DIARY OF THE WORLD'S NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 265, 1 August 1908, Page 10

DIARY OF THE WORLD'S NEWS.

WEEKLY SUMMARY BY MAIL.. The following weekly summary of tho world's news is taken from tho "Daily Mail" Overseas Edition of Juno 13:— JUNID 12. A French naval lieutenant named Ullmo who has- beou sentenced to imprisonment for lifo for attempting to sell naval secrets , to a foreign Power, was to-day publicly degraded nt Toulon in the presence of 20,000 people. The prisoner, in his goldlaced uniform, looked tho very picturo of misery. His face was pale, his eyes swollen and red, and he was clearly suffering from mental anguish. Ho was marched into the middle of the square a dozen paces from a group of officers who had formerly been his comrades. A naval musketry instructor then marched up to the prisoner. He held an open clasp-knife in his right hand. ' Taking off Ullmo's cap, ho proceeded to tear o£f with his knifo tho anchor and other gold braid. Then ho out the epaulettes from tho traitor's shoulhcr and throw them to tho ground. Next ' tho gilt buttons woro hacked from tho tunic, which thus hung open limp and dishevelled. Tho gold laco at the cuffs, which denoted tho officer's rank, was also ripped' away. When this had been done the musketry instructor with a rapid gesture drew Ullmo's sword from its scabbard, broko it in twain across his knee, and flung tho pieces to tho ground. At this thoro was a loud roar of applause from the crowd, and. shouts of "Death to tho traitor!" .and repeated attempts to break through tho linos of troops to got at tho prisoner, who would have certainly been torn to pieces had tho mob succeeded in reaching him. ' Probably tho greatest, pageant in history passed through_ tho streets of Vienna today in colobration of tho diamond jubileo of tho accession of tho Emperor Francis Joseph. . His Majesty watched tho wholo procession defile before him. Half a mil- - lion spectators were: present, and 25,000actors took part, in tho procession, which included 400 carriages and 4000 horsos, • while 10,000 troops lined tho route. Every period of Austrian history was roprosontcd, from tho founding of tho Habsburg dynasty in tho thirteenth century until tho presont day. Evory race in tho Empire sent its delegates to pay homago to tho beloved Sovereign. Count Wilczok, tho organiser of tho pageant, addressing tho Emperor, said: "Wo have tho inestimable good fortune to bo the first among thousands to give expression to tho unutterable . joy that reigns everywhere to-day. Wo . speak tho thanks of the nation that since 'tho timo of Rudolf'of Habsburg has fought for your Majesty's ancestors. All the races of Austria join in thanks to your Majesty in tho consciousness of forming ono nation and of being tho truo subjects ' of one good master and Emperor, who for sixty yqars witli such graciousness and lovo has cared.for his people. God protect,' God bloss, God proseryo your Majesty!" When tho roar of acclamation had died away, tho mass of brilliant colour .surged forward, the bright sunshine glistening 011 mediaeval helmets, armour, and plumos. The pageant "took three hours to pass tho Emperor. 1 t' ' r JUNE 13. The American coast defenco battleship Florida, built in 1901, lias been subjected to experiments with a 'Whitehead torpedo in Hampton Roads in the presence of Mr. Taft; Secretary for War, Mr. Metcalf, Secretary for the Navy, and other officials. ~Tho .torpedo was directed along.-a wiro against-, a fortified water-tight Tiulkhead. Tho damago caused by tho explosion was serious, but its effects were local, and had tho Florida been in action she could havo gone on fighting.' Many officers and men . wero on board the Florida during the experiments. Mr. Taft and Mr. Metcalf declined to get under cover lvhpn ,tho oxplosion camo, arid as a result a shower of steel fragments and particles of tho torpedo fell like bullets near them, whilo tho spray, which shot up 300 ft., was blown directly into Mr. Taft's faco.

The passing of tho Anti-Gambling Laws in New York Stato has had tho effect- of extinguishing betting. Tho Jockey Club and polico authorities havo arranged a series of test .cases to determine the exact scope of tho new laws. If these cases show that pri- . yato betting cannot be punished as a'crimo, leading sportsmen will orgahiso a club on .tile line? of Tattcrsall's, where members will bo able to settle transactions periodically aniong themselves. But tho day of 'tho small betting man has irretrievably gone, and with it probably public interest ■in horse-racing. It is estimated that tho . new laws mean a shrinkage in value of race-track property in Now York Stato from £16,000,000 to £6,000,000. Kentucky, too, : if thoso aro right who affirm that horseracing cannot exist without botting, will bo deprived of a gigantic source of profit, for it has invested over £2,000,000 in farms for training and rearing thoroughbreds destined for the Eastern markets. Persistent roports aro current of the intention of several owners of racing studs to export their horses to Great Britain.

It is reported that Herr Makonsen, who was ■ the chief engineer of tho Anatolian railway,' has . been entrusted with tho work of extending tho Baghdad railway from Bulgurlu to Helif. '

While ho was planting flowers on his wife's grave, Mr. Joseph Goivcr, of .Kansas City, .U.5.A.,. was st-rilck by a piece of falling masonry and killed.

Governor Wilson, of Kentucky, U.S.A., lias pardoned Caleb Powers and James B. Howard. Powers was in:prison' awaiting the fifth trial' foT complicity in tho assassination eight years ago ■ of Stato Senator Goebel to prevent him from taking office as Governor. Powers was a Republican Stato official. Howard'is the man accused of the actual assassination. Powers was convicted and sentenced to bo haiiged at the first trial, and at tho second and third was sentenced to lifo imprisonment. At the fourth the jury disagreed. The matter has been a predominant issue in Kentucky politics for eight years. Tho petition for a pardon was signed by nearly 600,000 persons. JURE 15. An act. of filial piety was the only event ill which tho Emperor took part to-day in commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of his accession. Shortly after receiving tho congratulationsof the Cabinet Ministers and tho military' dignitaries at tho palaco at Potsdam, the Kaiser, wearing tho uniform of the Pasewalk Cuirassiers—with breastplato and •silver liemlet—the favourite attiro of his father, the Emperor Frederick 111, and accompanied only by tho Kaiseriu, walked to the beautiful mausoleum where his parents are buried. Amid ■ tho solemn quiet of tho rich marblo building their ■ Majesties deposited a gorgeous wreath of laurel and carnation upon the Emperor Frederick's sarcophagus and - then knelt before in- silent prayer for moro than fifteen minutes.. The day was not marked by public demonstrations of any kind.

It is reported that tho Tsarina is suffering from an affection of tho heart. It will bo remembered that on tho day of tho arrival at llcval,, tho Tsarina was not present at tho luncheon on board tho yacht of the Dowager Empress, and that during tho two dnys of tho visit of King Edward and Queen Alexandra sho remained all the timo reclining as' much as . possiblo on a "chaiso-longue.".

Telegrams from Kieff stato that thero is' a plaguo of caterpillars in mnnv parts of South-Western Russia. In somo places tho railway tracks are covered by swarms of insects, and traffic is being hinderod owing to tho state of tho rails. JUNE IC. A gift to scienco of £100,000 is announced, tho donor being Mr. 'Henry Phipps, of Steel Corporation fame. Tho money is to bo applied to the foundation of a special clinic at tho Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, for tho study and euro of mental diseases. Mr. Hiram Percy Maxim lias created a profound sensation in New. York with his new noiseless riQo. l'lio inventor attended a'

meeting of managers of tho Socicty for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, ono of whom had offered a prizo for the most humane invention fitted to supersede the axe in the slaughtering of animals. Mr. Maxim suggested tho noiseless rifle. lie took the weapon, which resembles an ordinary Winchester rifle of .32 calibre, out of its case. Heedless of the chorus of protests, tho inventor placcd two directories against the wall, levelled the liflo at tho outer ono, and pulled tho trigger. Then; was a slight click and that was all. Mr. Maxim dropped the weapon and turned to the spectators smiling. "Well." said tho sceptics, '-what happened? Why did not tho gun go off?" "Oh! it went off, all right," answered tho inventor. "Just look at the outside directory." The sceptics picked it up and found the book was penetrated six inches by a soft-nosed bullet. Mr. Maxim announced, however, that a public demonstration would be given next month at Ssndy Hook under Government supervision. "I shall not," he added, "allow any butcher to uso tho weapon unless ho gives tho strictest guarantees that ho will never remove it from the slaughterhouse, for I shudder to think to what uses tho invention might be put in the hands of criminals." JUNE 17. Signor Tittoni, Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs, has placed on the tablq of tho Chamber tho text of the treaty just concluded with the Emperor Menclik as a result of tho incidents which were attended with much bloodshed in Somaliiand. By tho torms of this treaty the Negus makes over to Italy tho town of Lugli and its surrounding territory. Tho question of the ownership of Lugh has been tho object of years of bitter controversy between Italy and Abyssinia.Tho Tribunal at Domodossola, Italy, has fined a man named Indaco, of Naples, the sum of £24,800 for smuggling 628 kilos of saccharine. This is tho heaviest fine over inflicted in Italy. Several autograph letters havo lately passed between the Kaiser and tho Sultan, and it is announced on good authority that the . Kaiser will, visit' Constantinople in September next. In diplomatic circles it is bolievcd that tho Kaiser is anxious for , Turkey to enter the Triple Alliance. An official decree has bcon issued in Paris authorising tho French Minister for War to accept the gift of I\l. Deutsch'do la Meurtho of his dirigiblo balloon Villo do Paris to tho State. Tho Sultan of Morocco's troops at Alkazar havo revolted and proclaiilicd tho usurper Mulai/Hafid as Sultan. Mulai Hafid has entered Fez. Ho at onco pavo orders that tho wives of all notables m tho servico of tho Sultan should be seized and held as hostages until their husbands renounce allegiance to the Sultan. Some of tho women aro in chains and have been subjected to other indignities. Attempts were mado to extort from the women a statement as to the whereabouts of the trcasuro supposed to havo been left behind by tho Sultan. They replied that the Sultan had tnken all the money with him. Thoy wore then cruelly beaten, but avowed nothing. • In order to declare tho anti-foreign character of tho rule of his predecessor, Mulai Hafid is ruthlessly sacrificing. Abdul Aziz is exerting himself tj collect another force, arid has again announced his intention of. marching upon Fez. This project meets with the approval of tho French in Morocco, but there is little hope of it being realised, unless material aid is given to the Sultan. It is understood that the Russian Ministry of Marino intends to convert Sobastopol into an exclusively naval and military port, closing tho harbour to the mcrcan- . tile marine, which will havo to ba diverted either to Kherson or to Thcodosia. JUNE IS. Mr. William Howard Taft, tho American Sccrotary'fbr War, has been nominated by the Chicago Convention as tho Republican party's candidate for tho Presidency of tho United States, in succession to Mr. lloosevelt. The Democratic candidate is not yet selected. Tho election is held in November, and the successful candidate will take office in March of next year. Mr. Taft was born in Cincinnati in 1857, graduated at Yale University in 1878, and worked as a barrister, solicitor, journalist, and judge. Ho was appointed Civil Governor of tho Philippines in 1901, and Secretary for War in 1903. Ho acted as provisional Governor of Cuba during tho 1006 insurrection-, and' has sinco toured South America and visited the Tsar and tho Emperor of Japan as Mr. Roosevolt's representative. Mr.-Taft's nomination was made amid scones of wild enthusiasm. A procession of chcerins people marched round the Chicago Coliseum, where tho Convention sjt, bearing aloft on a polo a liugo pair of. trousers, manufactured of Texas cloth and presented by tho Texas delegation to Mr. .Taft, preceded ' by a banner bearing -tho favourite candidate's portrait.- In tlii pro'eession wero tho delegates of thirty-three States, each marching bo-, ncath their State banner. The tumult lasted half an hour, 13,000 people chorusing Taft songs. -As Mr. Roosevelt, whose candidate Mr. Taft is, predicted months ago, Mr. Taft was returned by the overwhelming majority of 701 vcites— ten times as many as the number accorded to any rival candidate. Mr. Roosevelt subsequently issued a proclamation eulogising Mr. Taft and warmly congratulating the country oil its choico. On tho previous day chcoring for President' Roosevelt lasted without cessatjon for forty-nine minutes. Mr. E. T. Bcthell, tho British editor and proprietor 'of tho " Korea Daily News," published ,in English and Korean, has been ordered to submit to three weeks' imprisonmont if called upon'to do so, having been found guijty' of tho chai'go of spreading sedition brought against him by the Japaneso authorities. Ho was released on a bond of £100, and informed that a repetition of his offenco would bo punished by deportation. Testimony to the world's incessant military and naval preparations is contained in tho announcement that tho Kmpp works are compelled to float, a public loan of £2,500,000 for purpose of. enlarging their cannon and armour-plate factories. • Yalo College, U.S.A., has decided to confer on Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan tho degree of ' Doctor of Laws,- in recognition of his splendid work during tho recent financial panic. The death lias taken place at Madrid of the Marquis Vega do Armijo, tho Spanish Literal statesman and author.