FOREIGN NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 116, 8 February 1908, Page 12

FOREIGN NEWS.

GERMAN NAVY INCREASE. ._ Paris, December 24. Returning to a, consideration of Sir Edward Grey's speech and to various comments made on it in, tho British Press, tho "Figaro" concludes an' article to-day by saying:—"Beforo the brutality of facts, all cloudy Utopias vanish. Thero does not live an Englishman— oven tho most pacific—who doubts that his country would ho in grave danger on tho day that a German fleet would be strong enough to risk an. encounter with his own. This day will come 'in a year or two,' said Sir Edward Grey. , What is to bo done in the meanwhile? For England there aro only two ways of protecting herself against the increasing fleet of Germany: either to. spend without counting or to destroy without waiting. Tho peace of tlio world lies .between the two horns of this dilemma. ' The: above is over tho signature of M. Eugene Lautier, who may generally be 'taken to represent a very largo proportion of professional opinion in military and'naval questions.

' THE FRENCH ARMY. Paris, December-26.' "he question of the raising of. the strength of the Army by native troops from. Algeria or Tunis,, which was alluded to in itho- "Standard" as the possiblo contingent effect of tho tivo''years' military: service law, has beCri brought forward almost sooner than anybody expected. M. Messimy, the Reporter' on tile Budget of the War-Ministry, has now officially proposed to tho Government to replace any French troops withdrawn from the African colonies by nativo recruits. A littlo explanation inay be necessary beforo examining his project;- Tho application of tho new two years' law seems certain to 'result' in a deficit of 50,000 active service mon. . At pre-sent-13,000 French conscripts are sent annually to .Algeria. If theso could, bo kept; at home, substitutes .would havo to bo found.. 'To-do,'this'is tho'probleni tnat M. Messimy suggests solving by native conscription. Conscription was introduced into Tunis ,by the Boys, and continued under the French Pro-/! tectorate. Tho Tunisian infantryman passes threo years in-the active army and belongs for 10 years to' the. reserve. ■ By availing themselves of - about '.'.one-qiiart'er of . the yearly, contingent liable, tho Tunisian authorities ■ can raiso: about 7000 men, and when tho reserves aro'completely organised they will be l able'to. mobilise about 3u)000. , In Algeria, on' the other haild, voluntary enlistment without the reserves, produces an krniy of less than 20,000, though: Algeria is threo -times as largo and' populous as Tunis. M. Mossimy considers this result absurd, and proposes forthwith to introduce conscription! into Algeria,,which, according to his report, will allow not only of dispensing with the J 13,000 Frehch recruits, 1 but ought to provido a force of nearly 120,000 !to add to the military strength of France. ,- This prospect seems, tempting, and has so far .'''convinced., General Picquart,. tho Minister of . WarJ'that ho lias, scourod 'Algeria for tho last 'two. months to; examine into tho details. On the other hand, the Algerian Press, which represents the colony, does not like tho idea at all. Several more or .less forcible arguments are brought against the proposal, but tho principal and most weighty ono is tho'objection of'the French residents to entrust- the protection 'pf; , their . wives, faniilies and property to troops! of tlio samo race as thoso from whom 'aggression may be feared. ■ , ,

BRITAIN AND TURKEY. • ' • "; Touching the. vacant, Turkish Embassy iii' London, the Paris of tho "Standard" says:— .. .. My attention _has been called to- several, somewhat 'sensational articles that have, lately appeared iu .the'. Loudon Pressy concerning Nejib"PashavMalhameh. , During' a long stay ;iti" Constantinople ~I: had frequent occasion. to - meet li is Excellency ,'sjbd to watch the extra-; '.ordinary ..influence, ■.almost'.- invariably for goodj that, ho.: was; ablo; toj exercise on tho. coui-se' of events,' afij iiiflueiicp'tho'working of' which was completely hidden, and known to very fiw. indeed ontsido; or, eveiv inside, the inner circles of diplomacy and Yildiz Kiosk.' Thoso who 'aro behind tho scenes, however, know that it was ho who caused tho sudden; detente'; jjotweeii 'Turkey and Bulgaria, last autumn. When tho two .countries were positively within a breadth of war, and "when the bdhib- was thrown,at .tho Selamlik and 12,000 Armenians and' Turks wero under .sentence , 6f ),cxde. he was able, . by l almost superhuman exertions, to, avert what might have ,led to incalculable consequenpesl . ,'i'ho prolonged, anxiety ana tremendous' '.physical' strain hp; underwent ; at -this, period and at the time of the Fehim inoideht brokp down his health, find ho has lately .undergone: a severe operation, and a, cure ,at Mont Dore. I havo heard,; and ..havo . little reason ito", doubt), that, on the . demise .of Musurus. iPasha a telegram was received by,; Nojib in-: •inviting him. to. take temporary charge,of the 'London Embassy'. But, apart from the fact thathis rank precludes him from acting as a Charge d'Affaires,, his health is -probably not yet sufficiently good to allow, of his under■taking the,duties of an Ambassador immediately. ..At the same'time, tho opportunity appears to be a unique one for re-establishing' the ; cordial - with England, ', which jwoiild . certainly be his first object,/ and for the accomplishment of which task ho is- preeminently fitted;' Tho time, is: certainly not far distant, when the friendship or enmity of. Turkey may bo of inestimable, value to British policy,'-and though'llo-longer' in Coristan-.! tinople, where I never' ceased, advocating stops in this direction! I feel; justified, from, a knowledge of many circumstances -that I am not at liberty to publish, in' Stating a; firm conviction that a great deal-may depend on the future use to which tho great talents'and influence of Nojib Pasha may be put. HUNGARIAN PREMIER'S DUEL./ m . !■ • "■' ' Budapest, December 22. Tlie duel between Dr. Wekerle, .the Hungarian. Premier, and M, Polonyi, ' formorly Minister of Justice in the Wekerle Cabinet, ■was fought to-day_:in the' fencing school. The encounter was owing to a recent incident in the Chamber. . The-Premier.had spoken of Mi. Polonyi 'in tho Chamber as a man who lived by destroying the reputations of others, and later in'the day M. Polonyi had replied by applying the term "dishonourable man to Dr. Wekerle. As seconds failed to reach a peaceable settlement, a; duel with swords was arranged / withj the approval of the Emperor' Francis', Joseph. - , Tho combantants, who are both over fifty years of age, stripped to the* shirt,- and aftef the;doctors in attendance had sterilised' their swords, they took their positions. Dr. 'Wekerle, , who was ' the- bigger and, stronger'man of the two, pressed'his opponent from tlio beginning, and after a few passes would havo dealt him a severe blow if one of the seconds had not caught the blow on his own sword, as M. Polonyi had already been forced back beyond tho limit mark. In tho second bout Dr. Wekerle twice broke down his opponent's guard, and dealt him, a blow each time on the upper, part of the body with the flat of his sword. The seconds stopped the duel,- but found . that M. Polonyi was not wounded. , , t , : Tho third round was about to begin when M. Polonyi, realising tho Premier's superiority as a swordsman and also his magnanimity in not inflicting a severe wound in tho last encounter, hande4 his sword tb one of the seconds, and, in a voice shaken by emotion, begged .the Premier's pardon for insulting him. Dr. thereupon shook his hand and' expressed his repret at the wliolo occurrence, so the reconciliation was complete. The Premier telegraphed a report of tho duel to the Emperor, who telegraphed back .his congratulations. Dr. Wokorle then went to tho sitting of Parliament, whero he was received with loud cheers.