THE WEEK OVER THE WORLD

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21404, 21 February 1935, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE WEEK OVER THE WORLD

THE FOREIGN LEGION An Adventurous Life Lord Edward Montagu, a younger son of the Duke of Manchester, has enlisted in the French Foreign Legion for five years' service. His enlistment has to be sanctioned by headquarters at Toulon, where he will undergo medical examination and then be drafted to Algiers, a French stronghold on the coast of North Africa. The French Foreign Legion, about which so many books and stories have been written, was organised at Toulon in 1831 and sent to North Africa to assist in the conquest of Algeria, where in 1834, in spite of severe losses, its numbers rose to 56,000. The men were recruits from many nationalities. Comprising the Legion there were, till about the beginning of this century, four German battalions, one Spanish, one partly Italian and one partly Polish. Since 1919 the Legion has undergone changes. The men are engaged from three to five years. The Legion fought well in Mexico and in the FrancoPrussian war of 1870-71. In 1884 it was reorganised into two regiments. It is stationed where it is required, and under French officers. The discipline is very severe and often the men are cruelly treated. Members of the Legion to-day are mostly men who wish to forget their pasts, and wish the world to forget them, although many join merely ijor the sake of adventure. When Lord Edward Montagu joined he admitted he would rather have joined the Aviation Corps, but he is evidently prepared to put up with the hard life of the Legion in his quest for adventure. NEW ZEALANDER AT LITTLE AMERICA

NEWS IN BRIEF The Government lighthouse steamer, Matai, left Wellington yesterday with members of the Health Department and the Cook Islands Department to investigate damage done to the Cook Islands by the hurricane of February 9 and 10. The outer islands, Aitutaki, Atiu, Mauke, and Palmerston will be reached within a week. The British and the Chinese are making arrangements to rid Chinese waters of pirates by using Chinese troops and British bluejackets on land, and armed launches and gunboats along the coast. Merchant ships in these waters will thus be given greater protection in future. Encouraging tests have been carried out on the goldfields in Fiji. Sir Charles Marr, managing director of the two companies operating there, said they are prepared to spend £200,000 on the venture and they expect to employ 1000 men toward the end of the year. The American airship Macon, the largest in the world, crashed into the sea off California on February 12. All but two members of her crew of 83 were saved. In April, 1933, a similar American airship, the Akron, was wrecked off New Jersey and only four of her crew of 76 were saved. The use of airships for modern transport is dealt with on page five of this issue. Signor Mussolini has worked out a scheme for training young men in Italy in Fascist politics; the selected men will be between the ages of 23 and 28 and will be trained in foreign trade and the uses of newspapers as well as in the branches of Fascist politics. The Prince of Wales recently made an appeal for funds for the Child Emigration Society which establishes farm schools in the colonies for London slum children. A sum of £60,000 has been raised and the society has bought 1000 acres on Vancouver Island; here hundreds of children will be brought up in open-air conditions. The new farm is similar to one in Western Australia. It is proposed to establish new schools in Queensland and in New Zealand. The transfer of the Saar from the French to the German customs authorities took place at midnight on Monday. Saarlanders made a rush to buy and hoard French goods; they fear that there will be scarcity and high prices under German rule. Last week Communists and police in Austria engaged in street fighting. The clash was later carried on in the forests, where the fighters wore skis on the snow-covered ground. The occasion was the anniversary of an attack on the Socialists a year ago.

ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION RETURNS Rear-Admiral R. E. Byrd and members of his Antarctic expedition,returned from Little America to Dunedin on Monday afternoon, after 14 months in the Antarctic, during which some important air and land expeditions were made. Admiral Byrd declared that the expedition had done valuable work, particularly in proving the existence of a land connexion between Marie Byrd Land and the main Antarctic continent.

The Prince of Wales, during his visit to Vienna, has called on President Miklas. He was shown the room where Dr. Dollfuss was murdered. The Prince has decided to sell two of his aeroplanes and to buy a faster machine, probably a de Havilland twinengined Rapide. It is announced that the Prime Minister of New Zealand (the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes) may visit London in May to be present at the King's Silver Jubilee. There is a proposal in Germany to expei from the Nazi party all unsuitable members; membership will be made much more difficult in future if the proposal comes into force. Wiley Post, the half-cast Red Indian aviator who was forced to retire just before the Melbourne Centenary Air Race because of an accident to his machine, the famous Winnie Mae, now intends to attempt a high altitude flight across America. The annual New Zealand Press Conference, attended by directors of the United Pres 1 ' Association and members of the New Zealand Newpaper Proprietors' Association is being held in Rotorua this week.