EUROPE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 24, 9 December 1908, Page 7

EUROPE.

Germany has ordered six submarines to be built at Danzig. A Popular Monarch. Tn connection with the Emperor Francis Josef’s jubilee, extensive illuminations took place in Vienna. A panic occurred in the densely-crowded streets, GO persons being injured in the (-rush. A deputy of the Reichsrath and a woman were crushcd to death. Forty-four of the Emperor’s grandchildren gave a fairy play at the Schonbrunn. After Mass at the Cathedral, the Emperor received the congratulations tf princes, amba»-adors, and oflaial.-. Finally a brilliant performance was given at the Opera House. Killed in a Fog. A .lense fog hung over Paris early last week, making street traffic a difficult and dangerous undertaking. Many serious accidents Lave occurred in the semi darkness. The worst of these was at Poissy, about fourteen miles to the northward of Paris, where a train collided with a carriage containing four wedding guests at a level crossing. All four were killed by the impact, but the train was not derailed. Antediluvian Monsters. The German Government is sending an expedition to investigate the remains of gigantic antediluvian animals discovered by Professor Fraas in Southern German East Africa. The hind leg L»nes of one animal are 11J feet long, and the spine is a third longer than that of any animal yet discovered. Germany’s Population. An estimate of the population of Germany shows that the increase during 1907 was 882,090. I The population of Germany at the census of 1905 wa> 60.G4L275. the increase for 1906 being of about the same ratio a* that recorded in the cable above. Germany’s neighbour. France, shows a declining population, and it is only t master of 20 years when, at the present relative rates of increase and decline. there will be two Germans to every Pn*nchm*u.]

The Casablanca Incident. I niiive <b--»ire«. that Sir Edward Fry ba one of ilu arbitrator- in the Casablanca dispute. Sir ( harh*> Fry L a member of the Hague tribunal, while be was Ambassador Extraordinary and first British Pleiii|M)tvnt iar\ to the Hague Peace (Joufvi enev in June last year. He is an ex Lord Justice of Appeal, aud has held man;, other high ami honourable post.-. The Balkans. A message from Belgrade asserts that Austria is moving 100.(’OU mure troops to the recently annexed province of Bosnia A Buda Pe-t telegram states that Antlia is assembling at Ragusa tianspurt * lor 8000 troops. Prince, von Buelow, Chancellor of tlw' Empire, conversing with representatives of the Powers, expressed his complete conlideii'-t that peace would be main tained, and that Austria would -atisfac torily settle her differences with hei neighbours. The Paris col respondent of the “Jxjlidon Daily Telegraph” deviates that Bri tain, France, and Russia arc about to address to Austria firm representation.regarding her menacing preparations, emphasising Servin’s prompt and effec tivp compliance with the recent appeal to cease warlike preparations ‘on the frun tier. Instead of a Ransom. Herman Neufeld, a wealthy German resident of Holbstadt, in the Caucasus, was kidnapped by brigands, who took him to the village of Petrovsk. They refused a ransom of £2,000 which was offered, demand:ng double that sum. A party uf mounted police, armed with a couple of machine guns, then l>ombarded the village, and kill d the ring leaders of the bandit gang.

Neufeld, by throwing himself on the ground, escaped the bail of bullet*, and was rescued uninjured. Celebrating the Constitution. An enthusiastic procession, two mile* long, including Turks, Armenians, Jews, and Greeks, with their spiritual leaders, marched through Constantinople, escorting the ballot boxes used at the first election and cheering the Constitution. Gussinjeh, an officer of the Turkish Army, assassinated General Maher Pasha at Constantinople, a supposed spy of the old regime. Curbing the Kaiser. All the resolutions submitted to the Reichstag dealing with constitutional guarantees have been referred tu th • Pnx-edure Committee. Herr Singer, a Socialist member, urged that the Reichstag’s assent to the proposal for financial reforms be made dependent on the granting of the coustitu tion 1 guarantees. He declared that al present the Reichstag was in a conditiuii of impotenty.