BRITISH AND FOREIGN

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 232, 6 February 1911, Page 7

BRITISH AND FOREIGN

(Australian Cable Service). UNIVERSAL PEACE. "AN UNATTAINABLE IDEAL. Berlin, January 17. A pessimistic feeling is reflected by the Tageblatt, a well-known Berlin newspaper, which says: —"Nowhere do we see any manifestations of an earnest desire for the blessings of peace. Perhaps humanity was created for strife, and universal peace will for ever remain an unattainable ideal. But this is no reason why we should not try to eliminate from the struggle for existence all evidence of national clafes hatred. To-day, unfortunately, might is still right in Germany. We try to create peace by force and by increasing armaments, and are about to embark on a policy of violent repression, as if ignorant of the fact that peace can only exist on a basis of friendly understanding between nations and be : tween the Government and the governed. Peace and freedom go together." ERA OF WARSHIP BUILDING. ALL RECORDS BROKEN. London, January 20. Official papers published to-day disclose that despite Mr. Carnegie's £*2,000,000 peace fund, the year 1911 is going to see all records for warship building broken. From February 1 a new Dreadnought will be launched, on an average, every nine days. Of these fighting monsters Britain will own eleven, Germany seven, Russia and the United States four each, France, Chili, and Japan two a-piece, whilst Austria, Brazil and Spain will each add one new Dreadnought to their navies. The total cost of this huge amount of warship-building will be £140,000,000. IDEALS OF THE PROPHETS. AMERICA GETS NEAREST. New York, January 20. Mr. Oscar Strauss, United States Ambassador to Turkey, made a remarkable speech at the second annual council of the Union of American Hebrews to-night. He said that the republicanism of the United States was the nearest approach on earth to the ideals of the prophets of Israel, that nothing more nearly approximating to those had ever been incorporated in constitutional form.

THE FAMINE IN CHINA. AWFUL DISTRESS. Washington, January 20. Latest reports describe the present distress in rural China through the failure of the crops as awful. About a million Chinese, it is estimated, will starve unless they are assisted to exist until the next harvest, in May. The most inclement part of the winter and spring have yet to be passed. The American Vice-Consul at Nanking has reported that lie has himself seen Chinese dying of cold and starvation, and that the destitution is at present extreme. The International Belief Asociation is endeavoring to collect £500,000 to carry the most keenly afflicted Chinese through till the harvest. THE SALOON SMASHER. CARRIE NATION BROKEN DOWN. New York, January 18. Advices from Colfax state that Mrs. Carrie Nation, the prohibition lecturer, who is known all over the world as the "Lady Saloon Smasher," is suffering from nervous collapse. Her condition is such that it is feared that her career as a temperance lecturer is ended.

A little while ago she paid a visit to Great Britain, and carried out an extended lecturing tour in England and Scotland. It is said that the strenuous time she had there was really responsible for the commencement of lier illness. ROOSEVELT ROASTED. lIIS "BOMBASTIC PLATITUDES." Seattle, January 18. Professor Darhv, of Washington University, speaking here yesterday, referred to what he classed as ''Mr. Roosevelt's bombastic platitudes," and instanced the ex-President's speech at Ilarbonne, when he told the foremost French scientists that race suicide was the great danger facing their country. "These men," continued Professor Darby, "not only recognised the danger, but had been working for a quarter of a centurv to overcome it. The self-assur-ance of Mr. Roosevelt," he concluded, "was too much for the humor of the French, and the press made money out of him." READV FOR WAR. CAN MEET ALL EMERGENCIES.

Washington, January 20. In the House of Representatives to-day Mr. Hull, chairman of the Military Affairs Committee, made an impassioned speech in denunciation of recent criticisms of the United States military system. , America. Mr. Hull declared, was ready to meet any warlike emergency. A lengthv debate followed on the Army Appropriation Bill. The measure, which provides for the expenditure of about £18,000,000, was eventually passed. WHAT IRELAND WANTS. FULL SELF-GOVERNMENT DEMANDED. Dublin, January "20. .Mr. Redmond has been unanimously elected president of the United Irish League. The League has adopted a resolution re-affirming that there can be no settlement of the Irish question till Ireland is given a full measure of self-govern-ment by means of an Irish National Parliament, with a responsible executive. ELECTION BY THE PEOPLE. DISCUSSED BY AMERICAN SENATE. Washington, January 18. The United States Senate is seriously considering a proposition to amend the Constitution by providing for the direct election of the Senate by the people. A hostile motion for the adjournment of the Chamber, which would have meant the defeat of the proposal, was defeated by 42 votes to 17. The vote is rewarded as a test one, and the supporters of the new scheme of election are hopeful that it will be adopted. UNWHOLESOME SMITHFIELD. London, January 20. The Evening Times to-day publishes a strong indictment of; the insanitary conditions of the Smithfield market.

| The=e conditions the Times describes as j unci. ...l mid revolting. ) Tuc indictment includes the condition I of all meat handled ut the markets, Bri- ! tish and foreign. ! 200 DEATHS A DAY. St. Petersburg, January 20. Xews from Fudmdian shows that the bubonic plague is making terrible progress tliere. The deaths are now about 200 a day. The epidemic is spreading to llumlen, Kirin, and other places in Northern China which have commercial intercourse with the district first infected. The Russian Government to-day decided to urge the Chinese Government to allow Fudmdian to be cleared out thoroughly under the supervision of the Russian authorities and physicians. FLOODED WITH CHAMPAGNE. WINE WORKERS' RIOTS IN FRANCE. Paris, January 20. Serious riots are reported from the wine-producing districts. Two thousand persons engaged in the industry marched in to Hautville, waving red banners and singing revolutionary songs. When they arrived they broke into the wine cellars and smashed open the casks until the thoroughfares fairly flowed with cliampagne. Thousands of bottles were also emptied into a creek. The Government have despatched troops to the Rheims district, where the local authorities admit they are helpless. While the misery of the wine-workers, resulting from poor crops and small wages, is officially recognised, it is pointed out that large sums of money have been appropriated to alleviate the suffering. PLAGUE IX CHINA. HOW THE AUTHORITIES ARE HANDICAPPED. < London, January it. Reports from Pekin state that the Chinese at Harbin are vigorously opposing* the summary disposition of the bodies of those who die from plague. The authorities do not dare to cremate bodies, as the relatives are demanding that the corpses shall be left intact so that their ancestors may recognise them in the future life. The plague is so virulent that death usually occurs within 48 hours, and not more than one per cent, of those affected recover.

AN INTERNATIONAL MENACE. WOEFUL IGNORANCE OF CHINESE OFFICIALS. Harbin, January '2O. The efforts to combat the plague at Fudziadian are being disastrously frustrated by the ignorance of the populace. Both Chinese and European physicians are working hard to get the epidemic under, but their efforts are grievously misinterpreted by the mob. On several occasions the doctors were seized and severely beaten, not only by the populace, but actually by the Chinese soldiers, who should have protected them. At Harbin the position is becoming very critical. It is feared that the fact of the plague having attacked many of the employees at the great mills there will result in infection being carried in the foodstuffs exported to the Amur and maritime provinces. Twenty-four corpses of plague victims were picked up in the streets of Harbin to-day,