ENGLISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 9 October 1901, Page 4

ENGLISH AND FOREIGN NEWS.

Germans Divided on Tariff

Question.

London, August 31. The weak has been marked by an active discussion on the Gorman* Tariff Bill. The most significant thing is tho growing fend between tho Central Verbund and tho Husbandiats (or Agrarian League), who now begin to hurl epithets at each other. The flusfcandists’ correspondent describes the Central Vorband’s recent declaration against a minimum tariff on grain as a disgraceful betrayal of agriculture, adding:—“Tho Central Verbund’s action is long premeditated treason toward agriculture.” One of the leading featureajof the meeting of tiie Catholic Diet waS a speech by Herr Herold, a member of'the Reichstag, in favour of fixing minimum grain duties, as a resolution to that, effect was accordingly passed. The “Post” (Conservative) concludes that this assures tho adoption of the minimum system by the Reichstag. British Interests Menaced in Persia.

Russian agents in Persia are interfering with the Quetta-Nushki trade route, between India and Eastern Persia, opened by tho Indian Government. According to a “Times” despatch from Simla, Russia, by virtue of a loan contracted in 1900, has effective control of the customs, and is giving endless worry and trouble to traders by means of customs regulations, especially quarantine restrictions. It is possible for Russia to paralyse British trade by long detentions of caravans and travellers. The native belief that Russian influence is supreme in Eastern Persia is having a bad political effect^

Sir Rowland Blennerhasset, writing on the general subject of Russian and British relations, says “We must strive for a final settlement ( with Russia or gird ourselves for a fight,” j and the “Times,” editorially, says Great , Britain must decide whether it is “com- . patible with our interests, commercial and political, to allow a Foreign Power like , Russia to establish itself on the Persian Gulf. Possibly it may be expedient to purchase political peace by the surrender of commercial interests, which might cost too much to defend. But if we are resolved to defend them wo must not wait until it is too late to declare our intentions and take action.” Submarines Lack Crews.

With a desire to enliven the dull season, one daily paper has been endeavoring to get up a scare on the subject of Great Britain’s deficiency in submarine boats. It charges the Admiralty with allowing the United States to sfleure, this week, a submarine invention which the Admiralty declined even to examine, and which is likely to revolutionise that method of warfare. It has been ascertained, however, that the invention in question was examined and declined by the Admiralty. It was then submitted to the United States Naval Attache, Commander Clover, and was forwarded by him, in the usual routine, to Washington. The endorsement accompanying it and the opinion of other naval experts lender it highly improbable that the invention will receive any more consideration from the Navy Department at Washington than from the British Admiralty, The Holland boats will soon be ready for launching. The Admiralty has called for volunteers to mann the submarine boats, but only a few adventurous spirits have responded, and almost all of these have been rejected on account of their inability to pass the severe medical tests imposed in this class of the service. It is quite probable that five Holland boats will be ready for launching before their crews are secured. Yankee Syndicate Has Eye on

Crown. It is doubtful if any bride elect ever looked forward to the supreme day more keenly than London does to the corona tion. Three months must still intervene before even the route of the royal procession is defined. Meantime real estate dealers are somewhat alarmed at the possibilities of competition on the part of mote or less mythical Yankee syndicates which are reported to bo scouring the metropolis with money to burn, trying to secure any and every place of vantage from which to view the parade. London house agents, in turn, have combined forces to outbid American competition. Unfortunately for parties, nobody is certain which direction the procession will take. Hence all bargins are only in option, except in the streets through which it is a foregone conclusion the cortege must pass. The Privy Council Committee meets in Whitehall in November to decide the details of the coronation. The committnemen expect to occupy three weeks in their deliberations. First they will consider the various claims to participate in the ceremonial. The next burning question will be of the number of seats in Westminister Abbey and their allotment. In this connection the Duke of Norfolk's position is most unenviable. It is whispered that a near relative of the head of the Howard family, in discussing the pending suit for the title of Earl Marshal, said that if it were possible to put the dignity, with its attending duties, in Chancery till after the coronation preliminaries were settled nobody would be heart-broken in Arundel Castle. Decline in British Shipbuilding. That America and Germany have sup* planted England as the world’s shipbuilders is the substance of the oflloial report about to be tendered to the German Government by Dr Ernst von Halle, in his capacity of Special Commissioner of the Imperial Admiralty, who has just concluded an exhaustive investigation of the shipyards of Germany, Greet Britain, France, Holland and the United States.

His report is replete with tributes to the greatness of the Yankee maritime industry. Thirty-seven out of forty-five pages are devoted to foreign countries. Dealing with the American yards, the author asserts they need acknowledge no masters.

“The shipworks of the United States,” he says, “are incomparably equipped for thorough, rapid, economical production, due primarily to the splendid transportation arrangements in the yard areas and the employment of the most improved type of crane of pneumatic tools. /With the enormous expansion of the industry at every important lake and ocean point the time not far distant when America will join Germany in occupying, in relation to the world’s vessel supply, the position of supremacy so long held by England. “The ocean speed laurels are not un. likely soon to be wrested from GermanyThe friendly rivalry of the HamburgAmerican and German Lloyd firms insures us the premiership at least until the champion German figures are equalled. [lt should be remembered that speed increases nowadays come only half a knot at a time, so America and England have much to accomplish before they can hope to distance the records of the Deutschland and Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse.

“America is well equipped for this contest with England. Great Britain has produced the Lucania and Campania. You have done nothing better than the St. Paul,” said Dr. Yon Halle.