A BACKGROUND OF THE NEWS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 257, 28 July 1939, Page 7

A BACKGROUND OF THE NEWS

Objectives Of I.R.A. Terrorism It is plain that the IJJ.A. terrorists in London have planned tv concentrate their murderous intentions on the principal railway and traffic {eiminals, as well as on the bridge approaches to Central Loudon from the south. By this means they are most likitly to cause confusion and public intense. More than 1,000,000 persons use the London Underground and tube system each day, und. in addition, there arie the many thousands who reach and tiepart from the centre of the metropolis daily via the main railway terminals. King’s Cross Station, s<tene of the latest and most serious outrage, is the terminus of the London stnd Northeastern system, and is one of the busiest terminals, particularly for suburban traffic. Victoria Station, where n lesser explosion occurred, is on the opposite side of Central London,, and js the great railway bottle-neck for travel to and from the Continent. It is a southern railway statiten, and because of its frequent, luxurious -boat trains,” its milling cosmopolitan crowds <ind its continuous air of holiday bustle, it is the most colourful apd romantic of Loudon’s transport centres. The other main railway stations which surround Central Uondon in an almost complete circle arei— Paddington, the terminus of. the Great Western system. i Waterloo, which serves, the southwest pf England on the southern system. I St. Pancras, which evetry Scotsman knows, for the Loudon, Midland and Scottish trains leave fronj there. It is hard by King’s Cross. Euston, which is also a Midland and Scottish terminal. Broad Street, which is the key-point pf a busy suburban network. Liverpool'Street, another-busy converging point for the eastern services. Marylebone, where suburban traffic is unceasing. ! Fenenurch Street, a dingy but busy terminal for the city ami East End, through which pass thousands of Cockneys on their way to achieve their holiday ambition of ‘‘going to Sarfend to paddle." Anglo-German Press Scheme If it be true that Lord Kemsley, chairman of Allied Newspapers, Ltd., is to visit Berlin at the Invitation of the Keich Press Chief, Dr. Dietrich, in order to discuss an exchange of articles giving the respective British and German points of view, the ; chances are that the principal newspaper concerned tn Loudon will be the "Sunday Times.” I-orci Kemsley is editor-in»-ehief of that well-known weekly, which, contrary to a popular belief, has no 'connexion of any kind with “The Timet,” of London. ixird Kemsley is also chairman of the “Daily Sketch” and “Sunday Graphic,” Ltd., "as well as being chairman of Allied Northern Newspapers, Ltd. In addition, be is deputy-chairman of Kelly’s Directories, Ltd. Before being treated Baron in 1936, be was Sir James Gomer Berry. Tie is 56 years of age. Bachelor Taxation in France It is expected by the French Government that £6.000,000 a ytear will be available to encourage marriage and the liirth-rute by means of a’ scheme of taxation on bachelors and childless couples. A s in other countries where similar schemes are in operation, the idea is to grant marriage loans, the repayment of which will become progressively easier with the registration of each new-born child. The need for some move to improve the birth-rate in France is plain to see from the statistics of recent years. The birth-rate is declining steadily. In 1932 there were 722,000 living births, as compared with 630,000 in 1936. Over the same period the annual total of marriages decreased from 315,000 to 280,000. Since 1934 there have been more deaths than births in France. In 1935 ileaths exceeded births by 18,000, and in 1 the following year the excess was 42,000. J Position In Other Countries In Germany the position is significantly different. Between 1933 and 1936 (inclusive), the marriage _ totals fluctuated somewhat, and in 1936 the tolal was 610,000, as compared with 740.000 in 1934. Births, on the other pand, increased steadily’— <1 tribute to the efficacy of the measures taken for the encouragement of large families. In 1933 the number of births in Germany Was 999,500, but in 1936 they exceeded 1,300,000. During roughly the same period, Italy did not do so well in her efforts to encourage the birth-rate. Though the number of marriages increased from ”■BB,OOO in 1935 to 375,000 in 1937, the number of births dropped from 997.000 to 985,000. The surplus of births over deaths declined in that period from 403,000 to 375,000. Germany’s surplus of births over deaths, on the other hand, is rising steadily, being in 1936 more than dcfiiblo tbe figure of 1933.

So far as the is concerned, the position is not so disquieting as is commonly supposed. The birthrate in' 'Scotland declined from 91,000 in .1932 to 89,000 in 1936, but that of England and Wales rose from 581,000 111 .1933 (o 611.000 in 1937.

Guatemala & British Honduras

A movement in Mexico has been inaugurated to influence the United States to obtain from Great Britain the cession of British Honduras under the terms of the Anglo-Guatemalan Treaty of 1859. Guatemala is one of the Central American republics, the most populous and second largest. With the republics of Honduras, San Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, it was formerly part of the old Mexican Empire, which disappeared in 1823. British Honduras, formerly known as Belize, is a. Crown colony, and was first occupied by British traders in the seventeenth century. For many years the eastern coast of Nicaragua was a British protectorate, but under the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty of 1850 between Britain and the United States, this was surrendered, becoming merged in the republic of Nicaragua, and Belize Honduras was recognized as a British possession, styled British Honduras. Its area is 8600 square miles. The convention of 1859 between Britain and Guatemala, referred to it) the cabled report (and erroneously dated 1869) delined the frontiers, and these were more precisely delineated in 1893. The topography is very broken, and approach to the coast, difficult on accoun. of the number of small islets, known as cays, and coral reefs. Timber make.up 78 per cent, of the exports, am agricultural products the remaindei The population is estimated at niton 50.000, one in 25 being pure white, am the remainder of mixed descent. Tht country abounds with the ruins of th' ancient Maya civilization, and system atic explorations are being conducle under the aegis of the British Museum.