REYOND THE DOMINION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 139, 15 March 1909, Page 5

REYOND THE DOMINION.

I Britain's Defence Scheme j "The debate on the Army Estimates | was remarkable, first, because Mr | Asquith, in his reply, hinted at the posibility at a fututre date, of discussing the Army ar.d Nayv Estimates together, thus dealing with the whole problem of defence; and, secondly, because of Mr A. J. Balfour's notable speech in favour of the Imperial Committee's periodical re-examination of the quest:on o» defence. While regretting the reduction of the regular?, he said that certain really good militia and voemanry regiments had been formed. He admitted Mr Ilaldane's earnestness in organising territc.rir.ls, and added, amid Ministerial ehrcrs: "This organisation may at some future time be absolutely invaluable to the safety of the Empire." Sir Chns. I)ilke deprecated Mr Haldane's eomp3risions with the German nrmy's strength, and added that such dcrlaiations would have a damaging effect in Australia. Peisonally he wished to see Australian cooperation, j Australasia and Canada were devoted j to peace, and objected to pressure. j Lieut.-Co!. Seelv, Under Secretary j for the Colonies, replied that the Go- j vcrntnent had received Canada's and jj Australia'? most cordial acceptance of j the general staff proposal. j Persia's Civil War J Sir Edward Grey, Secretary of j State for Foreign Affairs, has warned j Persia that should hnrm befall the j British Consulate at Tabriz, owing to | the action of the Shah'< troops, during the civil war now proceeding in Nor- | thern Persia, she will be held responsible to Britain. Stirling Divorce Case In the Court of Sessions in Edinburgh. a divorce was granted John Alexander Stirling, but refused to his wife in hercrossaction against herhusband. Lord Guthrie, in delivering his judgment, alluded to the selfish, idle lives of some of the parties to the suit, especially those led by Mrs Stirling and Mrs Atherton, upon both of whom he was very severe Aerial Warfare The first of the Government airships, constructed by Count Zeppelin, carried out its trial above Lake Constance today. Manned by a German military crew, the huge air thip covered a distance of 120 miles in two and a half hours, running with and against the wind

Aeroplanes for Britain Mr Wilbur Wright has accepted the invitation of the War Office to visit England for the purpose of carrying out aeroplane experiments. Mr Haldane. Secretary for War, is already negotiating for the purchase of one of the aeroplanes invented by the Wright Bros. King Edward intends to visit Pau, in France, where Wilbur Wright is at present training pupils in the art of managing the aeroplane, in order to witness the flights accomplished by the inventor. Destructive Tornado The township of Brinklcy, Arkansas, has been destroyed by a tornado and fire. Thirty of the inhabitants perished. Tern Mann's Trial It is stated that if the State Premier. Mr Wade, persists in having Tom Mar.n, the Socialist leader, tried at Albury for his offence in connection with the late strike at Broken Hill, the Amalgamated Miners' Association will ask all the combined unionists at Broken Hill to strike. Naval Protection Mr Andrew Carnegci, as president of the Peace Society, proposes that Britatin and the United States should unite for the purpose of limiting naval exansion.

Mr Carnegie suggests that Britain should agree to protect the American coast in the Pacific, Hawaii, and the Philipines, and that the United States defend British possessions in the At lantic, the agreement to be for five years. Standard Oil Case In the retrial of the case in which the Standard Oil Trust was recently fined 29.450,000 dollars for violations of thfc law against accepting rebates from railways. Judge Anderson, of Chicago, directed the jury to acquit, this direction being the outcome of his obedience to the rulings of the Court of Appeal which laid down the procedure. The New York correspondent of the Times report! that the ignominious collapse of the Standard Oil case has caused no surprise in Washington, and confirms Mr Taft's view of the necessity of additional legislation. Outbreak of Influenza A virulent outbreak of influenza is being experiencel in England During the last four weeks 144 deaths have occurred. Many sufferers of over sixty have succumbed to the complaint, and the obituary notices in the Times today extend over a column and a half. Britain's Pension Scheme The experience of the first quarter's operation of the Old Age Pensions Act ha* resulted in a vote of £8,750,000 being placed on this year's Estimates for the purpose. Congo Atrocities A tribunal sitting at Mobeka, in the Congo Free State, has sentenced Lieutenant Arnold to twelve years penal in connection with murders, incendiarism and robbery in the Mongalla territory.