World Events Explained.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 7, 9 January 1937, Page 3 (Supplement)

World Events Explained.

By ARPAD SZIGETVARY.

boundaries of the republic. The laet two States to be admitted to the Union were Arizona and New Mexico, originally parte of the United ""States of Mexico. The Territory of Hawaii at present returns a representative to the Congress at Washington, but he has not all the rights of a State representative.

The Hawaiian Islands were discovered by Captain Cook in 1778 and named the Sandwich Islands after the English earl of that name, who also, incidentally, gave his name to our familiar school lunch and picnic sandwich. It is said that one day while the earl was gambling he was too interested to eat a proper meal, so called to a servant to place a piece of meat between two slices of bread for him.

Through right of discovery, and for other reasons as well, Great Britain could have taken possession of the Hawaiian Islands. She failed to do so, and in 1898 these valuable islands passed to the ownership of our sister Anglo-Saxon nation.

While on the subject of United States. I may point out that the United States of America is not the

[only United States on that Continent. There are three others—the Portuguese-speaking United States of Brazil and the Spanish-speaking United States of Mexico and United States of Venezuela. To be strictly correct, when mentioning any of these countries, In the first instance we should use their full name, and in speaking or writing of them again in the same article use merely Brazil, Mexico or Venezuela. Reformed Spanish Army. Ittissinn officers are serving in the Spanish loyalist force*. while Germans nnd Italians are aiding the insurgents.—Cable. It took Soviet Russia a considerable time to realise that an army run by the rank and file could not be successful. When the mistake wm realised it was quickly rectified, with the result that to-day the Rugeian Army is believed to be the finest fighting force in the world. It took the present Government of Spain, despite the Russian experiment, some time to realise that fact,

with dieaatroiM result*. The Spanish Army wu beiiig run by the rank and file, who ejected their own officers and decided on their ow.n tactics. They even voted themselves extended period* of leave from the front line. In the face of such a highly disciplined army as that of General Franco they naturally could offer but poor resistance. Just before it was too late the impossibility of the situation was forcibly brought home. With the eneiny at the gates of Madrid realisati6n came and the tables were turned. Strict discipline, enforced with the aid of foreign officers, enabled a determined stand to be made. The enemy wm forced to abandon the offensive end adopt defensive tactics. Madrid remains in Government hands, held in the initial stages of realisation despite inferiority of arma and equipment. The relative combatant prowess of the opposing armiea has now approximated equality. Both sides have been reinforced by foreign officers and men, and both are obtaining arms and equipment in about equal quantities

Even should Madrid fg.ll, the fiercest resistance is probably yet to come. General Franco has not yet properly experienced the fighting qualities of the Catalans and Basques, which are stinerior to those of the Southern Spanish.