FOREIGN NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 27, 26 October 1907, Page 12

FOREIGN NEWS.

I'll AN CE AND MOROCCO. Paris, September 12. General Drude's victory has not como before it was wanted; as tho public was inclined to grumble at the apparent state of paralysis of tho French forces. Looking lieyond the immediate oll'ect, it may bo hoped that tho ultimate result will be the reversion to normal conditions at Casablanca, permitting Franco and Spain to begin tho organisation proper of tlio police. The mission of General Drndo ought to be almost terminated, and tho command of Casablanca can again bo ontrusted first to Franco-Spanish po ice olhcers, and finally to tho futuro gendarmerie colonel. This will enablo tho situation to contract again to tho limits of t.ho Algeciras Act as far as Casablanca is concerned, and it Abd-el-Azir, reaches Rabat at tho ond of tho wook, as ho ought to do, thero seems fair ground for hoping that nono of tho other ports will require a disembarkation of troops. 'So far, tho courso of events has amply justified tho cool-hcadcd and prudoiu policy and action of the Government and th'cir instruments. ... The first roal and brilliant victory has naturally put all other sides of tho Moorish question into tho background. The problem of the payment of the indemnities, however, i 3 ono which will soon have to bo met, to judge by the porsistent clamour of some of tho German newspapers. It may be remembered that in a recent Council of Ministers it was decided that the most satisfactory way of sottling the matter would bo, apparently, an (international Commission to assess the damages,, for which Morocc.o, would be held responsible. This was generally taken to mean that Franco cither had proposed or meant to propose such a method, but this i 3 not tho case. The opinion of the' Cabinet was merely the result of a discussion among the Ministers, but the Government do not consider that they aro in any way called upon to offer advice to the Sultan. - Holding to tho Act of Algeciras, France restricts herself to such operations as are necessary, for the maintenance or tho rcrestablishment of order. In her opinion, it is for the Sultan to assess tho damages, and pay them when called upon. Up ,to the present neither France nor any other Power has mentioned tho question to tho Makh7,cn. Should the Sultan proposo a method of 'assessment which did not seem adequate or likely to prove satisfactory to any one Power, such Power might object. Tho same .argument applies to payment. Should tho Sultan make difficulties about recouping Europeans for damages, any Power might tako what diplomatic steps it choso, but always keeping within tho limits of tho Act of Algociras. . . .. ' ; It can easily, bo seen that this attitude is a complote answer to pan-German attempts to render France responsible, or compel hor to pay. It is more than probable that. Franco may, as a favoiir, pay any claimants if asked to do so officially and rogiilarly, hut, otherwise, she is not likely to movo 111 the matter, and at least for tho next three and a half years, whilst tho Algeciras Act is in force, claimants will havo to be content with what they, can get from the Sultan or beg. from France. Tlie movo alleged to,havo been mado by Germany in advancing a quarter of a million of marks (£12,500) is obscure. If it irioans anything, it would scom' open to tho interpretation that Gorman claims, stated in the newspapers to amount to many millions of marks, aro grossly exaggerated, since thoy aro met by Government, compensation of only a quarter of a million. FRANCE AND "GERMANY. Paris, Septomber 10. The publication of the German reply to the French announcement of tho intention, if necessary, to occupy Moorish ports lias not created a good impression amongst the public, though M. Clemenceau, speaking to reporters, declared himself well satisfied. Tho "Dobats" voices tho goncra! feeling pretty accurately whon it says

"Tho ,Gorman'assuranco that thero is no intention to raiso difficulties would be more satisfactory if it were rtot spoken in so magisterial a tono, implying clearly that Germany still holds tbo rod. But wo do not seo that her attitude in. 1905 aud 1906, obliges her to forget the hiaxim that'the manner of giving is more than tlio gift. It is impossible to avoid the impression, that the Imperial Government, unable to oppose the police measures which the situation imperative, nevertheless maintains reservo. It shows, so to speak, a'threatening benevolence.' "This attitudo'- dictates more and moro clearly the ono which wo ought- to tako' in Morocco. Wo must not -raako tlio Moorish question a' subject of opposition to the Government, whatever wo may think of the merits of the Cabinet itself. On tho other hpiid,- tho Government must facilitate the action of 'the coiuitry. in showing that thoy roly upon it. Without going into the brond question of our policy, and restricting oursolves to tho moasures. already'announced and approved by Europe at our request, it is to bo hoped that they will he taken with all tho fulness they domand. Evon if it is necessary to land more men than it may bo required to leave thero later for polico organisation, we'must operate with' such forces that no native will be teinpted to repeat the scenes which followed tlio bombardment of Casablanca." ' :: ' • 0

: Tho "Temps" has a leader much on the samo lines, concluding with the words"lt' would boifolly to fall into the old mistake of the''petits paquots.' If we havo to' ~laiid troops in thenorts, let it be in sufficient numbers effectively to protect those placed'.under, our charge, and not to "expose, the' lives of our soldiers in vain; otherwise our faction would bo not' only barren, but-wicked arid cHminal.'" '

RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

St.. Petersburg, September;lo. By the Eusso-Jtipanese Fisheries Convention of July 28, which was ratified yesterday, and will ho published here, to-morrow, tho Kussiari Government grant to Japanese, sub: jcots the right- of fishing and of collecting and treating marine products, ;with tho oxcoption of seals and sea otters, in'.the Sea of Japan, : tlio Sea of Okhotsk, and Bchriiig Sea, rivers and bays being excepted.; Tho .catching of, lish and the treatment of marino products aro permitted to Japanese subjects on tracts "of land , specially assigned for, the purpose. Theso tracts of land.jtrill bo,'publicly .offered for lease to Japanese aud Itussian subjeots withoiit distinction of nationality. . , ../

A spccial license will, be. required by-the Japaneso for whalo and/cod. fishing. . Russian and Japaneso subjects leasing tracts of land lire placed'on a footing'of equality as regards taxes and othor dues.'- Fish and mariuo products intended for pxport, from tho coastal territory and tho Amur'district aro not to, be taxed by tho Russian authorities. Tho persons ongagod by Japanese subjects for tho catching of iish and'tho treatment of fish products aro to bo subject to no restriction on national grounds/ 1 Tho Japaneso Government, -on thoir part, bind themselves not to impose any import'duty on fish and marine impose any import duty on fish and marine products from tho doastal-torritory or tho Amur district. n.Aftor its expiration the Fisliorios Convention may bo renewed or modified b.v agreement between the two contracting parties, for a, period of "twolvo years at a time. ■.

Tho. Russo-Japanese Treaty of Commorco and Navigation,' -which will also ho published to-morrow, was.concluded in conformity with Articlo 12 of tho Treaty of Portsmouth,- ami corresponds with , the most favoured nation troatios ooncludod with -othor Powers. A special articlo and a protocol aro annexed, and have 'treaty" force. Russia and Japan thereby mutually bind themselves to grant ,oach other certain privileges which aro not included -in tho'.essential rights of a most favoured, nation.' Russia retains the right to grant certain privileges to neighbouring States, with tho objfcct of facilitating trado, within a strip of frontier of 50 versts (33 miles). For" the benefit of Japan, on the other hand,' the arrangement will remain in force as regards Jiipancso trado with, neighbouring 'Far. Eastern. countries oast of the Straits of Malacca. Tho annexed protocol concerns ' the commercial. rotations of the Amur 'arid Maritime Territories with tho lvwan-tung Territory, which has become Japahoso.,

Tlie commercial treaty will coino into forco two months after the oxchango of ratifications. Each of tho contracting parties has the right to notify tlio other, aftor July 17 (July 4, 0.5.), 19*10, of its intention to terminate tho treaty, which shall then expire. ; t)velvo months after such notice. A tcmporary convention is also published between Russia and Japan, providing for. tho' linking

up of the Russian with the railways in Manchuria at the station of Kwan-clian-tso, and laying down the technical conditions of the joining and working of those railways. GERMAN RAILWAYS. Berlin, September 12. The electrification of tlio existing railways of Germany is proceeding steadily 111 many parts of tlie country. Tne Jiavarian Alimsicr of Railways will shorcly introduce a Bill in tho Jiavarian Diet providing lor the substitution of electric tor steam traction 011 several lines, including one trom Munich tw jiociicl, another from Munich to Mittenwald, and a third from l'Veilassung to Berclitesgaden, with an ■ aggregate length' of ICO miles.' / • ' Tho Prussian State Railways Administration havo dccidccl to substitute elcctric for steam traction on all tho Berlin suburban lines, and a beginning 111 this direction lias already been made with the line to Sudemle. 'Entirely now .elcctric railways for high speed trains'are,projected 011 the .BerlinHamburg and Berlin-Cologne Railways. Herr Rudolf Mayor, the engineer, publishes a statement that 'Germany will lead the world ill the introduction of electric railways as England was tho pioneer in regard to steam. A £600 BABY. DunUirli, September 12. An ingeniously-worded advertisement' in a Paris paper has caused numerous peasant women in this district to write to'tho advertiser, who gives an address in London. In reply, each of these people lias' received a letter in excellent French olforing a'payment of £600 in return for their sending a signed engagement to adopt and bring up "a strong,, healthy baby boy, four months old, whoso parentage must be kept secret." ;As. a further inducement,- tho communication states that, in the event of tho child's dcAth, the money will becomo the property of the foster parents, but should it roach its. ma; jority a further sum of £600 may bo made. All this, howover, is not to bo done for nothing, as the advertiser requests that a postal ordor for 12frs. 20c. (10s. ' 2d.) shall bo sent with the signed agreement "to meet the cost of translating and registering their engagement in accordance with the requirements of tho English law." Two residents of Dunkirk havo complained about- the mattor, and there is reason to believe that many similar letters have been received all oyer Franco, as tho paper in which the advertisement was inserted' has a very wide circulation. The authorities are making an'investigation into tho bona fides of the' "£6OO English Baby." A FREAK MARRIAGE. New York, September 12. An eccentric wedding took place at tr.a Hippodromo to-day, Mr. George Fairman, of Brooklyn, and 1 * Miss Alberta Mitchell, of Scranton; Pennsylvania, being married under water. The Rev. Vi. D. Hughes, attached to 'tho Coney Island 1 Mission, performed tho ceremony, in the presenco of as many members of the Hippodromo company as could find room, inside the diving bell used in tho thoatrieal performances. All wore bathing '. suits,. tho bride's. dress boing of blue; with red and white trimmings, whilst a rubber cap did duty for the customary wreath of orange blossoms, because, as sho said, "tho water might 'muss' my hair, which I).havo 'fixed', for the wedding journey." After' tho ceremony the clergyman and tho witnesses dived, under tho bell and swam to tho service, but tho bridal pair ascended: in the bell without a wetting. The wedding breakfast was held 1 in a neighbouring restaurant. A' MAD MILLIONAIRE. / New York, September 12. Tho ease of Mr. Edward Yanderbilt, '"the millionaire lumber merchant, who married tho' spiritualist, ..Mrs. May Pepper, 1 and whoso sanity was/challenged by'his daughter, came to an ond to-day',' tho jury agroe-l ing that,lie is .mohtally weak. Mr. Vanderbiit believed that'; Mrs.; Pepper put.|liim : .into communication with 'liis'deceased Vifo-.by means'.of ,''Little.' Bright Eyes," an Indian girl medium, and'ho was indwisd to make over a largo portion of'his .property;'to.Mrs. Popper, whom lib two months ago. He- is now- declared incapable of managing his affairs'. ' ■ FRENCH HOOLIGANS.:

. . Paris, September 10. . The stato.of.tiie Paris .streets is daily, becoming moro dangerous, . t and not . a . day passes without several cases of generally quite unprovoked attack, frequent!}'- resulting in xnurder. Women in tlio best quarters, like the Avenue desi Champs Elysee's, are accosted by some ruffian, who bids them follow him at the risk of being instantly assassinated, and inoffensivo. citizens aro l'attacked.' and •killed, sometimes being' .first robbed, but; often merely-for tho sako of trying a new 1 knife or revolver.- A -'young-' man: wa3 yesterday assaulted by three vagabonds, who first took •everything he possessed, and then, though he offered no resistance, fired 1 three shots into liini, leaving him for dead and unlikely to recover. ■

The same evening an extraordinary scene was enacted at 'oiio of the low-class cafes whoro-ragpickers are wont to resort.' Owingto a quarrel between a woman and the-wife of the proprietor, the woman's-companion vowed vengeance,: and began assaulting uie husband, who defended himself with a bull's hide 1 whip. "A'.second "Apacho" took' tho proprietor's part, and was immediately shot through the arm. : Drawing his own revolver, ho-lodgod a bullet in the heart'of tho first- scoundrel,' stretching him 1 dead oh 1 tho floor. •: Instantly the comfades of the dead man drew 'weapons to avenge him. 1 Tho proprietor'turped'out- the lights and fled to an inside room. Pa,ndomonium ensued, and a.fusillade bo'gan, smashing all the glass ill the place and riddling tho walls with bullets. At least 150 shots were fired beforo a strong detachment of tho police joined in, also with revolvers. Finally the battle ended by the arrest of the murderer and sovcral of the others.. Latterly the outrageous license of tho; so called "Apaches" is becoming an. uiifortunato feature of life in Paris and a very serious social question. Tho general feeling is in favour of the poliee having power _ to arrest suspicious characters knives or revolvers, and the infliction of. a sound flogging qn conviction. Even capital punishment in cases whore tho victim die's would not, it is. thbught, be so efficacious in putting an ond to this species of'crimo as graduated and repeated flogging administered m murder-cases at stated intervals during lmprisonmout. 1 The salutary t effect of the '.'cat" was proved against tho" .garottors in London,'and is unequalled'as a deterrent fro mhabitual acts of violence as" differentiated from tlioso committed under tho influence of sudden passion. THE KAMAROVSKI MURDER. ( Vienna, September 9. Tho sensational murder, of Count Kqniarovski, at Vonico, now. proves to' be no political affair, but . to bo duo merely to an unbridled greed for gold. Tho chief actor .n tho tragedy is tho Countess Tarnovski, a young woman whose extraordinary beauty and fascination liavo brought rmn and do struction to many men, and families._ She 13 said to bo desconded from an old Irish family named O'Rourko, which emigrated to Russia a conturv ago. She married first a high Russian official.' She seems to have had sevoral intrigues, and her. husband shot 0110 of her lovers, and ho sued for a divorcc. Thcso. proceedings brought tlio Countess to I'rilukoff, then one of tho Foremost advocates of Moscow. He fell a victim to lior wiles, squandered his; fortune, incurred-debts, and .embezzled tho money of his clients, all to gratify her luxurious tastes. His wifo divorced him, and, boing comjiletcly ruined, Prilukolf ~ fled . tho country. On meeting Countess Tarnovski again'ho compolled | her to rofund .£4OOO, which sho a few days later persuaded him to return. . ■ - _ Count Knmarovski s murdoror, Aaumqff, was anothor victim to the charms of Countess Tarnovski, and had deserted his wifo and family for her sake. Count Knmarovski, himsolf an old acquaintance of Countess la>•• liovski, hnd also become madly infatuato.l with her. Tho Countess seems to have carried oil intrigues in a marvellous manner wit 1 all three without each suspecting tho others. Her accomplice, Prilukolr, assorts that -bo .dovisod tho whole plot to murder Count K.y 'marovski. 1 , ,' ■ Tho -Vienna police have arrested Countefj Mario Tarnovski, in connection with the mur-

dor of Count Kamarovski by Naumofi .it Venice. The Russian lawyer, Prilukoff, is also under arrest. 1 BALLOONING IN A STORM. Paris, September 12. .lime. Carton and Mme. Silberer went up in a balloon yesterday afternoon a few moments before a severe thunderstorm broke orer Paris. Tlio two ladies were cxperienoJ aeronauts—Mmo. Silberer being the wife (f the president of the Austrian Aero Club— but considerable anxiety was felt for their safety when nothing wan heard of them during the night. This morning, however, a message was received at the Aero Club in Paris saying that the ladies had descended without mishap at Montfort a few hours after tlio ascent was made, and hud spout the night in that village. BRIDAL TRAGEDY. . Paris, September 12. A strange bridal tragedy is reported by tho "Horald's" Berlin correspondent. Siegfried Rossow, a young Berlin bookkeeper, was married a few days ago, and with nis bride had, decided to seek his fortune in America. They' found, however, that all the steerage places had been allotted in the steamer thoy had selected for the voyage, and because they'ha-, not enough money to pay for second-class they decided to commit suicide. In tho train back to the capital the young man shot himself, tut his bride lost couraeo, and. rovolvor in hand, shouted for help when the train arrived at the station of Oranienbcrg. Slio was immediately attended to, and ; the body of her companion has been taken charge of, pending inquiries. MOTOR-CAR IN A LAKE. Geneva, September 12,' An extraordinary motor-car disaster occurred at the eastern end of tho Lake of Geneva last night. The car belonged to M. Ciaire; a wealthy Frenchman, who, with his chauffeur, was driving four friends to Montreux by. the road which runs along between , the south side of the lake and the railway. At ISouvcret the road, crosses the, railway,,. ro- • crossing again just above the town. Of (his fact tho chauffeur was evidently . unaware. At any rate tbe car, a large and powerful one, and proceeding at great speed in tho darkness, after haying safely negotiated the first crossing, dashed headlong into the closel gates' of tlio second; crossing. The impast was terrific. Tho gates gave, way like paper, and tho car sped across tho railway. As tho gates were crashed through', however, a piece of tho flying dc-bris struck the chauffeur and stunned him, causing him to entirely lose his control over the car. Thus, with no, hand on its steering wheel, and, with no slackening of pace, the car continued its career across country straight for the lake.' Tho , few hundrod yards which separated tho , railway from tlio lvatcr were covered ill a minute ur two, and the 'next moment it had jumped the sixty foot bank'into the.water. Fortunately there', wore several spectators of the ■ disaster, and they promptly rendered help, or, all the occupants of ,thc car must have Tjeen drowned. As it_ was, 'when-, thoy ~ were brought to land,, it. ir'as found that, four >f them were seriously injured,: two so,severely that thoy are not expected to recover.,, I'ho car is still in the lake,' many -foot underwater.

CHERISHED MOUSTACHES,.

Paris, September 12,

•There is every■ possibility that the .waiters of the Paris cafes will shortly go on strike again in support, of their cherished right to wear moustaches. Thoy struck last April m defence ,qf; this right', - and also because tho cafe proprietors 'made them pay' too heavily for breakages of glass and china. An agreement" was arrived at, and the waiters , let their'moustaches grow, but- lately'n; number of: cafo keepers havo refused to engago any. but'xloari-'shqven; waiters, and.tho cnargohjr breakages has-, crept up to the old. level again. During the last few: { l ays a' number Ot. indignation havo„beon; held;by have' l bebiI r i I b'und' r sfeire , i ; al''fcaTes tb-cTay', and' I find' both waiters and proprietors iirni and' resolute. - The waitors ; declare that rather than- s:icrifico ; their/moustaches thby will allow Paris to hunger and thirst. Tbo proprie-tors-declare that if they cannot get trained waitors they will get untrained ones. And so another waiters' war- appears' to be' looming in the near future." ■ -