FOREIGN NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 80, 28 December 1907, Page 12

FOREIGN NEWS.

THE KAISER'S VISIT. GERMAN PRESS VIEWS. Berlin, November 14. Alone among Berlin newspapers the "Tageblfttt" comments on the Kaiser's visit to the City and his speeches in the Guildhall. All, however, print exhaustive accounts of London's enthusiasm, which the correspondents describe as "wholly unprecedented." Tile "Tageblatt" says:—"lt is altogether prematura to regard the international political dill'orencos which to .111 increasing extent show themselves botween English and German policies as having been dissipated Uy tho Kaiser's visit. These differences still provail. Wo hope that they will moro and more disappear, but we cannot conceal from ourselves tho fact that England to this,very day has manoeuvred so as .to hamper the i'reodom of our movements. Only when England's world-policy has been _ brought into harmony with tho people's will as expressed during this festive wcok can Wo regard as sincero the wish for tho maintenance of tho world's peace." < The "Hamburger Nachrichten" prints another hostile leader with reference to the visit, attacking the official statement by the German Forcigh Secretary, Herr von Schon, regarding tho "old-time affectionate relations" between England anil Germany. This Bismarckian journal recalls the words used by tho Iron Chancellor regarding England after the incident of the Kruger telegram, when the Prince said: "Has there ovor been a moment when German policy has felt that England sympathised with us? ' Tho "Nachrichten" adds:— "i'rinco , Bismarck's references to England's uniformly unsympathetic attitude toward us in tho past are particularly pertinent to tho Kaiser's prosent visit to Enplane!. JSvery unprejudiced politician. mil ask himself: What, indeed, should induco England to-day, now that Germany has become her deadliest, rival in air important fields, to pursue towards us any other policy than that which Prince Bismarck described as typical?" • ? ' FRENCH COMMENTS. Paris, November 14. Commenting on , tho toasts exchanged at VVindsor, tho "Siefcle" says :-r"Thero was a timo, not so vory long ago; wlion Franco might reasonably have looked askance at an Anglo-Gorman rapprochement, and when the Franco-Russian Agreement was as : unpopular in London as in Berlin. But that timo has gone by. Far from fearing such a rapprochomont at present,' .we. desiro. it with all our, heart, and- approvo it in all sincerity, because wo know very well that the establishment of really cordial relations betwoen London and Berlin is only possible on one condition, namely, the relinquishing by German diplomacy and by the German Emperor' himself, of that attitude towards I 1 ranee whose most serious outward- manifestation was seen in the Tangier demonstration." Comment on the Guildhall speech must be awaited till' to-morrow, as it) is seldom the habit of the more, serious newspapers to ad- 1 vance any views on important political utterances too quickly!. - The great evening journals', the "Temps" and the ! "Debats aro silent, but the "Liberto" sums up the Kaiser's words as a consecration of family recollections, and a glorification of peace. " William 11. ingeniously combined these, two themes (it says) in the essential phraso of his discourses. 'History, I venture to hope, will do me tho justico to. acknowledge that 1 have pursu'od this-object ; without swerving.' " Tho' "Liberte" continues, "History will possibly make reserves in crowning the Kaiser's hppes, and it will scarcely bo British historians who will, at first sight, appreciate theso sixteen years of German striving after; peace. But it may be admitted that William 11. meant to speak moro of, : the futuro than of the fyist. , The Emperoii catches, a glance of a, happy prospcct of a peace' solidly resting 011' good relations between England- and Germany.'' /Ho says, 'The wishes of tho German nation agree with my own,' and lit only remains for the Gorman Press to.complete the harmony for us to live in. an idyll. Only one little ■ detail requires fulfilment, and that is tho conform-' ing of the reality with theso pleasant Srcams. Wo know that JVilliam.ll. has a. great deal to say, and especially to do, in this direction." , - . HARD TIMES. New York, November 13. "The losses in value, credit, and fortune in this country since the beginning of the yoar have been greater than those that occurred as tho result of the'great Civil War. This is not ,a rich man's panic, it is widespread distress rapidly extending itself to the furthest sections of the country."' Thus Mr. Mellen, President of the. New York, Newhaven, and. Hartford Railroad. That he has not exaggerated the-situation,is evident from the roports which are now daily reaching, this city from all quarters. Tho United States Steel Corporation, we aro told, has already extinguished .thirty blast furnaces, each with a weekly capacity of -8,000 tons. Tho iron trade has gone through an extraordinary experience in thelast two weeks.- During October its production was a record one 111 tho history of the country, aggregating 2,336,972 tons. 1 ' But the capacity of the coko and anthracite furnaces'has declined in sensational fashion from 511,397 tons per week in October'to 491,437 tons for tho week ending November 1. By January it is anticipate that tho total production of the iron and steel trades will have declined 50 per cent. 1 From Fall River it is reported that a goncral reduction of 10 per cent, in wages, affecting 4-5,000 operatives in the cotton industries, will be put into forco next- week. In the south cotton sales aro largely para-; lysed owing to tho lack of ■ currency. Planters aro bringing the cotton to market but aro unablo to obtain payment except, through the medium of promissory notes. Thoy prefer in tho majority of cases to retain possession of the crops. V TJIO electrical industries are ' dismissing .thousands of'_mon. A' similar state,of affairs provails in tho great department stores. AIR. ROOSEVELT CENSURED. i t New York, November 14; Tho order by President Roosevelt,. romoving tho motto, "In God wo trust," from tho now coinage, has aroused an even moro sorious storm than that which his- ukase on spoiling reform provoked. The votes of protost passed yesterday by episcopal conventions in New York have been-followed to-day by similar expressions of censure in Various parts pf the country. Air. Roosevelt's reason for his action, that tho motto lends itself to ribaldry, is not thought to outweigh tho national sentiment which adopted it under Lincoln in the - crisis of tho Civil War. The President, therefore, will probably be forced to make good his promise to restoro the motto if the Congress so directs. ' Advices from Washington say that the, question threatens to become-a national issue. A member from Kentucky promises to introduce a Bill in tho forthcoming session. It is also proposed to change tho law, making the motto mandatory on all the larger denominations. Although there has been no hard and fast law on tho subject sinco 1860, the Coinage Act of 1873 specified that the motto should be added when practicable. This strengthens the protest against Mr. Roosevelt's hasty removal of'it 011 his own initiative, and his statement that tho inscription had no legal warrant is tho more surprising.