BRITISH & FOREIGN.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 292, 6 August 1908, Page 5

BRITISH & FOREIGN.

o Air Walter Long believes that Britain’s strength would be increased tenfold if a Council of Empire sat in London. Without assuming that Germany desired to injure Britain it was only natural that she should, if other Powers allowed possessions to pass from them, attempt to take them. At a meeting of the Jewish Territorial Organisation, Mr Zangwill announced that a scheme was being perfected to settle Jews in the Western States of America. He urged that the Eastern cities should be avoided, and recommended tnat all Jews should join this movement, since the scheme to regain Palestine was impossible of achievement.

Belgian Government promises to improve the treatment of Congolese, and Britain will not insist upon the abolition of the system of paying taxes in labour. Belgium also undertakes to consider, after annexation, the matter of arbitration to interpret commercial conventions binding’ 7 on the Congo State.

Huge bush fires are devastating portions of British Columbia. One township has been destroyed, and others are threatened. Eight hundred deaths are reported, and thousands are homeless. The damage so far is put dowd at four millions sterling.