' has. beea traced to Daverton, where • there ps an outbreak of anthrax some years ago. Precautions afe "How ' _e_i£"si#eß," a£d the carcases of all die are being carefully burnt, go'.'raJt M infection' -may remain in the Paddocks that have been; rtndered dangerous fox. "dairying,p\irp»B»s.'Ve ploughed for cultivation. Ihmsay.wsffi farmers are 'having their stocJfiW? as a precaution. The ppeitimiißaO-?3 for Werribee is a closely'settled'djitrict, carrying a great number of dairy;, stock. The first meeting of Institute for the present- aessipn #]» held in St. Andrew's Hall,. SymoMf street, this evening,, when the.Ptesioep' elict (Mr. J.H. iTpton) will deliver »n address on "Free Public .libranps;ani Museums." A reference will ;]he ip to the public libraries of past tuaei, jand the people""who possessed .%m. Some remarks will he offered pntta libraries of the present time,- including a consideration of the best raegods .pi maintaining them- A reference WV? made to the dangers likely to ftllw upon the injudicious admissions w ferior books, and a claim will bei B4M that the main purpose of a public library should be educational. Museums.m«« regarded as supplementary to; pnblic l* raries. "A reference will be made t.?« well-known museums', and an o u^ ae, T' be given of what 'a museum may w. With the exception of certain, seats r| served for members arid their dnendJ, the address will b,p open tp..% genera public. - ■.:':■ ■ Considerable progress is the Railway Department in :mM deviation of tlie line frcan , Tuakau. The new <line has -bcea mm I through the properties of | Braithwaite and Allan,.and when fia»3g will give a much easier gTade,' and■<!• away with the ugly curves which tral» | have at present to negotiate. .The W>«| will give employment to a | men, and will take some coasiflef* 1 ?? ; time, and a heavr outlay, but the.aaraav tage' to be gained will more than «r j ■pensate the Department in a few ye?? l for all the outlay entailed.— {sPsPr sorrespondent.) "Man's Conquest of the Air"" I?.*■" subject of a lecture to be dchvtfedW" morrow night at the' Y_tf.G.A:, M gfi Charles Senior, under the auspices Olt* Aero Club of New Zealand. ??#S important events in aviation vri" ■, gmphicallv depicted by pictures of the machines in actual tHgat._ j, tc-rv of the great Zepplin MW$ touched upon, while "A describes vividly the possibilities of ac war. ... worf l Crepe de chine and corded ffl| 2/0 to 3/, for 1/4. tas, 1/4 A, 1/11, 2/3, W,tM Master and Shalders, Queen-st.. l#| Ladies, we have pleasy^ Mjsj& your attention to our tions of Warner's rust-proof corsets at V™%™*Al purscl Town and country draper Gent's winter underwear. Cold n fc is here, end will come aga^'• point With ns over the counter.. Fowlds, Ltd.—(Ad.) . 10/ e, Dress lengths, 5/11, G/11, W- m 12/6; also exclusive 30/, 32/8, 37/0, 42/0, jWA goods at MB-iasteiiandShalder's, >« street—.(Ad.^.