NEWS OF THE WORLD.

Clutha Leader, Volume XL, Issue 42, 25 November 1913, Page 3

NEWS OF THE WORLD.

SOUTH AFRICAN AFFAIRS. THK INDIAN WORKERS. T< . LONibbt, Nov. it The Durban correspondent of 'The Daily Mail' reports that the colliery employers are keeping the Indian workers in barbed wire enclosures. 'lfee wires are connected with electrical stations, and any Indian attempting to escape receives a shock of 220 volts. Mr Laughton, K.C., considers that "indentured Indians are not obliged to leave Natal or pay a poll tax, because the contracts were not signed, beim;. only thumb smudged, and silent Vega ruing repatriation. LORD GLADSTONE EXPLAINS.

LONDON, Nov. 22. Lord Gladstone (Governor - General of South Africa) in a despatch explains that the conversion of mine compounds into, gaols on the out station® was essential owing to the numbers of Indians marching in organised bands and courting arrest. He protests against the false, exaggerated and mischievous statements current in England and India.. Tlhe allegations of .shooting and flogging to coerce Indians to work were absolutely false. The passive resisters at the Newcastle (Natal) mines had resumed, and orderly conditions have been restored without serious hard'shios.

UNITED STATES AND MEXICO. STATEMENT BY MR TAFT. NEW YORK, Nov. 22. Ex-President Taft predicts disaster to American rule in tiie Philippines. He says that tlie natives took the promises of self-government literally and expected their immediate fulfilment. If .there was a capitalist war in Mexico it would be productive of no glory to anyone, especially the United States. It would be enormously more expensive in lives and _ money (than the conquest of the Philippines. DIPLOMATIC FRICTION. WASHINGTON, Nov. 22.

Friction is apparent between the American and British Ministers in Mexico City. The British Minister requested the despatch of British warshins to Mexican waters, urging that the danger to foreigners was continually increasing and that he doubted the ability of the American warships to suppress the risings. When Mr Bryan (Secretary of State) heard of the British Minister's move he represented to Sir G. Spring-Rice (British Ambassador) that the United States would regard the apnearnnce of a British squadron as inulesirable. It is now understood that the British warships' are proceeding to Tampieo or other Gulf ports. BRITISH POLITICS. LONDON, Nov. 22. Hon. I). Lloyd George (Chancellor of the Exchequer), who attended the Oxford Union debate, was greeted 011 arrival with a shower of turnips, which smashed the windows of his motor-car. One of the throwers was arrested. Many of the members of the union gave an ovation to the speech dealing with the land problem, and a resolution condemning the Government's land proposals was rejected by 654 votes to 586. The result is considered a. persona.! triumph ior Mr Lloyd George.

KING OF BULGARIA. LONDON, Nov. 22. The 'Daily Mail's' Vienna correspondent confirms many recent rumors that Ferdinand of Bulgaria intends to abdicate. There is much excitement in Sofia. Prince Boris left the capital, it is lielieved, owing to threatening letters. King Ferdinand's unpopularity is increasing owing to his failure to secure Austria's support. ''To be let" placards are posted outside the nalace. WIRELESS TELEPHONY. ' BERLIN, Nov. 22. Admiral Eiv'smann, director of the Loren?: Engineering Company, announces that the Later has transmitted -a coherent wireless telephone message from Hanover to New Jersey by moans of the Goklschmidt machine. OHIO LIQUOR LAW. NEW YORK, Nov. 23. The Ohio liquor license law requiring the number of saloons in "wet" territory to be reduced to, one for each 500 of the population resulted in the closing of 3300 saloons. Tim saloonkeepers who were refused licenses by the Board will have to quit. SMALLPOX EPIDEMIC. SYDNEY, Nov. 23. Mr Cook states that the smallpox embargo will be lifted in a day or two. OUTBREAK IN HAND. SYDNEY, Nov. 23. l ie smallpox outbreak is apparently fairly in hand. There hav« been no cases for three days.

c> ~ LONDON, Nov. VI bpeakuiti a,t a Unionist demonstration and referring to the labor unrest Mr 13onar Law (Leader of the Opposition) said that the real problem of statesmanship was to -'it a fairer distribution of wealth without drying up the sources of wealth. -Trades unions had helped the workers; by raising their Wages, though not in the lust decade, because tlw more the unions were devoted to politics and becoming the mouthpiece of a single party the less was their influence upon the country. He believed that change in the fiscal system would tend to raise wages. He thought that a general election was not far distant.

Tho British Dominions Exhibition in Mo will be held at the Crystal Palace. Ihe Committee will give the overseas dominions free buildings and allow the exhibits to remain for three or four years free of cost except for the maintenance of the buildings.