AMERICA.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 3, 20 January 1909, Page 9

AMERICA.

Reuter’s Washington correspondent reports that Mr Elihu Root (.American Secretary of state) and Mr Janies Bryce (the British Ambassador at Washington) have signed a treaty settling the difficulties lietween the United States and Canada regarding the use of common waters upon the Canadian lakes Information Wanted. At Senator Foraker’s instance the Vnited States Senate has ordered the Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Geo.* B. Cortelyou, to furnish a detailed report of how President Roosevelt disposed of the 000.000 dollars emergency fund placed at his disposal at the time of the financial panic in November, 1907. The Colour Tine. Bills introduced into the Californian Legislature empower the segregation of Japanese and Chinese by municipalities, bar Japanese children from public schools, and put various business restraints upon them. President Roosevelt characterises the measure as a piece of b»lly, bad faith, and iniquity. The Japanese Press is evincing great indignation on the -object of this legislation. Mine on Fire. An explosion in a coal mine at Switchback. Virginia, killed 50 men. It is feared that another 100, who were below at the time, are doomed, the mine having caught tire. Pananma Canal. Senator 1 lopkin- has introduced into the I nited State- Senate a bill authorising the issue of Panama ( anal bonds to the value of £ 100.000,OH). He refused to admit am likelihood of a sea level canal. In hi- final me--age to Congress, President Roosevelt, i< felling to the canal, -aid: “ I he woik on the Panama Canal is being done with > il. < 111. mm y and entire* devotion i.« duty whi.h make it a model for all work of the kind. No task of such magnitude has ever before been undertaken t»y any nation: and no task of the kind ha- ever be< n letter performed. The men on the isthmus. from Colonel <ioethal- and hi- fellow loinuii-sioncts through ih«» entire list of employees who are faithfully doing their duty. have \ m their right to the ungrudging r*’-| l ami gratitude ot the American people.’’

U.S.A. Navy. The Navul Committee of the United States liou.se of llepresentulives has reported in favour of the aj»f>ropriation of only 29,000,000 dollars (about £0,000,000) for the construction of two, not four gigantic battleships, as recommended by Mr Newbery, Secretary for the Fatal Deiuoustratiou. A demonstration against the Light and Power Company at Rio de Janeiro developed into riots, which extended over throe nights, against the violent police methods of quelling the disturbances. Many of the i inters were killed or injured. Secret Service Work. During 1908 the United States Congress appropriated nearly a million and a-ha If sterling for secret service work. The total appropriation for prosecuting fraudulent officers and preventing frauds in the various branches of the public service exceeded £4,700,000. The Unwritten Law. Thornton Haines, who in -August last held back the crowd at the muzzle of his revolver while his brother. Captain Haines, tired six shots at William Annis, a New York publisher, whom the latter accused of dishonouring his wife, has been acquitted at b’lusuing on a charge of being an accessory before the fact Captain Haines is now awaiting trial. Railway Smash, A sensational disaster, involving heavy loss of life, occurred near Denver, Colorado, on Saturday. A passenger train collided with a heavy goods train, which was going in the opposite direction, the impact being terrific. I’he drawing-room car of the passenger train was telescoped by Hie force, of the collision, and of its 69 passengers only one was left alive, Hie 68 being either killed outright ur so seriously ..injured that they died within a few hours.. 'l’he only passenger to survive the collision was a si.x-year-old girl, who was foflnd alive under her mouther’s dead body. The wreckage caught fire, but the officials of the trains speedily extinguished the outbreak by means of snow from the drifts alongside the line. The Strenuous Life. There have been murmurings amongst army and naval officers in America against an order recently issued by President Roosevelt that all military and naval officers should periodically ride 90 miles in three days. In order to demonstrate the reason’ableness of the order, President- Roose,velt yesterday rode 98 miles through mud and slush in 17 hours without showing "fatigue. President Roosevelt’s gospel of the etrenuous life occasionally lands his personal entourage in trouble. Recently, as a means of training for his hunting in Africa, he led a party of officers on a Tough cross-country tramp. His follow ing consisted of about 60, old and young, jdini and otherwise, including MajorGeneral Bell himself, Secretary Garfield, and Mr Robert Bacon, and they went tor a l<mg tramp through rock, creek, and park. In roughrider garb, Mr Roosevelt led the officers through what is descrilwd as “a crosscountry walk.” "'mounting cl i fl’s,” "Marathon run,” ‘'obstacle race,” "steeplechase and water jump.” Wading and splashing through rock, creek and returning home in drenched clothes was one of the many trials the officers submitted to. 'l’he President beamed throughout.; the others did not. Strong Language. Senator Tillman’s speech in the Senate was the most striking episode of the debate on President Roosevelt's message to Congress. 'l’he galleries were packed, a riotous rush being made to secure admittii nee. Senator 'tillman, replying to the President’s attack, denied doing anything Illegal in connection with the Oregon land transactions. He accused President

Roosevelt of personal malice, calling him a dodger and a coward. While, he said, President Roosevelt shielded his dear friend, Mr Harriman, who held two million acres of the publiu domain, he attacked him (Senator Tillman) for wanting to buy 1440 acres. He demanded a sarching investigation into the whole business. The speech was hoard in silence, and there was no applause. Recently President Roosevelt published details of an investigation by post office inspectors and by secret service agents of the connection of Senator Tillman with an alleged land grab in Oregon. President Roosevelt declared that Senator Tillman used his influence as a Senator in an effort to force the Government to compel a railroad corporation to relinquish the control of land grants from the United States in order to enable him and his family and his secretary to profit by the purchase of the land. Air. Roosevelt also alleged that Senator Tillman frequently used his “franking” privileges in the conduct of his private business. The “New York Evening Journal,” \V. R. Hearst’s paper, publishes a notable article defending President Roosevelt from the many attacks now being made upon the retiring President. The “Journal” remarks: “Now that President Roosevelt is leaving office every Trust jackal is biting his heels. But the people know that President Roosevelt has spoken the truth in his denunciations of Wall-street and the Trusts.”