HOME AND FOREIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2373, 24 August 1899, Page 16

HOME AND FOREIGN.

LONDON, August 14. The Hon. John M'Kenzie is now convalescent. The Hon. W. P. Reeves, though weak, is progressing favourably. The American liner Paris, which proceeded to Falmouth after being floated off the Manacles, has been patched up, and has steamed to Milford Haven. The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 2,525,000 quarters, and for the Continent 1,515,000 quarters. The Daily Telegraph states that the Czar and Czarina will visit Queen Victoria in September. Egypt has been declared infected with foot and mouth disease. Mrs Langtry has been married to Hugo Gerald de Bathe, heir of Sir Henry Percival de Bathe. News from St. Christopher, one the Leeward Islands, West Indies, states that 3000 persons are homeless. At the instance of Mr Chamberlain, a Mansion House fund has been opened in aid of the sufferers there, and also in Montserrat and Nevis, two islands of the same group. August 16. Mr Maxse, British consul at Samoa, has been made a Companion of the Order of St. Michael at St. George in recognition of his services. The Daily Telegraph states that the Emperors of Russia, Austria, and Germany met at fjkierniwice, in Russian Poland, in October. August 17. Further successful experiments have been made with Marconi's wireless system of telegraphy. At Dover, messages were sent which had to traverse through cliffs four miles in thickness. The Hon. W. P. Reeves is convalescent. Mr Hogan, M.P. for Tipperary, in a letter to The Times, says that Australia had better follow the example of Canada, and leave the Queen to designate the federal capital. The American visible supply of wheat is 48,503,000 bushels. The Tintohill's cargo of Australian wheat sold for 28s 9d. Lead: The imports for the past fortnight are 19,2.56 tons, including 5584 from Australia. The exports were 4917 tons. The Morning Post says the second-class cruisers ought to replace the ships on the Australian auxiliary squadron, as they will soon be hopelessly inefficient, though they may be useful for training colonial renorrists. The Emperor of Germany has allowed the skipper (Captain Parker) and 11 of the crew of the yacht Meteor to join Sir T. Lipton's Shamrock in competition for the America Cup as extra hands. August 18. The New Zealand Shipping Company paid £145,000 for the goodwill and contracts of the Warrimooo, Miowera, and Aomngi. The Clan Mackay collided with the Orizaba off Newport Lighthouse, in the Red Sea. She damaged her port bow, and was run aground. The Orizaba was uninjured, and proceeded on her voyage.' There is a mosquito plague in Hacknoy, North London. It is alleged that the eggs were imported with some West Australian jarrah paving blocks. By a colliery explosion at Briggend, South Wales, 18 men wera killed and 60 entombed. August 19. The explosion was caused by the after damp following a fall of the roof. Naked lights were used in the mine. August 20. The 60 miners who were entombed in the Bridgend Colliery, South Wales, have been rescued. Despite the Emperor's warning, tie Prussian Diet have finally rejected the Canals Bill by a large majority. Prince Hohenlohe, Chancellor of the Empire, announced that the Government intended to persist with the measure. PARIS, August 16. Victor Napoleon has warned the plebiscitary committees of Paris to be on the alert during the present crisis. M. Constans, the French Ambassador to the Porte, upholds the action of M. Dinovieff, the Russian Ambassador, in opposing the German scheme for a railway through Asia Minor to Bagdad. About a year ago a Russian of distinction, Count Kapnißt, applied to the Ottoman Goteri ment for the concession of a, railway start ing from Tripoli, in Syria, and going through Horaa and Palmyra to hit on the Euphrates, continuing along its valley to Baesomh, and running down to Kouweit, a harbour on the north-west of the Persian Gulf. H« further asked for a branch lino connecting Hanikin, on the Persian frontier, via Bagdad, with the main lino, and going south to Berbela and Nedjef, the holy burial nlacos of Huzzein and AH, to which every Mussulman of the Shia faith makeß a pilgrimage jnoo in his life. The application was set aside by the Turkish Government, owing partly to the heavy sumy demanded and partly to the unwillingness of the Sultan to have a railway detaohed from the existing lines and not oonnected with Constantinople. Shortly after this refusal an English syndicate, with powerful financial backing, made overtures to the Turkish Gov-

ernment for the construction of the Isu> phrates Valley railway. The line, ac prd> posed by them, is to start at Koniah, which 1 is now the terminus of the Anatolian railway system in Asia Minor, and to run through Ad ana to Aleppo (with a branoh to Alexaru aratte on the Mediterranean), then to follow, the valley of the Euphrates as far ac Hit, where it is proposed to oross the river and go on to Bagdad, from whence the line is to run through Bassorah to a suitable point on the Persian Gulf between Fao and Kouweit. ■This line would, on the one hand, connect Constantinople and Europe* with the Persian Gulf, and on the other, by its- branch from Alexandrette to Aleppo, the Mediterranean with the Persian Gulf. It would shorten j the route to India by five or six days, sup- ; posing a, fast service of steamers was run from the terminus on the Persian Gulf to Kurrachee or Bombay. The journey would then be made up as follows: — From London to Constantinople... 72 hours From Constantinople to Koniah... 20 „ From Koniah to the Persian Gulf... 35 „ From the Persian Gulf to Kurraohee 50 ,', Total 177 hours Or eevon days and a-half, as against 13 days by the present Suez Canal route. There woulcl , be but two breaks between London and the ' terminus at the Persian Gulf — one at Dover and one at Constantinople, — where passengers ( would have to cross to Haidar Paoha, a dis- ■ tanoe which is now being covered by small j Turkish steamers in a quarter of an hour. , The railway also offers numerous advantages , to- the Turkish Empire. Hgnfrbuld' open up to the commerce of the world -the lower valleya of the Euphrates and Tigris, which constitute the most fertile portion of the Otto- . man Empire, and which, with proper irrigation, Would yield a production": °f grain large enough to alter appreciably the conditions j of the corn supply of the world, and provide India with cheap corn in times of famine. The development of that country would also enormously increase the financial resources of j the Ottoman Empire. j Satisfactory terms having been arranged after much discussion, a successful conclusion was imminent, when a strong opposition declared itaelf on the part of the Germans, who .' for years past have been anxiously watching the development of railway matters in Turkey, and whose aim and object clearly is the monopolising of all railways in Asia Minor. Doctor Siemens, director of the Deutsche Bank, proposed amalgamation to the Ottoman railway, the only British interest left in Turkey. The recent working agreement between the Anatolian Railway Company and . tho Smyrna-Cassaba railway, which iB now ! in French hands, is also a step in this direcj tion, and sooner or later amalgamation of the ! two line* is contemplated. In 1888 tho Cociete dv Chemin de Fer Ottoman d'Anatolie waa promoted by tho Deutsche Bank to take over and extend as far as Angora the short line from* Haidar Pacha, opposito Constantinople, on the Asiatic side to Ismid. This short line of about 96 kilometres has been built by the, Turkish Government by the aid of English contractors, and its handing over to the Germans marked the first step of their commercial conquest of Turkey. "The Sultan personally shows a marked preference for tho proposals of the English group, whoso terms are by far the more favourable to the Turkish Government. August 18. 1 M.Guerin and Max Regis, who are barricaded in their houses to prevent being arrested fcr conspiracy, obtained further supplies by means of scaffolding on tho adjoining houses. The authorities have intimated that they would not attack the building, hoping the occupants will surrender. The French Government have addressed a sharp note to Belgium for tolerating the Duke of Orleans in her territory. Prince Victor Napoleon has also been warned. August 19. Owing to the French Government's protest, the Belgian Government have warned the Duke of Orleans not to sojourn in Brussels. They have also warned Prince Victor Napoleon to be careful of his conduct. To bring to an end the siege of M. Guerins, who to avoid arrest on a charge of conspiracy has barricaded himself in his own house, the authorities have cut off tho water supply to the house and blocked the drains. Thousands of spectators watched the siege. August 21. Colonel Blobb, journeying to assume command of the column under Captains Voulet and Chanoine in French Soudan, has been assassinated, together with Lieutenant Mennier. Captains Voulet and Chanoina were recently recalled for illtreating the natives. BERLIN, August 16. The National Zeitung suggests that Samoa be acquired by Germany, and that Germany should elect the Governor. August 17. Professor Bunsen, the famous German chemist ; setat 88. [Profoaaor Robert Wilhelm Eberhard Bunsen, M.D., chemist, was born on March 15; 1811, at Gottingen, where his lather was professor of Occidental literature; studied in the university the physical and natural sciences, and completed his education at Paris,' Berlin, and "Vienna. Having at Gottingen in 1833 taken his degrees for teaching chemistry, he succeeded Wohler three years later as professor of this science' in the Polytechnic Institution at Cassel. After holding a number of profesaorships he declined a call to Berlin, which he received at the same time as Professor Kirchhoflf, with whom he is the founder of Stellar chemistry.- Ho has made many important discoveries, and the charcoal pile which bears his name is in very extensive use. From the spectrum analysis down to the simplest manipulation of practical chemistry; his numerous discoveries have rendered' the most distinguished services to science. In January, 1883, he was appointed one of the eight Foreign Associates of the Paris Academy of Sciences.J J August 20. " The Emperor has unveiled a monument at Gravelotte, the scene of one of the most sanguinary battles between France and Germany in the war of 1870. The Emperor alluded in graceful terms to French heroism, and said the memorial, which is

k bronze figure representing a mail-clad archangel leaning in calm repose upon his 6wo~rd, stood as the guardian angel of all jbjie brave soldiers of both armies. VIENNA, August 16. A high official has been arrested, charged With selling the latest mobilisation plans to » foreign Government. ST. PETERSBURG, August 16. Ten thousand Russian troops are going Jo the Far East before February next. The Czar has issued a rescript declaring that China's friendly attitude was the policy which has enabled Russia to attain her historic aim of securing outlets in the lYellow Sea, thus facilitating the world's trade. It further declares that Talienwan tfill be made a free port upon the completion of the railway thence, and will be open to all nations, so long as the Russian lease of the port lasts. The rescript is regarded as a triumph for the policy of M. de Witte, Minister of Finance, for the development of trade. CHRISTIANIA, August 18. The Arctic expedition which left Norway last year in charge of Herren Frith-Jof .and Wellman has returned to Tromsoe "without finding any trace of Andree, the [Arctic explorer. LISBON, August 14. News from Oporto states that several gases of plague have been reported there. The authorities at Oporto concealed the Existence of the plague for two months. August 16. Eleven deaths from the plague are reported from Oporto. August 20. The outbreak of the plague at Oporto lias been traced to the importation of rice ifrom India. Refugees from Oporto have surreptitiously entered Spain. SHANGHAI, August 14. The plague has appeared at Neuchwang, in Manchuria, N.E. China. August 15. A band of 1000 robbers defeated 500 Chinese regular troops on the West River, killing 250. CAPETOWN, August 15. In Parliament, Mr Merriman proposed an Income tax oi 6d in the pound on incomes below £1000 and Is on incomes above that sum. August 20. Fifty-one cases of plague are reported from Mauritius for last week, of which 36 were fatal. The plague has also appeared at Mazud, near Delagoa Bay. WASHINGTON, August 16. Richard Croker, the Tammany boss, has become a strong supporter of Mr Bryan, the Democrat candidate for the next presidential election. Previously he has i opposed Mr Bryan's free silver policy. August 17. Mr Bryan, speaking at lowa, said that silver no longer had the chief place in the Democratic platform. PORT-AU-PRINCE, August 15. The damage at La Pointa Pitre by the fcurricane is estimated at three million dollars. Augu.£" 20. Two thousand people are homeless in the Island of Nevis, one of the Leeward group, and 1000 of them are in receipt of food from the authorities. SANTIAGO, August 17. Disastrous floods have occurred here. A *train while crossing a bridge fell into the liver. Fifty persons were drowned.