MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11788, 5 April 1900, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

ANNEXATION MEETING IN SOUTH AFRICA. jßeceived April 5. 9.15 a.m. Cape Town, April 4. — An open-air meeting, attended by 20,000 people, held here, favoured annexation of the Republics. The crowd hooted Mr Schreiner, I who took refuge in a cafe for an hour, while the crowd sang the National Anthem. Mr Schreiner escaped to Parliament House, amidst cries of " Traitor." He leplied : "Reserve your judgment." Received April 5. 9.25 a.m. London, April 4. — The steamer Duke of Portland, with the Queensland Third Contingent, has arrived at Cape Town. Sir Alfred Milner has returned to Cape Town. President Kruger, in an oration at Joubcrt's funeral, attributed their defeats to the rampant wickedness of the Republics. He stated that Joubert's last words were "My poor country, what will become of it ?'' Received April 5, 9.30 a m. Cape Town, April 4. — One hundred and fifty annexation meetings have been held throughout South Africa during the week. Wellington, April 5. — The Government intend to send a hundred remounts for the use of the contingent, probably by tho Kumara. A GENEROUS OFFER. Chri.-tchurgh, April 5. — The Times Wairau correspondent states that Mr A. W. Rutherford, of Mcndip Hills, has promised to present the Government with a Vickors-Maxim gun if the Defence Department will accept the services of a Mounted Rifle corps from the Amuri district. KRUPP GUNS FOR THE BRITISH ARMY. TWO HEAVY BATTERIES SOLD THROUGH AN ITALIAN SYNDICATE. A London despatch to the New York Sun on February 9th says: — Baron Krupp was in Rome on Tuesday, and completed an interesting deal. There happened to be in Krupp's arsenal at Essen a couple of batteries of heavy field guns, made to the order of tho Turkish War Department. Delivery was delayed owing to tho usual difficulty respecting ready cash, j On Tuesday Baron Krupp sold these guns to an Italian syndicate. The price obtained leaves no doubt that he was aware that he was> dealing indirectly with the British Government. The syndicate, of which Maggioro Levins is the head, raukes a big prolit also, so tho price paid by Enghmd must have been preUy siiff. The Italian Government, is construing its neutrality obligations very benevolently as against England, so there is not likely to be much difficulty about shipping the batteries to South Africa. Baron Krupp is now in Athens, engaged in a deal in connection with the reorganisation and rearming of Grecian artillery, towards the cost of which the Czar has promised to contribute 200,000d01. The correct pronunciation of Mafeking is as if spelt " Mafl'ykin'." A doctor with tho Boer forces, writing to a friend in Uitenhage, states that the scene he witnessed after tho attack on Ladysniitii on January 6th was ono he never wishes to soe again. It was part of his duty to count, the dead, and altogether he and his assistants counted over 1100 Boers killed. Many hundreds were

rounded, and' were sent to Pretoria, wherearge numbers were dying daily, owing to< vant of attention, tIW demands on the iferdicivl staff: being so heavy. A despatch to the Lonclnn Standaid rom Modeler River, dated Monday, February 19th, and describing the relief >f Kimberley, says tbat xho maker of the fun christened *' Long Cecil "' at the D& ice*s- workshop, was an American named xeorge L> Abram. He was afterwards cilled by a Boor shell, which fell in his. oom at the Grand Hotel.