NEWS BY THE 'FRISCO MAIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12545, 12 April 1904, Page 7

NEWS BY THE 'FRISCO MAIL.

[from oxjk own CORRESPONDENT.] San Ffancisoo, March 21. CANADA'S ARMY AND NAVY. A despatch from Quebec, dated March 12, says:--If the elaborate preparations for the permanent establishment of an army and navy mean anything, it is clear the Dominion of Canada is taking a long step forward in the direction of independent nationhood. Nor is there the slightest intention of employing cither the army or navy for Imperial purposes. Both are intended for protection of Canadian interests alone. Fol- , losing the publication of the plans of Lord Dundonald, ho general commanding tho Canadian forces, for the early raising of a Canadian army of 100,000 men, comes a project foi the establishment of a purely Canadian navy. The Government's plan involves the training of men for tho new navy, while vessels are being built or otherwise secured. Two training ships are to be employed—one on the Atlantic and tiie other . > upon the Pacific. Legislation is to be submitted to Parliament during the present session to authorise the project. A strong de- .■ sire is manifested tor the presence of a Canadian training ship on the great lakes, but the Government holds to the necessity of the j observance of the treaty between the United States and Canada, by which convention it is understood neither Power shall maintain armed vessels upon the great lakes. ,A despatch from Halifax, dated March 12, says:—A series of manoeuvres by artillery at the forts and tho careful inspection of harbour defences have convinced the authorities that Halifax is impregnable. An attack by any number of warships, it is believed, would fail to fores an entrance. During the last throe years nearly every Furnace lino steamer arriving here from England has brought powder and projectiles, and an iminoiise quantity of ammunition is now in storage. . Ihere is considerable interest among military and naval men iu the proposed visit to England in a few weeks of Mr. Raymond Prcfontaine, the Canadian Minister for Marine and Fisheries, for the purpose of conferring with the Admiralty Office regarding Canadian naval reserves. Tho Government desires to obtain two warships 0:1 which to train Canadians, and Mi;. Prefontaiue intends to introduce a Bill in tho Canadian Parliament providing for th* establishment of a navy iu Canada.

SHIPPING REGULATIONS. Vancouver {8.C.1 March 22. American vessels will no longer bo permitted to load at the ports of Vancouver or Victoria goods of Canadian origin destined for transportation to Dawson by way of St. Michael and the lower Yukon River points. An order to this effect was received to-day by the collector of Port Bowoll from the Commissioner of Customs at Ottawa. The result will be that if merchandise of Canadian origin is to be shipped to Dawson by way of St. Michael it must bs transported" from Vancouver or Victoria by British bottoms. Considerable speculation has been caused by the order in local shipping and trade circles, and it is wondered whether similar instructions may not he issued with respect to the carrying of Canadian freight destined for Dawson by way of Skagway'in American bottoms from this port.

TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE AT SEA. London, March 23. Survivors from the British barque Mary A. Troop, which was abandoned at sea while on a voyage from Pensacola for Rio Janeiro, have arrived at Southampton. They relate a terrible experience. The barque encountered a gale, during which <,er boats were swept away, her main and mizzenmasts went by tho board, and her bulwarks and hatch were ripped off. The barque became water-logged, and for 25 days tremendous seas swept over her. The carp ter was drowned. At the end of 19 days ail tho food, consisting of a barrel of flour, a dozen boxes of condensed milk, and a can of apricots, was eaten, and all the water was (mm*. The crew chewed lead and wood to relieve their cravings. The captain's niece. m ac * ul^lon to tho agonies of hunger and thirst and exposure, lost ail her warm clothing, and was compelled to improvise clothing from sacks. The. gale was very fierce,, and those aboard the barque were compelled to.lash themselves to the deck to prevent themselves from being swept overboard. At the same time they had to work the pumps to keep the vessel from foundering. Then they we,-.3 reduced almost to skeletons, and were half mad from privations, and when their condition seemed hopeless tho steamer Cairnisla was sighted. She took off those on the barque, notwithstanding heavy and dangerous seas. The survivors were landed at Havre,, whence they were taken to Southampton.

FUNERAL OF THE DCKE OF CAMBRIDGE. _ Loxdqw, March 22. The Duke of Cambridge was buried to-day, after a funeral such as has been accorded to no English soldier since the death of the Duke of Wellington. King Edward, Queen . Alexandra, and nearly all the members of the Royal Family, representatives of foreign • monarch®, a majority of the nobility, the ■diplomatic corps and representative British subjects of all walks in life attended the impressive national service at Westminster Abbe>\ Thereafter the body of the "Old Duke," as he was affectionately known to the public, was taken to Kensfil Green cemetery, and buried beside that of his wife. Thousands of troops marched through and lined the streets, and dense crowds watched .the spectacle, which, in military magnificence, rivalled the funeral of Queen Victoria. The King, wearing a Field Marshal's uniform, and the Queen in the deepest mourning, arove from Buckingham Palace to the Abbey shortly before eleven o'clock. The crowds uncovered in silence, and the troops reversed arms on their -arrival. The Abbey was then packed with diplomatists, privy councillors, and army officers, all in gorgeous uniforms. The King walked up the aisle, which was lined by Grenadiers, and took his place as chief mourner at the head of the coffin. The Prince of Wales, the Duke of Counauj.'ht, and the other princes stood behind His Majesty. Among the principal mourners were Admiral and Colonel FilzGeorge, the late Duke's sons. On either side of the coffin stood Field Marshals Wolseley, Haines, Roberts, Norman, and Good, . who, .with a. score of famous British generals, acted as pall-bearers. Id a corner of the Abbey stood a number of veterans, who had fought with (he j)t;ke of Cambridge in the Crimea. Every branch of the army and the volunteers was represented. Tim-Dean of Westminster read the service, and a dirge, which had not been played since the funeral of Queen Mary 11., echoed through Hie Abbey. The Norroy king-of-anns (William. Henry Weldon) proclaimed the full titles of the dead man, eight Grenadiers lifted the coffin, and the King walked behind it, followed by the officers. In the bright sunshine thousands of people watched the coffin being placed 011 a gun carriage. The old Duke's charger, with stirrups reversed, followed his master to the grave. Ahead;of the gun carriage was an array ot British troop?, seldom seen in the streets oi London. Life Guards, Lancers, Grenadiers, Hussars, Dragoons, and Highlanders, with their bands, marched through a lane of brilliant colour, formed by the infantry along the route. Nearly two hours and a-half elapsed before thn cortege reached the cemetery, from which the public had been excluded. The King and others stood by the grave side, while a squad of Grenadiers Sred three volleys fo. theii old Field Marshal, and the funeral was at an end.

HOTTENTOT REBELLION. A despatch from Berlin, dated March 19, says:—Colonel Deutwoin, Governor of German South-west Africa, reports sovore fighting there on March 13. Tiio Germans ware " forced to retreat, with the loss of seven offi- . cers and 19 men kill&d end five wounded. The tight occurred near Owiiokororo. with the Tetjo tribe of Herereros, whom Glazenapp was pursuing. The news made a disappointing impression in Berlin, since it involved the most severe losses the Germans have yet suffered, and because it was hoped , the worst was over. In the Reichstag Ilerr Rebel, the Socialist leader, referred to the German campaign against the Hereros, saying it had taken on 1 a character prejudicial to Germany's interests *' . and honour, since all the Hereros were killed .< . and no prisoners taken. He referred to a . letter from a veterinary surgeon (Dr. Baumgart), asserting that no quarter was given and every black was shot down- ''Therein 3an t£V*V: oe seen,' continued Herr Rebel, "how far i even our educated people are becoming brusffir* th i i- us not deceive'ourselves with ' " e . ,)R el that preterit occurrences in South nc? make a demoralising impression only " troops there, The descriptions sent must also have a demoralising and brutalising ofTl ,°V h * Oormau people." Deri Rebel ' tided. " Reports ol tho Rheinisb Missionary ociety show thai things are by no means v'V'ViL* bad as . reported by the papers friendly to ' th M O,O l ' a ' Office, These reports show that ; " 8 Rlereros spare whites who prove to be nol ■ *$*'1 Hermans, like English, Boers, and Danes, It appears, therefore, that some of cur country - men have so ill-treated the Hereros that they - -

have generated ft i'nnatioal prejudice against Germans in general. 'Samuel Maharaero, chief of the Hereros,' continues tho missionary report, 'has given orders that no harm be done to non-Germans, missionaries, women or children, but that German men bo shot down without mercy.' Missionaries further state that the Heroros begged the pardon of a whito woman wounded by stray shots iu fights, saying they did not. wish to hurt defenceless women." Herr Rebel also said after Easter the Socialists would demand an answer from the Colonial Office on these matters.

Dr. Arcndt, Conservative, doubted the veracity of the writer of the letter mentioned, and said at any rate it must be agreed that the " Hereros have devastated, plundered, and destroyed in a frightful manner." Ha added: "Our only concern now is to help our countrymen without inquiring into tho causes of the rebellion."

COLONISATION BUREAU. A despatch from Washington, dated March .-L, says :-~1.01 create a colonisation bureau ana provide for advances to actual settlers on public domain is the purpose of a Bill introduced in tho Semite to-day by request of Senator Hoar. 31 is known as the Hoothi t'.ckor Bill, and ia a colonisation scheme of the Salvation "Army. In the preamble the B'.ll urges the necessity of relieving the congestion in the larger cities, and suggests tho use of lands under irrigation by the operation of tho Reclamation Act of June 17, 1802, in colonising a large number of families. Provision is made for a colonisation fund by haviug the Secretary of tho Treasury issue 3 per cent, gold bonds, payable not exceeding 50 years from the date of issue, to the extent of not more then 50,000,000 dollar* and not more than 5,000.000 dollars in any one year. The colonisation bureau is to bo empowered to make loans, not exceeding 1500 dollars, to any person duly qualified to enter land under the homestead laws. Proper provision is mi;do for the security of the lands and restrictions for the judicious expenditure of the loans received from the Government.