NEWS BY MAIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 152, 23 December 1911, Page 9 (Supplement)

NEWS BY MAIL.

£12,000,000 SLUMP IX SHARES. ORE AT RAID OX STEEL SECURITIES. Xcw York, October 27. There was a great r;ii(l to-day on the Stock Exchange owing to the suit which has been started by tin; Government for the dissolution of the United States Steel Corporation. Tho Trust's securities declined in value £12.000.000, of which £8,000,000 represented the decline oil tho common stock, and C 4,000.'000 on the preferred. Shares to the number of SSli.ooo changed hands, while the brokers, overwhelmed with orders, engaged in a scene of mad riot. Tlie question is being asked, If the Government wins the suit and compels the Trust to dissolve, what will happen to Mr. Carnegie's numerous endowments, most of which are in the form of Steel Corporation bondsV Anxious enquirers are being reassured, and the endowments are probbaly safe, as Mr. Carnegie's bond holdings are first mortgage on the Steel Trust, and will doubtless be reissued in the shape of bonds with companies into which the Trust may be compelled to divide if the Government wins. The United States marshals were busy to-day serving summonses on the directors of the Steel Corporation. Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan received the marshal at his home, and. inviting him inside, gave him a cigar while he read through the documents. An interesting phase of the situation is that one of the counts on which the Government will proceed against the Trust is for the purchase of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company during tho recent panic. The Trust refused to make the purchase until Mr. Roosevelt, who was then President, endorsed it on the ground that public interest required the money market to bo relieved by this course. London, December 28. Reuter's correspondent reports that it is unofficially stated that a decision cannot be given for three years, because a vast volume of evidence will have to be taken in many important cities by an examiner, who will be appointed by the court, and will be assisted by the United States District Attorney for each locality.

400 FACES IX ONE PATNTING. GREAT PICTURE OF THE CORONATION. London, December 28. Mr. .T. IT. F. Bacon, who is painting the State picture of the Coronation, has already completed the portraits of many of those who figured prominently in the ceremony. These, include most of the bishops.

The artist has built at the back of his house a special studio to accommodate the huge canvas, which is 18ft long and lift high, and will contain over 400 portraits. The picture will represent the moment when the Archbishop is stepping back after placing the crown on the head of the King, a moment when the figure of liis Majesty was touched by a gleam of sunshine.

Mr. Bacon began his work three weeks before Coronation (lav. when he started a large and elaborate study in oils of the parts of the Abbey that were to be the scene of the ceremony. On Coronation day he was allotted a special place of observation in a tomb, whence he could see all without being seen, and had ample room to make rapid studies in pastel on grey paper. The King and Queen will not sit to 'lie arti=t until after their return from Tndia. T*l' WITH A MODERN MOVEMENT. FRENCH BOY SCOUTS. Paris. October 27. A meeling of Hie National League of Education was held this morning at the Sorbonne. under the presidency of the vice-rector of the University of Paris, with tin' object of founding in France a similar organisation to the Bov Scouts.

Tin' president spoke iri glowing terms * nf (lie popularity nf the movement in i England. and nf the beneficial effects on ' tin' ynutli of the nation. Tlie French ' -couts will take the name of "Eclaireurs," ' a I'd if is proposed I n model the system I nn (lie fame lines as in England, with t the intention nf inculcating a like high ' standard of discipline, moral integrity, ' ami ap]ireciation of their duties as eiti- f zens among file members of the corps. 1 A COO!, TIHEF. noruiErrs im-tkict for «o.noo. < 1 Salonika. October 23. 1 Two days ago a Turkish postal con- ' I'll'! 1 mi liis war I'roni Monastir to Sen- ' tari with l':]0.li00 was stopped and rob- 1 l« d on the road between Elliassan and Kinkc-'s lir an Albanian band under the ennmand nf the notorious linkki P>ev. (if Ihe £ 30.11(10. C27.n()0 was deslined fur the military chest at Scutari, while the re=t was composed of remittances I'm- private individuals. After taking possesion of the money the brigand eliief handed over to the postal official a receipt, in due form. The sending of Mich ;t sum overland io Scutari instead of by sen, is accounted f<>r liv (he fear nf Italian cruisers in the Adriatic. EVICTION OF PA 11 IS NUNS. CONVENTS HAPPIOADEI) TO RESIST EXI'KESION. I'aris. November 1. Til" "Little Sisters of the Poor'' have been advised that, they will have to leave 'heir convents within the next few day-, in accordance wilh the Oongregat ions Law. There are three convents in Paris itself. and two in<f outside if. at. LevalloisI'erret. and at. IVnl cauw The expulsion •.."•liT has been sen I. to the convents, and the nuns have determined not to leave tint 11 they are forced to do so. .Appeals have been posted up ill the lie;L*hboi'hond o| all the convents asking V"od Unman Catholics to prevent the e\plll -ioll nf the sisters, and last night; and to-night. ■10(1 men funned themselves I into a voluntary guard at, I'enteanx, I while -JOO are guarding the convent' at | Levallois-Perrct. Doors and windows have been hanhailed. AfAIIPJAOE OF FUTURE emperor. Vienna. October -'2. The future Emperor and Empress of An-1 rin. Archduke Karl Franz Joseph and Princes; Zita of Parma, were married yesierdav ill (he chapel of (he Chateau Selifarzan. the Princess' home, in the presence of Ihe Emperor Francis .10-"jih -"jih and Ihe King of Saxony. The Kincr of Sa\-nny. who is (he bridegroom's uncle, acted a< best mail. Thi' Princess wore a. wedding dress of white -atin -mihilc. with a long train, emte'oideled in -ilvcr with the I'ionrbnn lily and myrtle, and draped with priceless old A'aleii-'di'iines. an heirloom of the 1 lolli'lion family. Her head, was crowned with a diamond diadem containing over a (honsanil stones, (lie Austrian Emperor's wedding ]iresent. from which fell the bridal veil of Brussels lace. The Emperor has "ranted the -Archduke an appanage of £17.000 a year out of the Hapsbnrp family estate, and the new Archduchess will receive £3OO pinmoney. '■

slaughter in tripou. MR. McCULLAGH'S STORY. London, November 10. A further sworn statement ill reference to the indiscriminate .slaughter in Tripoli by Italians of innocent Arabs has been furnished by the war correspondent of the Westminster Gazette. Mr. McCullagli, who writes: As a protest against the murders of innocent Arabs, women, children and men, last week I returned my ollicial papers as war correspondent to General Caneva. About 400 women and children have been shot, and also 4000 men, of whom not 100 were guilty. Cripples and beggars have been deliberately shot. REFUSED EVEN A DROP OF WATER. "Sick people whose houses were burned were left on the ground and refused even a drop of water. f personally witnessed scenes of horror, and photographed them. There has not been the slightest pretence of justice. The Arab quarter was overrun by crazy soldiers armed with revolvers, who shot every Arab and wo. man they met. The officers were worse than the men, and the army was demoralised. On the return of my papers I was summoned to headquarters, but refused to consider any communication except through the Consul, and no further attempt was made to communicate with me. lam now leaving voluntarily. Herr Gottbcrg, the well-known German military critic and war correspondent of the Berlin Lolcal Anzieger, took the same step. Every British correspondent save ono leaves to-day (Saturday). The facts of the massacres aTo beyond dispute. The Consuls have already informed their Governments. The scenes are worse than any Russian Pogrom or Armenian massacre. Two pro-Italian Jews were massacred by mistake. ARABS MOST COURTEOUS OPPONENTS.

"The Arabs did mutilate corpses, but not till after the Italians began their massacres. The Arabs were at first most courteous opponents, bringing in Italian wounded under the flag of truce. I visited the Italian front of the battle on October 26, and found the soldiers paralysed with fear. . Very many of the soldiers are now heartily sick of the war. The dreadful persistency of the enemy day and night affects the soldier's imag- ■ ination powerfully. Up to a few days I ago, when heavy reinforcements arrived, the Italian line was in great danger of being rushed at any moment, in which case there would have been a mad, wild rush for the boats, and every European in Tripoli would have run a danger of being massacred. So anxious are the Consuls still that they are desiring ' the Italian Government to provide transports whereon Europeans may take refuge. GENERAL CANEVA'S ATTITUDE. General Caneva persists in regarding the Arabs as non-combatants. He says he is fighting Turkey, and the Arabs therefore are not regular soldiers in uniform, and must he shot if caught with arms in their hands, whether under the white flag or not. On October 26 a small, brave band of Arabs, who broke the Italian lines at Bumeley, was surrounded in a house and fought for twelve hours, till their ammunition was exhausted. They were all butchered, despite the fact that the white flag was displayed. Mortally wounded men in the battle-front would creep up to the Italian lines for the satisfaction of killing one more Italian before they should die. The Holy War lias been successfully proclaimed. Bedouins from Egypt and Arabs from the Soudan are all joining the Tripolitans. Only an advance guard of 1500 Arabs is so far attacking the Italians, despite the ridiculous statements of the Italian papers that the. enemy's losses are thousands. LITTLE ARAB VANGUARD'S VALOR. This little Arab vanguard is armed with antiquated rifles, but. fights so desperately that battleships, aeroplanes, seven field batteries, nine mountain batteries. Hi machine guns, and an infinite supply of the best rides and ammunition are employed against them. Splendid land and sea searchlights are sweeping the sea-diore and the desert. Deep trenches, wherein to hide the wire .entanglements. are made, and there are loop-holed walls behind which crouch over 2000 Italians. of whom 1200 are perpetually in the trenches. Despite all these advantages, the Italians are practically besieged. The Italians have retreated on the east, so that the Arab sharp-dioofers in the. date palms now reach the tnu'ii with bullets. THE ARAB SHARPSHOOTERS.

The ciladcl wherein Oeneral Caneva. i lives was hit bv a bullet to-day. and the I Herman and American Consulates have j been repeatedly hit. A soldier was killed near the American Consulate by a. bullet from an Arab firing-line. Both the Herman and American Consuls liaA'c abandoned their Consultees and have taken refuue in the town, and everybody in the outskirts has done the same. Tin; Mt'KDKr.KD LTTTKViEI) TIIF. OASTS. "(treat shells from the ships are constantly smashing the date palms and olives amid which the enemv is hidden. ''Olid explosions every day indicate the blowing up ol houses outside the walls, wherein every night, th i 1 (iii'iuv hike cover, Soldiers refuse lo bury the murdered Arabs who litler the oasis. There, is a terrible stench. The Arabs also refuse, save at the bayonet's point, and consequently contagion is spreading fast. "Phi 1 Italian battle losses are loflO. Three hundred dead and .100 wounded were left, on a hospital ship a few days ago. Atiemnts are. made to conceal these figures. I hey lip generally about the position here. They have admitted officially ha vim! executed -111 Arabs in one day: whereas i sniv 50 men and children executed in one batch alone, and executions on a lur larger scale are going on all round."