The Feilding Star. Oroua Kiwitea Counties Gazette. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1908. The World at Large.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 760, 22 December 1908, Page 2

The Feilding Star. Oroua Kiwitea Counties Gazette. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1908. The World at Large.

On the ere of the greatest festival season of the year the world ib not happily situated for enjoying a merry Christmas — unless one accepts the phrase in the sarcastic sense. Austria w still playing her own selfish game against the Balkan States, and seems bent on moving steadily towards building up a great Austrian confederation. The Sultan of Turkey counters ths aim by welding his people together in a popular Parliament and maintaining the friendship of Britain. The latter has Russia and France behind her, whilst Germany is in a dilemma — the Kaiser has been avowing great friendship for the Sultan, he has been flirting with Austria, and he has set himself at odds with, the whole of Germany by his 'recent indiscretions of speech. The Shah of Persia is less happily situated than his brother monarch of Turkey, for he has prohibited a promised Parliament and has sent the Nationalists to arms against him. Nor is all quiet along the Potomac. The great leaders of the trusts of America have world ambitions, and we are tola to-day that Mr. Pierpont Morgan, who has been too busy of late buying expensive pictures and books to give attention to^qther business, is out again on his old Morganeering cruise. He is at the head of an endeavour to corner every commodity that is worth while. If that report be true, Mr. Morgan becomes th» problwn of th« age that will bftft'to j» fcolf»d. In 9° uth Ameri-

«• th« republics ar« getting lively, Wiltb Y«n«sra«la as th« Bad Exampl*, and Prssidsnt Caitro is making large orders of Christmas and New Year gifts for his beloved people. (See to-day's cable news.) In England, as of yore, they are talking politics and social problems; no news from France and Russia should mean good news; in Portugal the young King has already to guard himself against a plot. This hurried glance at the world as seen through our cable message indicates that there are unusual possibilities looming in the closing days of 1908.