BRITISH & FOREIGN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9847, 14 September 1903, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN

Eldotric TeJegraph-Copj rigbt-UnitedPrew Association LONDON, Sept. 12.; Lord Rosebery, m a letter to a correspondent, declared that outside the fleet Great Britain does not possess a minimum of national security. In the face of the Elgin Commission report foreign statesmen might commit tile mistakeV of holding Britain cheap, thus increasing the risk of war. Lord Kitchener ougnt to be entrusted" with, the War Office, with ttye fullest authority to reorganise, with the view of administering by a Board similar to the Admiralty. * Sir Robert Taylor, the author ,of the recent Land Conference m Ireland, is convening a conference m Dublin of Catholic and Protestant educationists, to arrange a settlement of the Irish Univer- ' sity question. „ ' ■ The newspapers have published Sir H. C. Bannerman's memorandum, laid before Lord Huntingdon, ' Commissioner, showing his objection to the establishment of a chief of. general staff, om the German pattern. He objects to the accusation that he then advocated a policy of muddling and that through his objection arose . a fear that the appointment .of a chief of staff would impart a military tone to our general policy. The flatness of consols, is chiefly due to dear money closing unwieldy' bull accounts, particularly purchasers who borrowed anticipating that a rise, would attend the Boer war loan. The Financial \ News refuses to join, the pessimists, and says that it believes the depression, is the result of a combination of circum- ; stances that cannot endure. The/ only permanent elements v against consols are 1 reduced interest, and the larger outstanding bulk of National Debt and the enlarged area of trustee investments. (Received September 14, 9.40 a.m.) LONDON, September 13. Two colliers working m one of the * Coatbridge mines, lighted by electricity we're electrocuted owing to leakage of electric power. ' . ' Sir Robert Griff en, addressing the British Association, estimated the "Empire's ' income at thirty-two hundred millions, ' .and the accumulated wealth at twentytwo thousand two hundred and fifty millions. ' ',•'■.'■ It is understood th.at bookmakers benefited to the extent of five millions annually at their customers' expense. The writer of the Times' . article cabled on the 10th, cites Mr Cbghlan, the New South/ WalesN statistician, and the New South Wales public accounts, to prove large State expenditure m clearing Crown lands. The? Financial News expresses regret at the action of the Bank of Australasia m. writing down its consols from ninety to eighty-five. It adds: "though this is sound banking, it -is likely to cause alarm when the public sees the cautions of the directors m discounting a further decline." NEW YORK,. Sept.- 11. The cotton mills of Fall river, Massachusetts, which some, time ago closed owing to the unsettled conditions of the cotton trade, are resuming work. NEW YORK" September i 3 .: A reorganisation of the American Shipping Trust is j imminent, the White Star lines absorbing the Dominion' and American line. There are repeated rumors that the White Star line will be' restored to Ismay, Imrie and Company. WASHINGTON, Sept. 13. As a result of Great ( Britain's protest against America's seizure of islands, probably a Commission will be appointed - to determine the boundary, separating British and 'American possessions off Bojr- .. neo. The difficulty is attributed to Spain allowing Britain to occupy islands w x ith the object of protecting commerce. The American Minister telegraphed to Washington that Russia has requested the Chinese permission to postpone evacuation of one of the frontier provincesof. Manchuria . for , several months after October Bth, the date of the promised withdrawal. ST. PETERSBURG, Sept. 13. Two high officers of the Russian secret police, acting under orders, organised a series of secret meetings of workmen throughout the Empire with the object of arresting* the ringleaders of the. revolutionary movement and agents of agitators now exiled m Siberia as punishment for > serious disturbances connected with meetings.. ■* j " PEKIN, Sept. 12. The Chiuese reformer Shenkwei, who was correspondent of several Japanese papers, has been beheaded at Pekin. _ The German training ship Moljtke,, Avith 400 men aboard, has left Lisbon for Beirut. : PARIS, Sept. 12. A factory at Marseilles, where the plague originated, has been accidentally * totally burned down.