GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 25 April 1907, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS.

Germany dare not even think of lighting a naval war before the year 1020. This is the verdict the jtruat German naval expert Count Seven! how, passes on his country's much-vaunted, ileet. Count lteventlow has nothing j but praise for the oHieors and of Ihe : German liavv, hut condemns many of the battleships as unseaworthy and obsolete. Seventeen of the German battleships, which figure as formidable lighting units in aK the navy lists, are lloaling collins, whose use in war would only mean the sacrifice of their gallant crews, Count Reventlow gives the names of the seventeen ships which he includes in this elasse of floating collins, and points out that the construction of new and more efficient battleships is proceeding So slowly that thirteen years wil'l pass before Germany can contemplate the possibility of a naval war with equanimity. A striking tribute was paid to Jlr Chamberlain's personality by Mr Asquilh ill a speech lie delivered as ihe guest of the Birmingham Chamber o£ Commerce: —"May I express my heartfelt regret," he said, "that we have not wilh us to-night, as to the great detriment of the nation we have not had with us in the House of Commons for .oine months, the greatest of Dii'iiiinghaui citizens. The disability—l earnestly hope and trust the temporary ant! passing disability—or Jlr Chamberlain to appear in the front place, and in the lighting ranks in polities has not only robbed, for the time being, our public life of one of its most conspicuous and commanding figures, but it, lias what, is more Sensible and substantial, impoverished that stock of ideas and of purpose to which under our party system, it is the duty and 'the business of every man of us each within our own measure to contribute. I can only say, not being in acute conflict at one time and another with Mr Chamberlain, that from no quarter of the political world do more ardent prayers, and hopes proceed than from {lis political opponents for his speedy aud complete restoration."

Miss Dolae Latham, the beautiful and accomplished daughter of a wealthy American, committed suicide at Paris, because her father had insisted 011 her returning to New York. She was married some years ago, but divorced her husband and again assumed her maiden name. She went to Paris a year ago to study art and music, took a pretty | studio near the Pare tie Monceau, furnished it charmingly, and lived in ele-, gant style with the funds provided by her father. Miss )>atham was very nlervous all day, and told her maid that her father had cabled a message say- | ing that as he had decided to remain in Paris against his will he had stopped funds. In the evening she 3>right-enc-d up, and when a friend came to spend the evening witli her she put oil a ball dress and decorated her hair with flowers. "Although there are only two of us," she said, ."we'll pretend we are a party. It will be the last -fun we shall have together for some time, for lam going away very soon." The two girls spent the'evening at the piano playing and singing, and live minutes , lifter her friend left. Dollie Latham Lay down on her bed and shot herself through tlio heart. Achillolon, the beautiful palace built for the late Empress Elizabeth of Austria at Corfu, at a cost of £1,000,000, has been a Swiss-German syndicate, which wul convert it into an hotel, and sanatorium. The palace, which is of pure white marble, was designed by the famous Italian architect, 8. Carito. It contained 128 rooms and a chapel situated in fine grounds planted with 25,000 rare rose trees. In 189(1, when the Empress left her palace burst into tears, and said to one of the ladies of her suite, ".Something in my heart tells ine 'that I shall never return here again." She was murdered at Geneva soon after.

Sergeant Foster, better known as "Rastus," who has lately returned from South Africa, says tile Hawera Star, tells the following story in the First Contingent Bulletin of Major Bartlett, D.5.0., who now owns a farm somewhere outsidu Johannesburg. It appears that 'the Major and his brother have a good deal of war practice even now, fur their farm is frequently attacked by the Chinese from the Kami mines. They are large, lusty Chows, and not the faint, sketchy specimens we. know so well. People round the Rand shoot at a Chinaman on sight if he is at large, ior a Chow means murder and loot. In conversation with Major llartlett, "Rastu»" inquired if he ever had any luck. "Well," tue Major, "I know I must have hit one Chow, because I found the fowls dragging yellow meat around the ground." The Bartletts simply had loop-holes in the house walls, and poked the noses of their trusty rifles through tolnm -the Chows came to demand things. You will notice by the meat incident that the chows got even more than they demanded. The ancient and picturesque craft of the glass-blower, which lias continued its original and primitive methods for ?o many centuries, Is at last invaded by modern machinery. A French inventor lias perfected a machine for Wowing bottles which completely does away With the necessity of blowing with the mouth. This machine is so simple in its operation that an unskilled workman can very soon become proficient in its use; and each machine will turn out 1800 finished bottles % in twentyfour hours, as against the best mouthblower's (100. The finished product is of a much higher grade, also, being more perfect in form, and able to withstand a much higher pressure.

A Geneva landlord named Clement, who lost heavily through burglaries in a number of his houses ill the suburbs of Geneva recently, invented an automatic pistol,' which has proved an effective burglar trap. The pistol, which fired small shot, was so attached to a locked window or door that an attempt to force it open discharged the weapon. While visiting some of his uninhabited villas at Collongcs, JI. Clement found a shutter on one house broken, and the pistol attached thereto discharged. A trail of blood extended from the house for a distance of !>OO yards. The podce learned that a man named Boissonett had been admitted to a local hospital suffering from shot wounds in the face. He was arrested, and confessed to the attempted burglary.

I)r Luther Burbank is well-known all over the world for his splendid work in the development of new fruits and flowers, but when, in one of those rare intervals of leisure when he is not engaged in producing coreless apples or strawberries as gib as pumpkins, he ventures to offer opinions 011 the proper method of educating children, we feel inclined to remind him that the cobbler should stick to his last. The famous plant specialist has recently created somewhat of a sensation by declaring that 110 chihl should be allowed to attend school until it lias reached 'the age of 10 or 12 years. He declares that the primary school educates the children along a set grove, and that the individual temperament receives too little attention. He believes that until the child has reached the age of ten years it should be taught a little by its parents or a special teacher and given as much sleep and exercise as possible. If children, like plants, could be put away in a greenhouse and left there till wanted, j merely receiving nil occasional watering, the theory might be practicable, but tlie unfortunate mother of a large family who endeavoured to carry 'out Dr. Burbank's advice would soon be a candidate for the lunatic asylum. There is a real evil in urging children to study at too early an age, but so long as school hours are not too long, and the children get plenty of fresh air and exercise, they are quite as happy and healthv at school as if they were at home taxing" the brain of their mother to provide them with occupations, or if, as is more probable, they were playing in the gtreetß and acquiring bad habits.

Rome extraordinary and amusing forecasts of life a hundred years hence appear in the "Reader," a London weekly journal, in response to the editor's miory, AVlmt will Ule future hring forth' According to tile majority of its correspondents, before 2007 an aerial Trafalgar will have taken place,-which will render the world all British. All land will be owned by the State, every person over 21 years of age will have a vote, the highways will be dustiess, the meal's taken in tabloid form, while State nurseries will have solved the problems of infant mortality and the decreasing birth rate. The stigma of residing tranquilly in workhouses will be removed for which doctors will be truly thankful, for a wonderful discovery will bo made that will prolong life, thereby making it possible tor men and women to celebrate tlieir 125t1i birthday with 'sprightly gaiety,