NEWS OF THE WORLD.

Mataura Ensign, 16 May 1912, Page 6

NEWS OF THE WORLD.

FRENCH StEGE OF BANDITS. BY EIiEOTSIC TELEGBAPH. —COPIBIGHT. PEB UNITED PBESS ASSOCIATION. PARIS, May 15. The bandit Garnier, another, and two women, members of the Bonnot gang, were tracked to a house last night. The house was surrounded, and a huge crowd quickly gathered. After a sharp fusillade, Vuillemin, another of the gang, emerged from the building and surrendered. More shots followed from the house, Detective Fleuery was shot in the stomach, and two other officers were less seriously wounded. From a railway viaduct stones were hurled which crashed through the roof, and several bombg -were exploded against the building, but efforts to dislodge the inmates proved ineffectual. Meanwhile zouaves at various points round the house kept up a hot fire, the bandits replying. The battle lasted for seven hours, after which a melinite bomb wa9 exploded, and the house was carried by assault. The police discovered the dead body of Garnier, and one of the women, lied while being removed. Two thousand troops were engaged in the conflict. The fate of the second woman has not been recorded. CREAT FOREST FIRES. OTTAWA, May 15. Dry weather has set in, and numerous forest fires are reported in the Western States in various parts of British Columbia. Many lodging camps have been wiped out, and the business section of the town of Seaside, in Oregon, las Ijeen destroyed. Hundreds of people are homeless, and the total damage runs into millions of dollars. SEAGULL AND AVIATOR. NEW YORK, May 15. An investigation of the accident which caused the death of the aviator, Rodgers, disclosed the fact that it was due to a seagull coming in contact during its flight with a w r ire, and thus preventing Rodgers from working the planes. PREFERENCE TO CANADIANS. OTTAWA, May 15. The Government has refused the Great Northern Railway Company, belonging to the United States, permission to run a night service into Winnipeg, owing to seven lines of the Canadian branch of the company having failed to arrange for the employing of Canadian train crews in Canadian territory. AUSTRALIAN IN GERMANY. LONDON, May 15. Sir George Reid (Australian High Commissioner) is visiting Germany with the object of delivering lectures on Australia. He will speak in the Reichstag buildings, and will be the first foreigner to address an audience in that building. A WHITE AUSTRALIA. LONDON, May 15. The 'National Review' has published an article entitled "Australia's Greatest Danger," which states: "Should China or Japan decide to swarm their people into Northern Australia, the dream of the careful separation of the white and the colored peoples will vanish." While the writer does not believe that any white race can ever people Northern Australia, he urges the Commonwealth to do everything possible to settle white people in that territory, and concludes: "Australia has -the most terrible problem to solve with which any country has ever been faced." AUSTRALIA'S MILITARY TRAININC SYDNEY, May 15. The regulations in connection with the universal training scheme, under which the first batch of 10,0001 senior cadets will be drafted to the military forces on July 1 have been published. They also cover the re-organisation of existing infantry and light horse brigades. National regiments, such as the English, Scottish and Irish regiments, in the various States will disappear, members being embodied in the forces of the newly-created battalion areas. Provision has been made for the immediate creation of four new batteries of field artillery. A RICH PROSPECT. SYDNEY, May 15. j Two dishes of specimens from the Long Tunnel mine at Gundagai tallied 82oz of gold. WEST AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS. PERTH, May 15. I The Legislative Council elections have The Legislative Council elections leave the parties practically unaltered. Labor won one and lost one seat. THE FEDERAL CAPITAL. j MELBOURNE, May 15. j The report of the three adjudicators on the Federal capital designs is not unanimous. The designs favored by the majority are American, German and French in tbat order. QUEENSLAND ELECTIONS. BRISBANE, May 15. A recount of the Port Curtis electorate resulted in a tie between the Ministerialist and Labor candidates. Recounts have been asked for in the Merthyr and Maryborough electorates, where Ministerialists lead by four and five votes respectively.