DIARY OF THE WORLD'S NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 306, 19 September 1908, Page 10

DIARY OF THE WORLD'S NEWS.

WEEKLY SUMMARY BY MAIL. Tho following weekly summary of tho world's news is taken from tho "Daily Mail" Overseas Edition of August 8: — JULY 31. Dr. von Lucanus, civil private secretary to the Kaiser since his Majesty's accession in 18S8 has died. Among the group of reactionary bureaucrats actually ruling Prussia, Dr. von-Lucanus was a most remarkable figure. Without —from tho constitutional point of view—having any official status in tho Government, he was stronger than all the Ministers together. He was tho Kaiser's right hand, and had numberless moans and occasions to influcnco his Majesty. The secretary's special duty was to tell Ministers' to disappear from tho political arena when tho Kaiser 110 longer'wanted them. Berlin especially felt his power. It was he who waged all tho petty quarrels over electric tramways, monuments, elections of burgomasters, etc., and oven Prince von suffered complete defeats against him in such affairs. Brigands tried, unsuccessfully, to derail and rob tho Upper Egypt express, placing explosives in its way. Only last Tuesday brigands cut tho' rails and derailed a; train, firing at and wounding and robbing passengers. There arc numerous complaints of the prevalence of crime in tho provinces. The measures which the Belgian Government proposes to tako after tho annexation of the Congo State to improve tho lot of the natives are outlined in a memorandum contained in official correspondence. The Belgian Govornment promises to givo immediate effect to the royal decree of Juno 3, 1906, with regard to tho increased grant of land to tho natives for cultivation and commerce. The samo decree pro- ■ vides that an inquiry be held in all villages to fix the extent of the sites which ought to be reserved to tho inhabitants. Tho Belgian Government promises that tho work of this inauirv shall he expedited. Tho Belgian colonial authorities will fix precisely the regulations for tho salo of tho Royal Domain lands to satisfy tho requirements of tho missionaries and traders moro especially. Tho Belgian Government promiues to seo that tho concessionary companies do not in any way infringe its undertakings and that they respect tho liberty to work as well as the right of the natives to dispose of the products of the soil assigned to them. In a memorandum to the Belgian Minister in London, communicated on Juno 23, Sir Edward Grey said that the 1 British Government had considered the advisability of asking for somo engagomont as to tho total abolition of a labour tax in tho Congo in any form within a fixed period, but it was not decided to press for this provided that tho measures necessary for remedying the abuses which still exist in tho Congo State, more especially in respect to tho treatment of tho natives, aro taken without delay. AUGUST 1. A motor-oar filled with women and children, with Miss Ethel M'Cormick, a daughter of tho president of tho famous M'Cormick Ironworks, at tho steering wheel, plunged over an embankmont 35ft. deep outside San Francisco. Of tho seven occupants of tho car five woro killed and two injured. The luckiest of tho party was the girl amateur chauffeur, who escaped with a sprained shoulder. The dead aro her mother, her aunts, Mrs. Ira O'Brien and Mrs. Clara M'Cormick, and' tho two O'Brien children, one an infant. A governess, Miss Macaulay, who completed tho party, had both arms broken, and may not recover. Miss Ethel M'Cormick, in tho absence of tho chauffeur from her country home, volunteered to tako tho family motoring. The road led down a steep slope alongside tho Arroyo Creek, on tho ostato of Princo Poniatowski, near Burlingliam, a fashionable suburb of San Francisco. Descending tho slope tho girl found that she was unablo to apply the brakes.' Tho motor was gathering terrific speed, and sho attempted to • turn it into a fence on the other side of the road. Instead the wheels skidded and tho car plunged over tho embankment into tho creek and overturned, crushing tho women and children. Tho girl driver escaped serious injury by clinging to the steering wheel till tho shock of tho overturning car threw her aside. Great damago was caused b,y oarthquake shocks at Constantine, Algeria. Notwithstanding tho extremo solidity with 'which tho houses are built, every public building in the city was badly cracked. The first shock occurred at 2.30 a.m., lasted eight seconds, and was preceded by loud internal rumblings, accompanied by vivid flashes of lightning. The people left their dwellings hastily, assembling in tho streets and squares. By 3 o'clock 5000 had assembled in the Place do la Breche. Women were screaming -and children crying. Tho shocks continued at short, intervals, but ceased as daylight broke. It is believed that had tho shocks continued for another few seconds tho whole city, which is built upon a largo plateau of precipitous rock,, overlooking the lihumel Valley, 450 feet below, would have crumbled to pieces, with great loss of life. Only four lives wore lost from falling debris. AUGUST 2. .Tho revolutionaries at Tabriz, Persia, havo obtained the upper hand again. Tho arsenal has been captured and emptied,its contents being distributed among tho fighting men. Tho other Government buildings aro also in the rebels' hands. It will tako over a month for Ein-ed-Dowleh as Governor and Sepahdar as chief of tho military forces to arrivo on the scene of tho disturbances. There is much difficulty with regard to the food supply of the 14,000 soldiers now en route for Tabriz. Tho authorities seem to overlook tho fact that Teheran itself is not quiet. A strong suspicion prevails that tho anjumans (political clubs) are working in secret, and trouble is expected in a few days. Not satisfied with Golak (tho summer quarters of tho British Legation) alono as a place of refuge, somo 200 Persians, who did not consider their lives safe in the town, forced their way ■ into tho Turkish Embassy. Their idea now is to tako advantage, for purposes of 'obtaining sanctuary, of all tho legations without distinction. Hitherto they havo fled always to tho British Legation. Five masked highwaymen attacked a carriago conveying monoy for tho payment of workmen engaged upon tho local railway near Vacz, Hungary. Tho chief engineer and tho cashier were mortally wounded and £1500 stolen. Tho coachman escaped and gave the alarm. Tho robbers' escaped to a neighbouring forest, where thoy wero surrounded by polico, gendarmes, and hussars. After an exciting man hunt four of thorn were captured. Tho robbers wero dismissed employees, Servians by origin, and executed their coup in the most approved Dick Turpin stylo on tho main road and in broad daylight. Tho Kaiser, during his stay in Swinemundo, had an amusing experience,' being treated as an inferior civilian by a sentry at tho fortress. Tho Emperor, in mufti and with a broad-brimmed Panama hat drawn over his face, attempted to enter a battery, but was stopped by the sentry, who did not rccogniso tho War Lord. Tho Kaiser, lifting his hat, smilingly said, "I cortainly must be admitted," whereupon tho sontry, seeing his face, presented arms and gave way. Before leaving Swine-' mundc tho Kaisor ordered tho sontry, whose namo is Roichcrt, to como on board tho Hohenzollern. His Majesty expressed the highest satisfaction at the man's strict military behaviour, and gave him a sovereign. An employee of some electric works at Fioiasco, near Padua, decided to commit suicide, and choso electricity as the means. Ho wont to a corner of tho works, rolled wires about his neck, and turned 011 a current of 220 volts. He fell to tho ground instantly, but was quickly picked ■up by his comrades, Ho was fearfully burned by, the. mjcesj, wid.diod in Jlosp.it 01,

AUGUST 3. Turkoy is becoming 'Westernised with bewildering speed. A newspaper, ono of tweiity-tivo established in the last week, signalled its advent by engaging dancers and singers t-o perform in tbo street beforo its offices. A large crowd assembled, and was regaled with tea and coffeo free of charge. The entertainment was a great success. Tho Sultan has appeared in public and addressed a speech to an audience of loyal subjects. The scenc was immensely picturesque. At six o'clock in tho evening a great crowd assembled in tho square before tho palace, cheering and calling for his Majesty. Half an hour later the Sultan stepped out on to tho balcony and saluted tho people. There was a great roar of cheering, winch lasted fully ten minutes. Then arose a very loud cry, "Speak to us, Lord of us all." Standing erect, his left hand on his swordhilt, his right hand raised for silence, his Majesty replied with a speech of thanks for their loyalty. As the crowd reformed into processional order a staff of palaco servants, carrying bags, lined the roadway. Each person 011 passing was presented with a medjidie ( a coin worth about 3s. 4d.) as a gilt from the Sultan to defray tho expenses of a carriage-fare home. Tho Grand Vizier and Council of Ministers jiavo passed a self-denying ordinance reducing all their salaries by nearly one-half. In future tho Grand Vizier will rcceivo £T350 per month, and tho other Ministers £T3OO per month each. Immenso enthusiasm' for the Britis 1 !] nation continues to bo displayed. Crowds have frequently assembled before tho British post-oliico, Consulate, and Embassy, with cries of "England, the land of freedom," "England, our friend," and "The English peoplo aro our brethren." Signora Toselli, tho former Crown Princess of Saxony, is seeking divorce from her present husband, the Florentine pianist, whom sho married in 1907 in London. Sho has already taken tho necessary steps to that end. Tho couplo havo been separated already for somb time. Signor Toselli is ■ in .Florence, and earns a living by teaching tho piano. Ho no longer plays at public concerts. Signora Toselli has asked her former husband, tho King of Saxony, to agree to her permanent residenco in Bavaria. She now wishes to avoid publicity, and has left Heidelberg, whero she underwent a courso of treatment in hospital, for an unknown destination. AUGUST 4. One of tho most extraordinary court orders ever issued in New York was served on Sheriff Chanlor, who has tho young millionaire, Mr. Harry Thaw, in custody m tho conifortablo country gaol at Poughkeepsie. It directs the sheriff' to send Mr. Thaw to appear before a refereo in a neighbouring county, when and as often as the latter requires his evidence in a lawsuit being heard there. The suit is brought by one of the insanity experts in the recent trials to recover a small addition to his fee for his services, but the whole proceeding is regarded as a device to give the prisoner an occasional holiday. Mr. Tlia.v made his first journey by motor-car, and sat under a tree waiting to givo his evidence at a county lawyer's office. Ho will return to gaol at his leisure. Mr. Thaw has been complaining bitterly of tho weariness of gaol liie. Tho Dos Bocas Oil Well, near Tampico, owned by Messrs. S. Pearson and Sons, has been on fire'for a week in spite of attempts to extinguish it, and tho situation of tho property :is bemnuing; to be serious. Tho well originally spurted' oil through ail opening a foot in diameter. Now it has formed a blazing crater 250 ft. wido and throwing, out such intense heat that tho officials aro unable to determine its depth or ascertain tho extent of the damage. Prince Obolenski, chief of the Czar's private cabinet, has reported to the police that a portfolio containing - documents and, valuables has disappeared. He does not know whether it is lost or stolen. The documents referred to the administration of the Crown estates, and tho valuables were bonds to thieves. . Hitherto polico investigations havo been unsuccess-' ful. ■ ■ . AUGUST 5. Count Zeppelin's great airship, Zeppelin No. 4, was completely wrecked. Travelling all the previous day, tho vessel, which left Lake Constance at 6 o'clock in the morning, accomplished a. flight of nearly 300 miles to Nierstoin, near Mayeuce, without accident. Then a defect in tho motor compelled a descent on the surface of the Rhine. Tho damago was repaired, and the journey was resumed at 10.45 p.m. Mayenco was reached, and tho homeward voyago began. But loss'of gas from the great envelope, and further trouble with tho motors compelled him to descend again early this morning. Coming to earth at Echtordingen, six miles south of Stuttgart, at 8 o'clock in the evening, Count Zeppelin instantly sot to work to _ repair tho defects in. his vessel and to reinflate. Five hundred cylinders of hydrogen were required. Then at 3 o'clock in the afternoon camo the catastrophe. The ship which was anchored, was caught in a sudden squall. Two engineers hastily boarded ono of the c»rs, attempted to float the vessel, and started the motor. Tho ship moved five furlongs along the field, rose a little, and then suddenly began to sink by tho forepart. The car struck the. ground heavily, thero were two explosions, and immediately tho whole ship fell flat on tho ground in flames. Of the two men in the car one was severely burned on the face, hands, and feet, while the other was slightly scalded. Public subscriptions for Count Zeppelin throughout the German Empire by tho press, tho universities, anil the merchant corporations, brought in £100,000 within 2-1 hours. A secret police agent in St. Petersburg was recognised at a revolutionary meeting which ho attended in disguise. Ho was seized, carried to a factory, and strapped down beneath a steam hammer. The machinery was set in motion, and ho was crushed beyond recognition. Shortage of water in tho Italian province of Apulia is creating considerable distress, and has caused two tragedies. A woman who refused to givo water to another woman was attacked and'killed by the latter with a hammer. Near Bari a young ■ man demanded water from a water-carrier for his fiancee. The carrier refused, and tho young man, snatching his pitcher from him, struck him on tho head with it and killed him. The countryside is devastated by the drought, and the Government is negotiating with shipping companies for the transport of watef from Venice to Apulia. AUGUST G. The labour situation in Paris, already sufficiently grave, was further complicated' by a strike of electricians, who, without warning, cut the cables of tho. central sectors and plunged the city in darkness. Only four days ago the • electricians flatly refused to obey tho Labour Federation's order for a general strike.. Tho-strike only • lasted two hours, but during that period it caused an enormous amount of inconvenience and discomfort. ' At a quarterpast eight, in cafes, restaurants, and other establishments depending ondcct-ri-, city for their illumination tho lights sud- . denly grow dim, and five minutes later went out. Although rumours of an electricians' strike had been ill tho .air for, some days, few peoplo took them seriously) and in tho sudden darkness (jho greatest confusion prevailed. In some popular restaurants, crowded at the uiomont, customers angrily protested by shouting and rattling with knives and forks on the plates, while tho waiters hurried to and fro in the gloom, doing their best to pacify the diners.' Tho principal cafes 011 tho boulevards hurriedly sent out for Chinese lanterns and candles. At tho Hotel Ritz the handsome restaurant was half full of people when'the lights went out. A plentiful supply of candles was, however, soon forthcoming, and when these were stuck in champagne bottles and on the cashiers's bill spikes tho guests were able to continue dinner Without too much difficulty. Tho garden looked very picturesque, thanks to an original illumination Echcmo of Ckmceo lanterns.