BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 15, 12 October 1907, Page 12

BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

THE EMPIRE. v' v f,,'' •; ; - ' ; ; : VIA 'NEWFOUNDLAND; ■ In-connection with the fast service to Canada, Mr. Thompson, one of tho .• v- promoters. of ■ tho '■ Newfoundland Coh-nooting-railway, mid two railway engineers have ; arrived at St, Johns, and --have loft agairiV with their gang of : workmen* held apparatus,. teritfi, etc.), on the Government stcamor Fiona direct for the south-west arm of Green' Hay; on' tho north-cant coast of Now* foundlandi, This hdmirablo land-lockcd • ;harbour ,is to bo tho Atlantic terminus of the-lino. Tho port solected ou the ■ west' sido' ; of:-'Nowfoundlahd is also a

tone '.deep " witer .torniinus; -, being tlio ■ north arm of /thebeautiful Bay of 'Islands. . ' Between .theso points'.' the • distance 'is - about''-80 '■ miles. Mr.. Thompson expects to .be able_ to'.complete. tho - iiefiesahYy aitrveys in about , ■ ■ three' moht-hc. ' ; >•' " >.'■ y (' ** .■; 1 Sir Bobeft 'Bond,. ,thß : Premier, and ; ; Mr? Howley, head :' of. the ' Geological BurveJ, liavo exathined .the. long valley . -leadrng- fron).: Sandy. -Pond: into, tho *:'B6uth'weat' arm of- Greeti,'Bay arid all ' .-hftVo pronounced the i-out-e an ideal one for 'a' railiVay,'-b6ing, : a.'aead level tho whole Way. BeFore.the survoy. Outers " -' ; ihoriver Vhliey .'rurinitig into; the north •arm of. itej- 1 of Islands, some; uneven 1 arid rocky ground may .be encountered, ■ .'but -it ..will-.only ipp/for a - very short 1 ~; 'distance,' and a' 1 Va£ may be. found to ■ .avoid- it. 'There areUiosefious ongi\neeririg difficulties in the ' way . of ■ '■ level and dii'ecfc tho AVbolo 80 1 ' . niiles.-. - Aiiiplo elefetflc powef may bo liiuttorbus water-' falls fo'r.Y .tlle' ! it'aiMay. which, by ''' .and .will be .trork'ed^\b'^ Velec.tricityr;. -Given #' straight : line with ehs,V .gfadietits, : 'Ncfrfouhdltind ciiii 1)8. easilj'' crosscd in . two; hours, GaspO, 111 Cafiada, reached by.faEtßtfeiinicr ■ fr6'n\ ■ the, north arfn: in llOllfs ; ■' /: : .'rhß ill all short ;Atlan- : ' 'tic :rbut63 is 'er6sijing;'th6 oc ' JNfcwfoundland I)rO]ecu,;has this .advan'oveA' all 'otlicrSJ' <that ,ltj j£vv63 th 6 • ' fehOftest' arid tm'ostV direct! fbilte-.hifoss '! ' tbo North Atlantic. \ Oh tho Seii'.gpeed ' / is'-so far liffiite'd to '25 kiiots !in hptir,' • -on ' land?it ; ffiay' : feach' i ,iOO miles aii ; '.hoiirr "Another greit .advantage: of the ' - shortir. ioceau;. roiitb' .arisoS/' frfllu tho ' 1 ' fact that' the : qtiiekc'r. patiSage'.requires. less co.il,- and . can: bo.,accomplished'; by ' 'a . iniifch Smaller . ship ''At - the. highest rata'of 'speed. Hfor.lristanfte,'"tho iiew

liusitania requires' GOOO tolls of Coal, i or at the rate of .1200 tons a. day, for her iivo days' passage - to. Now. York.: 'A steamer of 10,000 tons, doing 25 knots, could mako the three days' passage to Newfoundland:. With. ,a coni sumption of from 1500 ,to 1800 tons ' of coal. " The lighter; ship for a short ; voyaco would require less power, and woulir' attaiiV : lnore speed :; .than the ■ heavier One oil-tlfo lbngor voyage,with; . bo lil'uch more dead. woight., i On ; ; this ; ro\ite the Atlantic • can be crossed iri' ■■■•'■ three days, agaihst.. thb'-' five .to New jYork. , ' ( , , ( THE WEST INDIES, - . Before. thb delegatfes niet: at .the con^, ; ;? fence, "The'! Standard' 1 ' wisely, ass&tcd. V'-;' ; ihaCe^h ! ':TOl^K%H6thffl?'6df'%6Vto'. . ' ingVor iihdet "tile ;Crown,. was. entitled to a sharo of tho gCno?.'.! colisidoratioli, and ought to be;repfe6eiitcd bujany; 1 ; imperial Council. ' , It";.is iiot,v there;, .;;;,r-|i'o're,!,'rather '' remarkableijthat' v . -''Bentativbs of ''ft • Liberal; Government, . professihg; = democratic ';ideaai<»/'; shoiild- ■•; havo- lieen the' nnea,' ahovo nil others. • . to' conserve: to themselves thb voice l '. tho Crown Colonics?. AVhy should • ■ tHby 'notj' Of'' all' people, havo demoCratised the position of th'eso colonies, and havb-' givoiv tho nnin' ''who best understand the interest of these colonics , oommercially, i if ~,,n0t 'Dolitically l a- ■ proper, voice in. tho management, of . .iQoir'countrt'S ..affairs?-. ; . It is not ,generally known that re- : presentativesj ~thb, ,\Vest. Indies l • : wero-not prpselit Con- " i ferenco;-and] apparently ,no detcrlniliedr'.''j ,'otfort;'was riiado.-.to .obtain the .presence •of such delogates; It Would, therefore, ' seem that the; colonics'; re-; prcsontativcsdid: not, think that at that. - .moment their , .presence.'.; was matorialj; nor could they,have realised • that Crown themselyes :V' bf the same stock as thomsolves, and that all the population of these tropical and nch colonies, woro not coloured. . Even . if tho people woro coloured, tho value • of their country called, for 'as much' recognition,' as did any other. ; After all, those places aro giving their best to the Mother .Conntry, and e\;on if in', some cases they , are giving 'more to foreign -countries/ on account' of those ' countries' greater enterprise and' better fiscal laWs, that is not their' fault,' but .thp Mother. Country's. ;l ' ' • .l'robably tho • majority of- the','.dele-'. ' ■ gates came io without • •■: having made up their minds as to the' ' , '•••• concrete results'.to bo looked for.' But may I point out that; if-.these .conferGnces arc to romain- nicrcly conslilt-a----1 .tivej- their iraluo must eventually: bo; ■ ■ reduced to nullity, and that thbil' re--""'solutions,•'-"even- ' When- 'unanimously passed, will probably never ' have; a; > binding or. oxccutivo , uflcct? It •rilaj' • , bo mentioned now. that India .was. also tabooed at this last Conference) but- a ,-representative-of" thai Country was ultimately; admitted, and i supported ,'the,' '. ftlother, Cbiuitfy. in. a ■ fiscal,, debate. ',;'

: , KIOTLN'G AT. CALCUTTA.' : Extraordinary scenes- occurred 1 in ■ tho ' Cal6utta l'qlice in • Augiist - , i;. A \large of, students who had deserted ; ' their in •spite 'of -the protests' 'of •thq"tea'ch6rs,"' ; g(itli'ercd ill tli'o halls 1 Bnd corridor,v to hear ■ Sentence • passed 1 ; on 1 -two"''NationalVoltiAteers" ' who: !. were arrested for assaulting the- police at. a boycott anniversary celebration: ; 'l'he ;■ students created such a disV; turbance, -j'shrmting/.^i-'spitting,':and ■ V* : iostling7vth'at;'ih(S.;polico' proceeded ;to; j '{j clear j'i <thi3, ,c'ourt t \ 'Maiiy, • 0f,., tho J. students retaliated, "and ' a -soric&'bf .'.scuf-.V'fles^.tqok-place. The mob, however,: .-*■ was : finally .. driven ~ headlong- ' into \ tlio street. Here further, .opposition, 'was '.>BhqWft. . I'inallv. ... mounted. pplico charged the mob. ' Even then fight Svas shoWli .with-..fista,-. and. teeth.'.." Tho determination' sliown by the' students • was ■ very striking considering . tho. ac-. - cepted idea that, tlio'Bengalis hay» . no courage. " Later on further excitement. was -caused "by the appcaraiibb Of Bopin ; "1'al; ihe extremist leader, in .the 'wit< "'. iiess-box in tlio;' sedition 1 case against the,' "Bant' Matafam" -newspaper.', Bopin I'al obstinately refused to ' answer any questions . in. Spite'of : o warning from tho colirt, ! and ho Jins now to answer a ohargo of cofttempt ..of court. V. , The exciteinont . that- : prevails - throughout Calcutta ,is intense. , Af--fairs in Eastern Bengal aro also not > improving!' i'ivc '.'National ' Volunteers'.' pushftd the Civil surgeon ! Comilla into tlio rivCr at, Ohandpur, and he narrowly escaped drowning, Tho planting community in Bohar is v incensed at 1 the 1 Calcutta High Court's setting aside tho death sentence on tho men who lnlled Mr, Bltlflmfield, tho planter, V THE TRANSVAAL MINERS.: ■ Mr. J.- B. Robinsofi, the well-known Transvaal'mine-owner, Cabled to tho "Daily Chronicle" as follows I— It is tho intention of the Transvaal Government to assist the miners apd their.families now out of work through

tho strike, as Woll as a large number of the unettiplOyod, with toeans to sustain .: them, until, .tho construction of public works, which, wo anticipate \?ill boVtakon in'hand . very shortly. I'be -severe depression in tho , Transvaal and throughout South Africa has boon: afceohtuated by the late strike:. There are ; at present some thousands of men, thrown out .of employment. Many of thoni are inarfioii and have largo -families. In addition to tho strikers there are thousands of the ilri-' omployed- on tho verge of starcatioiv Tho. strikers resent the treatment' they have ,* received at the hands of the; mining groups. , say .they now realise that for years past they have' been ! used as 'pawns oil the political chess-board to v further the ends i of the magnates. Now- that tho elections are over, and tboir services aro no longer, required, a doliberato : attempt is' being made by .a cosmopolitan junto to . hound British workmen out of, tho Transvaal. ,' ,

- These miners are Englishmen, and many of thein fought for their country during the lato war. Thoy dwell with- great bitterness oh the Jameson ltaid,',, and how. the prornotefs of tho Raid succeeded in> obtaining cOrttfol over'thein. i Tho secret of the invasion, they say, was well kept ufitil about oiio week before .it took place, and then arms were hurriedly ■ thrust into thoir hands, ? and they . were called lipoli to .defend' theniselves. 1 agairist that terrible aValanSho ■of oppression . which the ; ! magnates-' alleged ' came from khigefism, arid would overwhelm the working man in tho Transvaal. Then, again, ; ' the iriihdr.s ,say : they were' Used as a lever during tho lat-? war, arid th6y the statement niado -in tllo House' bf .Commolis .by a member of the late Government that the ■Ivaj' TVaS.-riot. a .ihagnates; warj'but. ft.'wat; in. the.interest and for .'tho 1 protection of the working man-.' They now ask what 'is their- position to-day as British . ■ .subjects ill tlife.. Trarisvaal.' Thoy?.)Varit "and - ■ rightly,Why England: went to War atid'drenched, thtf s'oil of this .ed'itiitry' With the .blood 6f fillet 1 ] sofisas>» '.sis i .that ; J6f' ,th o; -Boers,- 1 besides incurring/an .okpehdit'tlrb it'.-; donej. they:. ask. to . enable . a .cosmopolitan cabai to :drive English workitien out of the countrjv

Canada Contrasted' with Australia. ;; : <The i greatest;'iaetbi" ! to', Kb'-. reckoned, ; With :in < dealing :• wjth • Canada""is; its,', . proirimity to • the "United States; : which okercis&s 'ah influence Bo.'.'tireat' that it can never be 'obliterated," says : th.d "British • , ■Australasian 1 ;:' ',• "Indeed, ijEiir'opea'ns.Visitmg ; North r-Amorica ;for 'the'.first .timel sce.Vlittle;.difference iii outward appearance Canadians, and' Americans.- ■ A most; interesting comparison could be ; drawn' : between Australia', arid '..Gaiia'da 1 ; 6f the - British . people, each: with .British Constitutions;.and': under British silpre-- , m'afcy'.The, -one •an ,i; island; a continent, "separated, by great; distances 'from, any outside 'pressure, out, its own futurd'6 nits qwk lilies J- the othbr dividing'a great 'territory with' a , people far : more powerful' and . richer than themselves,, and . exercising. upoft, iti" 'iieiglibour great";political -pressure atld In. this - Aspect Canada may;bo Said'-to. have:'a •gfeat.advantage over Australia." BRITISH RULE IN' INDIA* ' ;. i'-!. The: German. noWspapof - "Tageblatt. fur Noi'd China"; publishes . art, article nridef headifig, _V-The - Awakening •of : ihdia." :As manner, the Indian' Nationalist : propa»; galida is-being spread in the Far East the character of Vtlie picture of, British rule in lndia .Which is. being; portrayed;in 'tho columns '.of' newspapers'in farther Asia, ing 'from tho articlo are worthy of attention ' 'Every year . huhdreds. of; poor. .Indians arb done to; death by. Englishsoldiers, and yet the, law dooS :not .overtake them, The English Government ■do'cs not punish, them ,at;.a11.,, fiungof ahd plaguo are actually fpstored; by'the IJijglishvGbVerunient',' so tliat;the people ,'iire.always kept poor and Wbitk; aild ;are, unablo to, offer opposition .to the ordors of the Government.. ..The Arms Law is so extrabrdiiiary.that.no Indian is allowed to cafry'a penknife without, the , permission. of ,the' British, officials.' ~Th'e Englisli have crushed, the existence of the Indians, dostroyed their youth, iviojlated thoir .rights to .lifb arid pi'operty, '.and persecuted and; . executed.''their leaders. They are forbidding .the In-

diuns to speak their oWn language and 1 arc suppressing . their (newspapers. I ,' ~ ; . "The National Congress last year resolved, in the presence ,of 10,000 .persons, ,to take;the administratiftri of the country into its own hands. Thousands of : poptllar speakers are travelling throughout the various Indian, districts, preAcning, among tlie people revolt against English law, and-refusal to'pay taxes. to the authorities.. .Millions. 6f : pamphlets 'in the vernacular: aro boing distributed; I'.callirtg'ltipon, the people to take , iipi ■ the, fight fof 'the. f atherUiid." ."During thho last.,, open revolt in. India,' tho. Indiali troops were ordered to firo i upon : the Indians;; Ilefo was an opportunity* of- refusing obedience: to ; .[English . officers..: In spite- of . the fact,' • however,, that on - this 1 occasion mail'y Englishman w'ero , killed and woundedi not one.fired . a shot at an Indian. When the native troops.refused to Obey' their, officers, tho G&ysriiment brought ill English troops. But they were rol'-:-bidden' to use firearms, as the Indian troops were preparedito fire on them if they fired on the Sepoys," , It should bo stated that the article, from which these quotations are taken was from tho pen of an Indian thin : passing through Tien-jsin/on his Way to Europe.' ■ ' TRIBAL CUSTOM IN CANADA. Tribal custom and Canadian JuStico have clashed m the wilds of Ke&Watin, 1 , i. and Joseph and Jack Fuller, tho chief| diid tho."medicine, nian" ef tlio Sandy Lake, are /way House,.oil Hudson Bay,' and bfeing ,tried for.the murder of a st|uau>, The woman, who is of tho same name and blood as ,thp;tWo 'prisonous, 'fell sick *in: the sprihg .and became, delirious. The Itidians of • the district believe that when a- sick, person,becomesdelirious, ah' evil smrit or. ; 'Wc-te-go 'has .entered,, them. Tlioy. : ~believe.'. that ,'if the . person .'dies: naturally tho -escapes. far the woods, pursues aiid frightens, away the game, and fainino. follows. .Tlioreforo th.e band assembled,. and according to the custom! delegated their chief 1 and : nian". to" tho duty ofchoking tho.sick ,squaw, that tHc_ spirit might) not; escape' with, tho passing of breath, but, remain 'imprisoned in tho dead body. ' . ~ • .... In tho presence of- the whole, band the .chief and tli6"medicino: mail"; carried out the iiistfiictioiis.-' A . pifeco 'of. Canvas was placed' about tho squaw's neck, and then.the nOOSe ~'of, a ropo.' This boing tightened.by the two leaders of the band the ravings of tile, woman ,woro ; stopped, tho. evil spirit was imprisoned, and ; the.gamo preserved. This picce.of barbarism was executed within 200 miles of Konora. .Word of it readied tho,authorities, and tho arrests followed. , The Fidlors askod the officials not to be too sevr-o with tlicrp, as. they had ho idea that. they, wore, doing wrong. Tlloy were morely doing, their duty by the band,' and following a custom of tlioir fathers. The: execution of this ' duty was ,"a high hohour,"-and ac--1 cording. to custom the executioners were handsomely fod by tho parents .of I thq victim. Tho Ottawa authorities IJ have sent a judge to Norway House to i try tho case.