RECENT NEWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7890, 21 December 1903, Page 1

RECENT NEWS.

A SUMMARY. The following is a summary of news whioh j3id not appear in Saturday's " Star " :•— . The United Slates "Sen*te/ has ratified a treaty of commerce with China. ■ •- • • Reuter's Tokio correspondent cables tlhat tihe kitnafaixm is more threatening tham ever. a The late Pope 'bequeathed to has successor ione million 'three hundred and sixty thousand sterling in foreign securities. ■:....■■;■.%* Six compositors were tried- at Odessa end . banished to Siberia for life, for belonging to a fceoret Socialist printing office at Easihaiieff. *•" General 'De la Rey haramgued loir five hours Boers who were retained in India as (prisoarers in consequence of refusing to take the oath of allegiance, and oouverted all but ien. . ' A' - V If. Combes introduced a Bill into the I French Chamber of Deputies prohibiting oon- j [ gregations teaching. The Bill entaila a State expenditure of ten million, francs aomually until completed-at tiie end of five years. - ••.'■■'■■- • • • Tihe salvage party, which has Totumied from / Lord Howe Island, found that the Otolou had | turned completely over, and da mow lying bot--1 ioni up. In order to get at the cargo dt will ... be necessary to blow the bottom <rorfc of the vessel. ■'A* ' '•" A rupture has occurred between M). CEWK, ♦Hie Greek 'Premier, <and M. Delyannis, wii!h ths result that ML Theotokis becomes Premier mnd Minister of the Interior, M. Ramsuad {Minister of Foreign, Affairs, end 'M. Simo- . Donlo Minister of Finance. t ■ \ Mir F. B. Loomis, Assistant Secretary of State, speaking ait iNew York, said 'that had *he Colombian. Senate's intention* of robbing sfche Panama Company of forty million deltas libeen carried out, .France mi*gjht have attempted to seize and occupy the isthmus. * The " Daily Eipreas " cays. that the torpedo 1 officers undergoing instruction oihoaod the ' Vernon, at Portsmouth, and the Defiance at '• . (Devonport, have received secret oidere to (hold themselves in readiness (far mobilisation, and thai each has been appointed to a definite tfxip. f« at The "Standard's" Tokio correspondent asserts that it ia 'believed that the reply, co- \ mciding with the arrival of the latest addition to the Rueaiam fleet in the Far East, and the completion of military preparation® an land, virtually rejects the oaidmal principles of the Japanese claims. If ao, <and Russia does not consent to reconsider iher position, hostilities are well nigh inevitable. -• a a Dr Morrison srbate® that although it is known that the Russian reply to bhe, Japanese -iweflucible minimum is unSavourable, tihe French Minister, echoing official declarations in Parie, asserts that the negotiations promise peace. Dx Morrison saye 'that delay is favouraWe to fftussiam intrigues in Pekin. The Russians tare striving by every means to induce China to legalise the situation in Manchuria before lhe conclusion o€ negotiations witlh Japan. • • * The labour viotory in the Federal elections, the "St James's Gazette " considers, ie a misfortune for Australia. It is an- engaging programme that every employee is his own employer, but a ruinous one -for AustraliaThe " Daily N^ws " «says that the election is Idea-d against Mir Chamberlain's policy, to ' which Australia is indifferent. The " Standaid " thinks that tihe moderates may save .the Bi'hiati-on by a coalition, though that is unlikely. It predicts tSiat the Commonwealth ■will experience a most trying regime, trad fears that the dogmas of militant intolerant trade imionism will be applied in a drastic end provocative form. Tt* i* significant that control Ihas passed to the most, rabid protectionists. ■Colonial preference finds "hardly a kind word Ifrom the (Aus/iTalian workers, and there is no Jwhisper of any refurn fer offered advantages.