A BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 285, 29 August 1935, Page 7

A BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS

Malta and Aden The British War Office lias decided to bring the garrisons at Malta and Aden into line with modern conditions. Malta, an island in the Mediterranean Sea. 174 miles long by nine broad, habeen a British possession since 1814. It is one of the most important ports of call in the world, and is the base aiul resort for repair and refitment of the British Fleet in the Mediterranean. The capital is Valletta, which has it magnificent harbour and is the headquarters of the Mediterranean Fleet. The population of the island is about 242,000. Aden is a volcanic peninsula on the Arabian coast, and must be passed by Italian ships on their way to Italian Somaliland. It forms an important coaling station on the highway to the East, and is fortified. It is also the port for trade with Arabia. The average annual rainfall is three inches, and the maximum eight inches.

Stonewalling. Senator Huey Long has commenced stonewalling, in the United States Senate in an effort to prevent the adjournment. Stonewalling is mostly used as a cricketers’ term for adopting purely defensive measures when at the wicketblocking every ball and not attempting to score. In politics it is used to describe a method of obstructing business. Senator Long’s action is also described as a “filibuster.” A filibuster in United States polities is a strategic move in Congress or other deliberative body to delay or prevent the passage of a bill or the transaction of business. Thus it is another term for a stonewall. Russia and United States. The United States Government has protested to Russia against Russian Communist activities in the country. When diplomatic relations were reestablished between, the United States and Russia on November 16, 1933, the Russian Government made certain pledges. It pledged itself to refrain from the dissemination of propaganda against the political or social order of the United States, or attempting in auy way to overthrow American institutions, and to restrain any agency under direct or indirect Russian Government control from interfering with the internal affairs of the United States, or its territories. The Russian Government also expressly agreed to permit complete freedom of religious worship and liberty of conscience to Americans temporarily or permanently residing in Russia. Stock Jobbing.

Because of the situation on the London Stock Exchange, following the fear of war between Italy and Abyssinia, jobbers are stated to have taken the precaution of reducing prices. A jobber is one who does small jobs; one who buys from merchants to sell to retailers ; a middle-man. A “stock jobber” is a member of the Stock Exchange who acts as an intermediary between buying and selling stockbrokers—who are also members. Mr. F. M. Forde.

Mr. Francis Michael Forde, who is assuming the leadership of the official Opposition Labour Party in Australia, on the resignation of Mr. J. H. Scullin. is 45 years old. He was a school teacher' and later an electrical engineer. From 1917 to 1922 he was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, and since 1922 a member of the House of Representatives. From 1929 to 1931 he was connected with the Trade and Customs Department, first as assistant Minister and then as Minister. He was appointed DeputyLeader of the Federal Labour Party in 1932. He was a member of the Royal Commission on the Motion Picture Industry, 1927-28: and a member akso of the Public Accounts Committee. 1929.

Creeping' Barrage. In the Italian army manoeuvres advances are being made behind “creeping barrages.” The artillery barrage was introduced in the Great Mar i<> overcome the difficulties of co-operation between the artillery and other arms. The old methods of runners and field telephones broke down under the perpetual hail of lead. It therefore became necessary for barrages to be prearranged and carried out according to a definite time-table. The general procedure was for the artillery to ‘'put down” a “creeping barrage” on a certain line for a certain time during which the infantry moved forward jts far as possible under the protection of the falling shells. The barrage was usually put down on an objective which the infantry prepared to assault as soon as the barrage “lifted.” At the time scheduled the barrage would come down on the next objective; and the same procedure would be repeated until the barrage had “crept” to its final objective, whore it “stood’ for a time and thus became a “standing barrage. Creeping barrages were used to screen troops in a retreat as well as in advance, and a “flank” barrage was used to give protection to troops on their flank. A combination of the creeping barrage and flank barrage was a “box” barrage, which gave all-round protection. Italian Manoeuvres.

The Italian “Red Army. tor manoeuvres, has taken up. positions stretching from Lake Maggiore to -the Brenner Pass, the Austrian gateway to Italy. Later the “Blue Army” will endeavour to capture flanking positions at Bolanzo. The purpose of these manoeuvres along the northern frontier is to show the world Italy s preparedness against any Power threatening the independence of Austria. From Lake Maggiore to Brenner Pass is about 150 miles in a straight line, bur the frontier is zig-zaggy, hence the distance would be considerably greater. Lake Maggiore, the biggest lake in Italy has its northern part’ in Switzerland. Brenner Pass, before the Great War, formed part of the Austrian Tyrol. Now the Italian frontier runs a few miles north of the pass, and the area ceded to Italy is called Trentino. Bolzano, in Trentino, is a few miles south of Brenner I’ass. Its Austrian name was Bozen, sometimes spelt Botzeu. Vandals.

It is stated that not even the Bolton Street Cemetery, where sleep many of AVellingon’s early settlers, is immune from vandals. The Vandals were a Teutonic race from the Baltic, which, in the Fifth Century, ravaged Gaul. They also captured Rome and despoiled it of its treasures of art. literature and civilisation generally. The name is hence applied to those who wilfully or ignorantly destroy works of art or anything of beauty or value. ;