Behind the Headlines

Northern Advocate, 14 January 1939, Page 11

Behind the Headlines

NO MORE CLAIMANTS FOR ‘ DICTATOR’S FORTUNE

7.000 People Claim Gomez Millions. Seven thousand people have claimed the fortune of Juan Goriiez, dictator of Venezuela. He died in 1935. leaving more than 30,000,000. dpllai's. The 7.000 people have claimed this for themselves. The Government has recognised 4.300 of these claims as being well founded. Now the Government has closed the list of claimants and must decide between the 4,300. Not only did Gomez leave a big fortune, but he gave to his country an almost unbelievable number of young Venezuelans. He is said to have been more times a father, grandfather and greatgrandfather thfen the famous King Augustus, who died in 1733, leaving 354 children by his 700 mistresses. * * « Guns on Panama.

America is determined to'defend her Pacific coastal strategic points. Chief among these is the Panama Canal. Britain possesses all 6 the fortified ports in the Caribbean Sea on the Atlantic

Coast —the Sea being the entrance chamber for the Canal. The Pacific entrance is through the Gul of Panama. entrances are heavily fortified, backed by a 13,000 man-power garrison. When the air strength is brought to full capacity, 200 machines will be allocated to the Panama. America realised that this strategic canal inust be protected, but warnings have been sounded by experts in America and elsewhere that the safety of Panama Canal is not as assured as interested nations would desire.

To Keep China’s Door Ajar? Rumours are abroad in international circles that an American-Britishr French alliance may be formed for the purpose of enforcing the Nine Power agreement regarding China’s “Open Door.” Japan has closed the Yangtze River to all non-Japanese traffic. Considering the importance of this once international waterway, it is probable that other nations will have a say in Japan’s evident intentions to keep China as a closed field of exploitation. With the fall of Suchow, Japanese took over a railway directly communicating their northern and southern occupied territory. Former communication had been by sea. Despite increased foreign assistance for China, the “Rising Sun” followers have pushed on to further victories. The occupation of

Canton and the fleeing of Chiang Kaishek from his beloved city were great acquisitions for Japan. Abraham's Sons Quarrel. '

Dirty, sluggish, unpleasant to look upon, the Jordan River is none the Jess sacred. Along its banks reigns a state of anarchy, with Jews and Arabs at loggerheads. Great Britain tries to restore order and hold her head up,; Britain faces a Holy War that may be more far-reaching than she imagines, for the religious fanaticism of these two. peoples knows no limits# The fire has been lit in their souls and no rea-: son or logical argument will quench; the conflagration. History has proved that before. Arab and Jew are both Semitic and each claims Palestine as his particular Holy Land. They both claim descent from Abraham, although their religious differences are as far. apart as the Arctic and the Antarctic: Jews declare that their history has ale. ways been the history of Palestlne r Arabs maintain that for 1,500 years they have been in Palestine and claim; it by right of majority, their being 900,000 against the Jew’s 400,000. In its 6,000-year history, Palestine has been conquered and re-conquered innumerable times. Late last century came the move to create a Jewish home in Palestine. The World War upsetarrangements but now the old religious fervour has been aroused. Where it t will end no historian can yet tell. » ? - , . -•- 1 • , .f. -.JIX

Privileged Ambassadors. '* Ambassadors have a busy time nowadays. Previously they acted mainly as messengers of peace and goodwill, representing their fellow-countrymen in diverse countries. They have been used since time immemorial as the means of negotiating between two warring nations. Romans made the name, famous. They use aeroplanes and other fast means of transport iii modern diplomacy, but are still sur* ■ rounded by the dignity, pomp and show that characterised those of early Greece and Rome. . International 'tofysh govern the status of. an ambassador. For example, he must not take; part in the politics of the country in which he is situated. His house must not shelter political refugees. He is not subject to the civil or criminal laws oi the, foreign State. Recall or dismissal of an ambassador is often the signal for impending war—an open sigh of dlsv trust and hostility, of the breaking bf i former rrlendship. Foreign residehce does not cost ambassadors their domicile in the home country. . .