NEWS OF THE WORLD.

Mataura Ensign, 30 November 1912, Page 6

NEWS OF THE WORLD.

EMPIRE DEFENCE. BRITISH FLEET CRITICISED. ' BI ELECfBI'O TELEGBAPH. —COPTSIGHT. PEE UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. LONDON, Nov. 29. The 'Daily Telegraph' declares that the suggestion to reduce the British shipbuilding programme in proportion to the aid given by the dominions is so dishonorable and so fraught with danger to the future co-operation of tie British people in naval defence that if adopted we would condemn ourselves as traitors in the eyes of the Empire. It recalls Hon. Winston Churchill's (First Lord of the Admiralty) admission that Britain at an average moment is 25 to 30 per cent, weaker than at an enemy's selected moment, owing to the ship's undergoing repairs, and continues that after .the dominions had done their best Britain would be a battle squadron short owing to the progress of Germany, Austria and Italy. "Even if Mr Churchill provides only 25 battleships for home waters, with full crews, compared with Germany's 29 fully-commissioned battleships, at Britain's average moment, the older ships of the Fifth and Sixth Squadrons have only half their crews, and there are no British ships in the Mediterranean to meet Austria's six and Italy's eight. At the average moment Britain is supreme neither in northern or southern waters. Defeat in the north would mean invasion and defeat in the south the cutting off of half of Britain's grain supplies."

, SUFFRAGETTE OUTRAGES. ACIDS IN PILLAR-BOXES. LONDON, Nov. 28. Pillar-box outrages are general in London and the provinces. In some cases the acids ignited on contact with the air and burst into flames. ENORMOUS DAMAGE. LONDON. Nov. 29. The Suffragettes chose the letterboxes in the vicinity of the Stock Exchange and Park Lane for drooping in the acids. Many cheques, share certificates and contracts were destroyed. Similar outrages were perpetrated at the West End, Finchlev, Camberwell, and Islington, where 400 letters were damaged. In some cases the acids were contained in corkless bottles, the phials being labelled "Votes for Womeq." Sometimes the trouble was only discovered at the General Post Office, piles of letters bursting into flames, which tiie officials quickly smothered. Occasionally paraffin rags and lighted matches were used in the Dost boxes. 'Hie staffs at the sorting offices spent hours deciphering damaged addresses. The letter-boxes in the centre of Birmingham were smothered with tar and varnish.

There was a similar wholesale destruction at Nottingham. reprisals are being made for the Suffragettes being outwitted in their attempts to interfere with Mr Asquith (Prime Minister) on Friday. At Ilkestone and Newcastle hundreds of letters were damaged by ink being poured into the boxes.

BRITISH POLITICS. PROTEST AT THE CLOSURE. LONDON, Nov. 29. In the House of Comons so far only 78? lines of the Home Rule Bill have been discussed and 533 lines have been closured without discussion. Ferrtyeight amendments have been discussed and 771 not discussed. On the discussion of the resolution allocating the time for debating the Welsh Disestablishment Bill which Hon. Winston Churchill (First- Lord of the Admiralty) extended to two days, _Mr Bonar Law (Leader of the Opposition) declared that the House of Commons existed only for the purpose of registering the Government's decrees, like the French Chamber before the revolution. If the closure* were continued the House of Commons would be destroyed *as a legislative institution. TRADES UNION BILL. LONDON, Nov. 29. The committee considering the Trades Union Bill rejected an amendment curing the division of trade Unions political funds among teh various polir tical parties in accordance with the proportion of votes given at a special ballot of members of the unions.

RAILWAY COLLISIONST. PETERSBURG. Nov. 29. A Russian military train, with reservists, collided with a workmen's tram at Horso, Manchuria. Eleven were killed and 32 severely injured. CERMANY'S WAR FLEET. BERLIN, Nov. 29. It is reported that the War Office and the Admiralty recommend! the construction of a. fleet of 20 Zeppelins with a speed of 51 miles an hour, capable of remaining aloft for four days and discharging a ton of explosives. NEW SOUTH WALES POLITICS. SPEAKER WILLIS. SYDNEY, Nov. 29. In the Legislative Council stxong protests were made against 'Mr Willis (Speaker in the Legislative Assembly) for ignoring the president's authority in connection with the payment of the Parliamentary staff. The president declared that Mr Willis was acting illegally and without his concurrence. Mr Willis, in a statement he handed to the press, expresses surprise at the president's displeasure and claims legal warrant for his action. He stated that the Speaker had become an automaton but his installation 'had brought the rubber stamp regime to an end. Reforms did not meet with the approval of persons who were dominated by envy, hatred and malice, but they must vailREDISTRIBUTION OF SEATS. MELBOURNE, Nov. 29. The scheme of redistribution of seats in New_south Wales has proved unacceptable and a new one has been introduced. It provides for 27 divisions. Sydney gains two new electorates.

A BIG LOAN. SYDNEY, Nov. 29. ,In the Legislative Assembly the Treasurer's Loan Bill to raise £8,924,520 by four per cent, debentures was passed.

A GOOD DEED'S REWARD. LONDON, Nov. 29. Mrs Longeon, wife of a laborer at Gateshead, gave a seafaring youth a decade ago shelter and food. The youth emigrated to Australia, where he became a successful farmer. He died in June and left Mrs Longeon his estate and £25,000 worth of stock.

"HOLD-UP" THAT FAILED. ADELAIDE, Nov. 29. A man entered the Couger Street branch of the Commercial Bank at closing time, asking for change of a coin. He closed the door and confronted the ■manager, Mr Bendaj who was alone, with a revolver. Mr Benda ducked behind the counter, seized the office revolver and covered the intruder, who bolted and escaped. COMMONWEALTH TRADE. MELBOURNE, Nov. 29. The imports into the Commonwealth for October were a record, being £2,398,000 above the previous October. On the other hand, the exports decreased by £884,000. The imports for the 10 months increased by £10,138,715.