The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 1900.

Waikato Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 546, 12 January 1900, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 1900.

A cablegram from Berlin, which we published in yesterday’s issue, is to the effect that the incident of the seizure of the German steamer Bundersrath is being utilised in Germany to promote the proposal to double the German navy, and it is added that the adherence of (he Reichstag to the scheme is assured;; There is every indication that the paramount desire of -the Kaiser is to make the German Empire a great naval as well as a great mill tary Power. The proposal has been twice rejected by the Reichstag, on the grounds, mainly, that the resources of the Empire are not sufficiently great to support a large navy in addition to its enormous army, The telegram said to have been sent by the Emperor to the King of Wurtemberg, “That he hoped latterly-occurring events will convince Germany of the necessity for a strong fleet to protect her interests and honour in distant seas,” appears to, us only to bo logical on the supposition that if she were strong enough she would, when convenient to herself, ignore international law.

We cannot see what Germany lias to complain of; there is no room to question that steamers flying her flag and claiming the protection of her Government have been systematically supplying the Boers with arms and ammunition and other articles which are contraband of war, and there is every reason to believe that they have also carried combatants from Ger-q man ports to reinforce the Boer array. This has been done in spite of the expressed wish of the Kaiser, and is unquestionably a breach of the spirit of the law binding on neutrals. Britain is placed in a difficult position in consequence of these contraband goods being landed in a Portugese port. If Delagoa Bay were in Boer territory there would bo no question as to the right of England to seize any of the vessels attempting to land contraband goods, provided she had declared the port blockaded and maintained a sufficient number of war vessels in the neighbourhood to make the blockade effective.

A nice question of international law has been raised by the situation, and that question is whether goods are contraband and liable to seizure which are consigned to a neutral port, there being no reasonable doubt but that they are really consigned to the enemy of the country which commands the seas. It is to Portugal England, under existing conditions, must look for protection, and it appears to us that unless she prevents the passage of contraband material through her ports that England would be quite justified in treating her neglect as a declaration of war. It is the first time that a similar international problem .has arisen, consequently there are no precedents to guide statesmen on either side. The inference from the telegram of the Kaiser to the King of Wurtemburg is that were Germany similarly situated to Britain she would not be hampered by any international technicalities.

The enhancement of the value of land in Canterbury through the progress of the sheep industry was shown at the sale at Oxford recently, when 5649 acres of Glentui and WharfJaio back blocks realised £19,390, sortie; of it reaching £9 10s per acre, while several hundred acres did not come up to the old Canterbury price of £2 per acre. The sale was, perhaps, a phenomenal one.—Press. The North China Herald of November 6th remarks :—“ The silly reports that the friction between Japan and Russia over the land dispute at Masampo, Corea, has culminated in a rupture of diplomatic relations need not alarm nervous people. We have authority to deny that there is auy likelihood of a petty dispute over 30 mow of land land at Masampo leading to an appeal to arms between the two Empires, which have many far more serious points of friction than this particular little question. If Russia and Japan came to grips, as many people expect them to do ere many months, it will not be over such a trumpery question as Masampo, but over the undoubtedly great headway Japan is making in Chinn and Corea generally, which Russia is viewing witli anything but pleasure.” The National Provisioner, as behoves a Yankee journal, is indignant because Australia has put in a claim to be in a better position than the United States to supply the British forces with meat. In true “spread eagle ” style our contemporary maintains that only American firms could handle the big contracts required, because, they rather rashly allege:—(1) The Australian firms have not the canning facilities required ; (2) They have not the number or the grade of cattle required ; (3) they have not the quick transportation facilities necessary for hastening food to the front. We (Meat Trades’ Journal) have not time, patience, or space to refufh these misconceptions in detail; but we fancy our American competitors will have their eyes opened in the course of the next few months, in the matter of the capacity of Australian meat works and the quality of the product.

As a consequence of inquiries instituted by the Auckland Fruitgrowers’ Union, a number of owners have supplied particulars to the General Secretary of the Auckland Fruitgrowers’ Union (Mr Henry Mackie) of orchards which they are willing to submit to the Agricultural Depattmeoo for the purpose of experimenting with the specifics advocated by the Department for the suppression and eradication of the codlin moth and other destructive fruit pests. The offers received up to date have been forwarded to Wellington ; but should other owners be willing to offer their properties on stated terms, they will still have an opportunity of doing so, though no further time should be lost in making known their intentions It is understood that the Government propose to take over the selected orchards in the course of two or three months and treat them for two or three years, in order to practically demonstrate the efficacy of their formulas.