The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1908. After the Holidays.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 763, 28 December 1908, Page 2

The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1908. After the Holidays.

The Christmas season of 1908 is now but a memory, differing only from previous seasons in that the memory of it is keener and fresher than of those of other years. Despite the ominous and threatening outlook presentetr on Christmas Eve, the weather for the holidays proved all that could be desired, especially on Boxing Day, which is a recognised fixture for outings and sports meet- ( nga. Locally, the sports gathering

was a- success, and patrons were present from all parts of the district. In other parts of the dominion nearly every stable was emptied to contribute to the sport of kings. The holiday season, we are pleased to note, was exceptionally free from serious accidents and mishaps, and we have not to record numerous chapter of accidents by land and sea. But there have been and are troubles abroad. The season did not bring that "peace on earth, goodwill toward men" that has been so much desired. There has been a recrudescence of the trouble in the Balkans, about which powder magazine dangerous sparks were flying on Christmas Eve. We find that Russia's Foreign Minister (M. Isvolsky), who had been actively touring tho European Chancellories during recent months, has sent a "weighty Note" to tho Powers with reference to Balkan affairs. In his Note he underlines heavily the names of Austria and Bulgaria as trouble-makers, and points out exactly where the Powers stand in regard to the Berlin treaty. There can be no such, thing as "simply abolishing Article 25 of the treaty." What an entanglement this presents may be gathered from the text of Article 25, which reads as follows: — The provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina shall be occupied and administered by Austria-Hungary. The Government of Austria-Hungary not desiring to undertake the administration of the Sandjak Novibazar, which extends between Servia and Montenegro in a south-easterly direction to the other side of Mitrovitza, the Ottoman Administration will continue to exercise its functions there. Nevertheless, in order to ensure the maintenance of the new political state of affairs, as well as freedom and security of communications, Austria-Hungary reserves the right of keeping garrisons and military and commercial roads in the whole of this part of the ancient vilayet of Bosnia. To this end the Governments of Austria-Hungary and Turkey reserve to themselves to come to an understanding on details. And Austria has not been considering Turkey's partnership in the matter at all ! A perusal of .all the telegrams on this subject in to-day's Star will show that othor influences have been at work making for a serious state of affairs in the East. From, another part of the world also comes reports of disturbing times, furnished by the international discourtesies of Castro of Venezuela and the intrigues of rival factions in that distressful republic as soon as the dictator was out of sight. They have tho comic and the tragic strangely blended in South America, and late news from Venezuela emphasises the remarkable nature of its people. Castro has been a powerful figure amongst Venezuelans, who have permitted him to tie the nation up in a knot with international entanglements, so that Holland virtually declared war bj r setting Up a blockade of the coast with her warships. Castro goes to Europe, and whilst busily engaged in buying Christmas and New Year gifts for his "dear people," in the shape of munitions of war, his people plot and counterplot, Castro is deposed, his brother is imprisoned, Gomez takes the Presidency, and the world at large is told that Castro has, to use a work-a-day phrase, "got the sack." Meanwhile, to-day's news tells us that the ex-President is a multi-millionaire and is living in Berlin at the rate of £1500 per day. Judging by the action taken by representative men in England, it looks as if the badly-used natives of the j Congo are going to have a better ! time in 1909 than they have been ! having since Leopold of Belgium became their overlord. The Germans are having a hot time with their Hottentot subjects in Southwest Africa, who have taken to the warpath. It looks as if serious trouble is again coming in the coalmining industry in j Australia. There is a brighter out- ! look for the British in India; Alexander the great American tennis player has been saying nice things about Australian and New Zealand tennis players — six of whom, he admitted, were the equals of the best half-dozen players of America or England; and there are strained relations in international cricket f circles, owing to the attitude of the i "cash amateur." All these things, and many other matters, are to be 1 found in the cable news that was ! flashed from all parts of the world during the holiday season. i ____