A BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 254, 24 July 1935, Page 7

A BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS

Abyssinia’s Resources

Dr. Azaj Martin, the new Abyssinian Minister in London, says Abyssinia badly needs money to develop the vast economic and mineral resources. Abyssinia is essentially a pastoral and agricultural country, although highly mineralised. In the south, cotton does well; while further north, in Kafa, coffee, which derives its name from the district, is indigenous. Sugar is also grown in the south, and indigo, oranges and bananas are abundant. The forests produce ebony, mahogany, and other hard woods, as well as acacia and bamboo. The minerals comprise coal, iron, gold, silver, copper, and sulphur, but, with the exception of gold, are almost unworked. There is a considerable trade in rock salt. Papua.

An assistant magistrate, Mr. J. G. Hides, and party had an adventurous journey into the interior of Papua, or British New Guinea, encountering in the course of their journey hostile cannibals. From east to west Papua extends for more than 800 miles, and its greatest width north and south is about 200 miles. The territory is remarkably well watered by large and permanent rivers, most of which are navigable by small vessels and steam launches for many miles inland. The three most important rivers are the Fly, the Turama, and the Pnrari. Papua is capable of successfully producing almost every valuable agricultural product grown in the tropics. It has a wealth of indigenous plants of economic value difficult to equal in any other country. There are also vast mineral resources—gold, copper, silver, lead, zinc, iron. Life and property in the settled districts are practically as secure as in other civilised countries. Cannibalism still exists in districts beyond the range of government —that is, well in the interior. In the whole territory there are only about 1200 whites, while the natives number about 250,000. Channel Islands.

The Channel Islands, to which the Prince of Wales intends Hying next week on an official visit, are a group of islands in the English Channel, consisting of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, ami Sark, and a number of smaller islands and rocks. Their area is 75 square miles, and their population about 90,000. The waters around are so full of reefs as to render navigation exceedingly dangerous. Their situation is from four to 40 miles west of France 1 and from 90 to 100 miles south of England. They belong to Great Britain, but they have practically independent rule. Most of the islanders are Protestants and belong in ecclesiastical matters to the diocese of Winchester. Rates and taxes are very light. The islands first became British possessions on the accession of William the Conqueror, and they are all that now remain of Britain’s ancient Norman possessions. About 150 years ago the islanders gained their living by privateering or pirating and smuggling. In 1800 £1,000.000 is said to have been brought into Guernsey by these methods. The land is mostly held in small holdings of from five to 25 acres each. The old Norman-French language is gradually falling into disuse, and while the official language is French, English is common and is being taught in the schools. The islands are administered according to their own peculiar Nor-man-French laws. Tooley Street.

On his last day in London Mr. Coates went to Tooley Street, where, at the office of the New Zealand Dairy Board he met a number of representatives of the butter trade. Tooley Street runs south-east from London Bridge to St. Saviour’s Dock. The name is said to be a corruption of St. Oiave’s Street where, until recently, stood the Churc-i of St. Oiave near London Bridge. This church was erected in memory of Olaf II (995-1030), King of Norway, and canonised as a saint. During his years of seafaring he was said to have captured London on behalf of Ethelreii. and became converted to Christianity in England. The thoroughfare is the centre of the tanneries and ropemaking factories in London. In August. 1843, a fire occurred in Tooley Street, and again on June 22, 1861, occurred the biggest fire since the Great Fire of London, involving a loss of £2,000,000 in warehouses, merchandise and wharves. Closing the Suez Canal.

Among other things Dr. Martin, Abyssinian Minister in London, hopes to secure the closing of the Suez Canal to Italy in the event of a war between the two countries. The Treaty of Constantinople (18SS), usually called the Suez Canal Convention, lays down the following rules: (1) The canal is open in time of war, as in time of peace, to all vessels, either merchantmen or warships, belonging either to neutral States or belligerents; (2) no acts of hostility may be committed within the canal or its ports of access, or in the sea to a distance of three marine miles from either end of it; (3) the entrances to the canal may not be blockaded; (4) no permanent fortifications may be erected; (5) the warships of a belligerent may not revictual or take on stores in the canal, embark or disembark troops, or stay in tlie canal or ports of access more than 24 hours, except in case of necessity as provided; (6) if vessels of different belligerents are in the canal or ports of access at the same time, a period of 24 hours is to elapse between the departure of any vessel belonging to one belligerent and that of any vessel belonging to an adversary; (7) warships may not be stationed inside the canal, but each Power, not being a belligerent, may station two warships in the ports of Suez or Port Said. This treaty is still in force. German Secret Police.

Secret police in Germany have ordered the immediate dissolution of what is called the Stahlhelm organisation in Silesia. General Goering in his book “Germany Reborn,” says: ‘T alone created, on my own initiative, the ‘State Secret Police Department.’ This is the instrument which is so much feared by the enemies of the State, and which is chiefly responsible for the fact that in Germany and Prussia to-day there is no question of a Marxist or Communist danger. With out taking seniority into consideration I put the ablest men I had into this ‘State Police Department’ and put ii under the command of the most capable of my younger officials. Bymeans of a network of centres in the provinces, with Berlin as the headquarters, I am kept daily, I might almost say hourly, informed of everything which happens in the vast Prussian State.”