GENERAL CABLES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVIII, Issue XVIII, 3 May 1902, Page 830

GENERAL CABLES.

LONDON, April 23. News has been received from Egypt that four months’ severe fighting has taken place in the Southern Soudan, between native troops and a hundred and seventy Soudanese mutineers, who had formed an alliance with Lango tribesmen, in North Unyoni, and disturbed the Upper Nile districts, north of UgandaThe fighting resulted in the suppression of the mutineers. THE SITUATION IN RUSSIA. ST. PETERSBURG, April 23. A majority of the Finnish army recruits having failed to appear, an Imperial Russian rescript has been addressed to the Governor of Finland granting a delay and threatening the abolition of the Finnish Constitution in the event of further evasion of service.

The Tsar, at the instance of M. Pobiedonosteff, Procurator-General of the Holy Synod, refused to sign a Bill to modernise intermediate education and lessen the study of classical languages. M. Vannovsky, Minister for Education, thereupon resigned. M. Vannovsky endeavoured consistently to remove grievances and wean the students from the revolutionary movement. All classes, especially the students, regret his resignation.

ST. PETERSBURG, April 24. The silk and cotton operatives in Moscow’ have struck for higher wages and shorter hours. The strikers looted the shops and indulged in rioting, and the infantry and cavalry were called out and charged the rioters. Many were killed and injured on both sides. Additional mansions have been pillaged in the Pultava district. The offenders, when caught, are flogged. Strike riots have occurred in the Kieff district. M. Zinger, Assistant Minister for Education, is making energetic conciliatory efforts in connection with the students’ revolution. He has the loyal support of M. Vannovsky, whom he succeeds. A reign of terror prevails in Finland. Emigration is greatly increasing. [Recent cable messages stated that the new Russian ml'itary service edict had created great discontent in Finland, and that as the majority of the Finnish recruits had not presented themselves for their compulsory service, the Russian Government had threatened to take away Finland’s Constitution.] ST. PETERSBURG, April 27. The famine in the Pultava and Cbarkoff districts drove the peasants to forcibly seize seed corn. Serious rioting - occurred. An attempt by the troops to disperse the rioters resulted in eighteen thousand people breaking out into open revolt. M. De Plehwe, who was recently appointed Minister for the Interior, vice M. Sipiagund, lately assassinated, is proceeding to the South to investigate the position. Reinforcements of troops have been ordered to the disturbed districts. The whole population of Finland offers a firm resistance to the attempted military Russofieation of the Finns. The attempt to enrol new recruits for the Russian forces has produced great demonstrations. Weaklings and cripples alone present themselves for enrolment at many centres. The Cossacks dispersed even the smallest gatherings with great brutality. It has just been discovered that Russia is building a railway, leaving the Siberian line seventy miles west of Khailar, to Kargan, within a hundred miles of Pekin, the capital of China. It runs mostly through Mongolian territory. The entire trans-Siberian railway, since the 14th, has been reserved for the transport of thousands of Cossacks eastwards. THE GREAT SHIPPING COMBINE. LONDON, April 23. The Pierpont Morgan great shipping combination is registering in New York. A daily Atlantic service is 2 reposed. There is considerable alarm 1 England owing to many British

vessels, including 20 lately employed as transports, entering a combination controlled by American capitalists. LONDON, April 24. There is much alarm in England lest the recently formed great American shipping combination (which controls most of the English lines on the North Atlantic trade) should deprive the Admiralty of the fleetest of the English subsidised cruisers in the event of war, while Germany remains in control of her subsidised lines. LONDON, April 25. In the House of Commons Mr Arn-old-Forster stated in connection with the Atlantic shipping combine, that the Admiralty Committee was inquiring into the question of Government subsidies to various steamship lines. Meanwhile, arrangements had been made precluding the possibility of the transfer of hired White Star liners to a foreign flag without the Admiralty’s consent during the current agreement, ending in 1905. The “Daily Express” states that the Pierpont Morgan combine is trying to fix emigration rates and seeking to prevent the Canadian Emigration Department supplying the ElderDempster Company with information relating to the prospective emigrants and also threaten to buy the control of the Canadian-Pacific line. The “Daily Mail” s’tates that the combine is introducing in Congress a new shipping Bill, permitting American owned vessels to be built abroad and brought under the American flag. LONDON, April 26. In the House of Commons Mr Gerald Balfour, President of the Board of Trade, stated the Board was considering the effect of Morgan's combination on British shipping. Mr Arnold-Forster, Secretary to the Admiralty, said of the vessels controlled by .-the combination three were subsidised and five held at the disposal of the Admiralty without subsidies. 'The “Daily Telegraph” states the steamers will retain their respective flags and in the event of war the combination automatically terminates. The “Times” also publishes a reassuring statement. LONDON, April 25. An arrangement has been signed at Brussels providing for carrying the Cape-to-Cairo railway via Victoria Falls and Katanga to Lake Kassali. Thence there will be a waterway along the river Lualaba to Stanleyville; thence the railway will proceed to Lake Albert Nyanza; and thence a waterway to the Nile, German territory being avoided. The Belgian strike has entirely fizzled out, and work has been resumed, owing to the Government’s firmness and the lack of strike funds. LONDON, April 26. In the House of Commons Mr Wyndham, Chief Secretary for Ireland, in reply to Colonel McCalmont. M.P. for Antrim East, confirmed the report of the cutting off the tails of 10 cattle at Ballinasloe, in County Galway, on the 17th. Colonel McCahnont, in putting the question, suggested that the United Irish League meeting - on the 13th had denounced the owner oi these cattle. LONDON, April 27. Italy is steadily preparing - for the occupation of Tripoli, though assured by the Powers that it is not intended to disturb the balance of power on the shores of the Mediterranean.