Behind the Headlines

Northern Advocate, 13 May 1939, Page 1 (Supplement)

Behind the Headlines

To Canberra, Federal Capital of Australia, has fallen the lot of being classified in history as one of the few cities that has not merely “grown up.” On the contrary, Canberra was made and planned according to a preconceived schedule. As far back as 1899, the Government of New South Wales had appointed Alexander Oliver as a Royal Commissioner to inquire into and report on sites for a federal capital. He put Dalgety as his first choice, with Canobalas and Yass bracketed in second place. No further development took place until 1903 when a Royal Commision of four was appointed to inquire into and examine sites near Albury, Armidale, Bambala, Lake George, Orange and Tumut. A ballot was taken in the House of Representatives, Tumut being chosen. The Senate amended this decision in favour of Bambala and the House of Representatives would not pass the amendment, the Bill thereby lapsing. Thereafter followed the heated “battle of sites” until the Yass-Canberra site was agreed on by both parties. A worldwide competition was inaugurated for the design of the new city in 1908 and a Chicago firm won the first prize of £1750. There was again much heated discussion as to the actual adoption of a design and when a new government came into power in 1913, the departmental plan, which had been tentatively agreed on in place of the prizewinning design, was rejected. Amendments were made to the Chicago design and the scheme was adopted, the foundation stone being laid in 1913. War delayed building progress, and in 1920 the Prince of Wales laid the

foundation stone of the capital. In 1927, the Duke of York opened the temporary House of Parliament, when the first Federal Parliament sat. * * >}» 3J5 REVOLUTIONARY AS FOREIGN MINISTER M. Litinoff, formerly Commissar for Foreign Affairs, has lost his coveted position. He has been a staunch upholder of Marxism since he first read about the socialist’s creed when training as a lad of 17 in the military service. Completing his military training, young Litvinoff became a member of the Kiev Committee of the Social Democratic, Party. Unfortunately for him and other members, a police agent had managed to enter the secret band and, exposing their movement, he' marched them to prison. After 18 months Linvinoff made a getaway with 11 others. This experience only made his ardour for the socialist creed more virulent and, living abroad, he

PLOTTING OF CANBERRA

DIPLOMATS USE SUMMER RESORT Tourist resort of Italy, San Reno has become the landing place for General Goering’s mysterious flights to confer with II Duce. South-west of Genoa by 84 miles, San Heno is in a natural ampitheatre which gives it a beautiful climate, thus attracting many tourists both summer and winter. Its population of 50,000 is located in two portions of the town, the old and the new. In the old part are narrow, steep streets, and lofty sombre houses which contrast strangely with the modernity of the new “visitors’ ” town. In the old area are many fine buildings dating back hundreds of years. Beautiful architectural designs include the Romanesque .Cathedral, of San Siro and the whitedomed church of the Madonna Della Costa. Roses and carnations are exten- - sively grown for export and olives, lemons and other fruits are also grown.

took an active part in organising “Iskra,” the social-democrat newspaper. In 1903 he returned illegally to Russia, having since joined the Bolshevik section of the party. Working as a central committee member, he saw the revolution of 1905 collapse. He went abroad once more organising the sending of weapons to revolutionaries in the Caucasus. After the November revolution in 1917, Litvinov was appointed diplomatic agent of the Soviet Government in London. In 1930 he became people’s commissar for foreign affairs, a post he held until being rerecently ousted. * • • » LATVIA CHANGES HANDS OFTEN Although three different nations have conquered Latvia, and although, the country is now an independent state, it bases all its culture on the standards set by Germans years ago. To-day the republic is entering into an agreement with the nation that once dominated her. Germans'held sway from 1158 to 1562, Poles from 1562 to 1795, and from then on Swedish and Russian influence prevailed. The cultural superiority of the Germans has remained unchallenged, descendants of this era / being the privileged representatives of • public power and overlords of the land. First opportunity for independence—for which there had been agitation since 1860—came in 1905. During the Great War, however, the independence seekers turned against their own motives and submitted to four and a half months of Red rule as a consequence of Bolshevik propaganda. In 1918, independence was firmly established and commercial treaties have since been entered into with various states.