Foreign.

Manawatu Herald, 5 December 1896, Page 2

Foreign.

The Marquis di Eudini, Premier, stated in the Chamber of Deputies that political and military necessity demanded the retention of Kassala, but Erythrea, the Italian colony, would present a permanent danger if maintained, aa Italy must transform a military into a Civil Government, and make it a commercial colony. It was impossible to keep within the Massowah Keren-Asmara triangle. The Government was at present unable to solve the problems of the frontier defence?, and desired the views of Parliament on the subject. The commander of the warship Aleote, on the East African station, was fined a thousand dollars by the Liberio Court for hostility towards British vessels. The fine was only paid after a threat by the Customs official! to seize the vessel in satisfaction of the fine. The Chief of Police, the President of the Municipality, and the Chairman of the Trades Court, are pro* posed as members of a Court of Arbitration to consider the strike question at Hamburg. In addition to those mentioned, it is proposed that four delegates from the employers, and a similar number of workers, should have seats on the Board. , ; At present 18,000 men are idle, and the fund for strilre pay is

only sufficient to last for four weeks. Many stormy scenes, in which the wives of those on strike have taken parti, have occurred, and the police had to interfere with drawn swords. The strike is extending, and the river engineers have joined in it. The Hamburg strikers have expressed their willingness to refer the matter to arbitration. One hundred of the Hamburg employers have refused to arbitrate over the strike on the ground that arbitration would prolong the strife. They contend that the real question is to fight for supremacy, not wagea. The Neine Freie Fresse states that Great Britain has proposed a new programme with respect to Turkish reforms, which suggests that ooerciye measures be adopted to compel their execution. The paper adds that Austria, Germany and Italy are included among the Powers to take action, and that they have approved the programme. Russia is said to be hesitating about the adoption of coercion, but will not separate the concert of the other Powers. The Chamber of Deputies at Athens has carried a resolution condemning the Government for seeking advice from Russia regarding Oretan affair?, instead of applying to Great Britain.