THIS WEEK YEARS AGO

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 142, 18 June 1938, Page 12 (Supplement)

THIS WEEK YEARS AGO

ANNIVERSARIES

By - - Max Whatman

ANE of die most ill-starred venV/ tores of last century was the attempt, sponsored by France, to found an empire In Mexico with a prince of a European House at its head. The project ended in miserable failure, largely through the threatened intervention of the United States. The Emperor of France had long dallied with the dream of establishing an empire in those lands bordering the Golf of Mexico, which had once been French. His chance came in 1861, when ia consequence of gross outrages directed by the Mexicans against foreigners, the British, Spanish and French Governments decided on combined hostile operations against Mexico. It -was not long before the real designs of France became apparent, and the British and Spanish withdrew. The French soldiers swarmed over a large part of Mexico, captured the capital, and the empire was proclaimed, its monarch, chosen by the French Emperor, being

the Archduke Maximilian, brother of the Emperor of Austria. He was a man of noble character, though not strong mentally. It was at this stage that the United States stepped int. Her attention had been fully occupied with civil war, but, on the conclusion of that campaign, the Government intervened in Mexico. In the face of determined threats, the French troops were withdrawn. After that the fate of the new empire was certain. It lasted, in fact, two months and a week, and its end waa hastened by the foolishness of Maximilian himself. The patriot, Juarez, swept all before him. The empire collapsed, Maximilian was captured, tried, and on June 19, 1867, executed by a firing squad. Kiel Carnal Opened Ships of many nations gathered in German waters on June 20, 1895. It was a great occasion, for the Emperor, Wilhelm 11., was to open the Kiel Canal, link between the North Sea and the Baltic, and a sea way of great importance to Germany. The foundation stone of the opening lock had been laid by Wilhelm I. eight years before. The opening was marked by great ceremonial. The Emperor, with his sons, boarded the Imperial yacht Hohenzollern, and, followed by 23 other vessels, both German and foreign, passed the huge

watergates and entered the canal at Brunsbuttel on the North Sea at 4 a.m. They arrived at Holtenau, on the Baltic, 61 miles away, at 12.45 p.m., being received with many salutes and other demonstrations from the foreign warships assembled in Kiel Harbour. The celebrations at Kiel lasted for several days, and the Emperor showed honour to his guests by dining on various foreign vessels in turn —the British flagship, Eoyal Sovereign, one day, the American vessel, New York, the next •day, and so on. The flags of 14 nations were floating in the harbour on 80 seagoing men-of-war, and more than 300 yachts and steamers of various nationalities were present. Dr. von Boetticher, president of the ('ommittee of commerce, received much honour from the Emperor for his services in this great national work. Famous English Architect It may seem surprising that an English architect should be invited to design the Royal palaces of Denmark, but this is some indication ef the fame achieved by Inigo Jones, son of a cloth-worker, who was born in London in 1573. The boy's skill in drawing attracted the attention of a nobleman, who Bent him to Italy to study landscape painting. But he was drawn to study architecture instead. While in Venice he paid particular attention to the works of Palladio, whose style he introduced into England, with the result that he is sometimes called the English Palladio. On leaving Italy he went to Denmark by the invitation of Christian IV., and there designed the Royal palaces of Rosenborg and Frederiksborg. Returning to England in 1604 he was employed by James I. in arranging the scenery for the masques of Ben Jonson, which were at that time the chief amusement of the Court. In 1012 Jones revisited Italy, still further to improve his style, and on his return was appointed surveyor-general of the Royal braidings. He was at this time accounted the first architect of England, and, according to some, the first of the apre. He died on June 21. 1652. His masterpiece is considered to be the banqueting house (now the Chapel Royal) at Whitehall. End of the Pillory Many years ago in England petty criminals and men who had offended authority in some way or another were frequently punished by the ordeal of the pillory. This was usually a wooden frame into which a man's head and arms were locked as he stood upright. The people were permitted, and even encouragcd, to throw street refuse and filth at the victims, and the result was that it was common for prisoners to be seriously injured or even killed. Rccords of the pillory as a means of punishment go back to the thirteenth century, and famous men have been pilloried. One such was William Prynne, who dared to denounce plays at a time (1637) when Queen Henrietta Maria was taking part in amateur theatricals. Prynne had both his ecrs cut off while he stood ; n the pillory.

Daniel Defoe, famous author of "Robinson Crusoe," was another to suffer the ordeal. In 1703 the authorities offered a reward for the apprehension of Defoe who had published a pamphlet entitled "The Shortest Way with the Dissenters." Defoe gave himself up and was placed in the pillory. The crowd threw flowers at him instead of street garbage, as public sympathy was all on Defoe's side. Titus Oates, known in history as being responsible for the so-called Popish Plot, was pilloried on three separate days after being convicted of perjury in 1(585. The pillory tormented its last victim on June 22, 1830, and some years later this barbarous form of punishment was abolished by Act of Parliament. Lost in the Wilds One of the most romantic episodes in the history of modern aviation was the loss of the Southern Cross in Central Australia nine years ago. Her crew of four suffered terrible privations during the 12 days of their ordeal, and while they waited for help, living on all sorts of unpleasant substitutes for civilised food, aeroplanes combed the great expanses of waste lands for the airmen. Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, Mr. C. T. P. Ulm, Mr. H. A. Litchfield and Mr. T. H. MeWilliams comprised the crew on this flight. The Southern Cross was forced down on the first leg of a flight to England when the machine was travelling from Richmond to Wyndham. After the airmen had been found by Captain Holden in his machine, the Canberra, rumours bejrun to circulate that the loss of the Southern Cross wag premeditated, the intention being to gain publicity and finance. The result was the appointment of a commission of inquiry to investigate these charges. The commission issued its report on June 24, 1929, completely clearing the crew of the famous monoplane of the charges. There wns nothing to impugn the honesty of the crew or of any member of it, tho report i stated.