BRITISH & FOREIGN.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 301, 29 August 1908, Page 5

BRITISH & FOREIGN.

Wednesday was the jubilee of the first commercial treaty between Great Britain and Japan.

M. Henri Becquerel, the famous French scientist and discoverer of Becquerel’s Rays, is dead.

Major Taylor, in Paris, cycled a mile, motor-paced, in 93 2-5 seconds—a record.

Radicals intend to call attention of Parliament to King Edward’s personal activity in foreign affairs.

America pays the Vatican £300,000 as indemnity in connection with the ecclesiastical disendowment of Cuba.

A fire occurred at the Haileyville coal mine, Oklahoma, U.S.A., and it is believed that 30 men were suffocated. Twenty six bodies have been recovered.

In connection with the murder of Mrs Luard at Sevenoaks, the doctor is of opinion that she was struck from behind with a bludgeon, and then shot as she lay stunned.

Mr Hiram Maxim’s device to muffle the reports of the American service rifle wore officially tested at Springfield, Massachusetts. The report was barely audible at 150 yards.

A sub-committee of the United States Senate is drafting a Bill to obtain specias concessions for American products abroad. It is stated that the tariff will be made a leading issue in the Presidential campaign.

“The Times” correspondent states that a period of promiscuous assassination has begun at Tabriz. Two prominent merchants were murdered in the streets within a period of forty-eight hours.

The Johannesburg correspondent of “ The Times ” says General Botha’s recent attack on Lord Milner is attributed to a desire to justify non-payment of excessive prices charged for cattle during the work of repatriation.

At the international scratch swimming races in Paris in the 100 metres event, Meyboom, the Belgian champion, beat Tartakover of Sydney, by six inches, in 66 2-ssec. In the 500 metres race Beaurepaire, of Victoria, beat Blitz, of Belgium, by 75 yards in 7min. Isec.

A Grimsby trawler was fined £l5 at Flensburg, and his catch confiscated, on a charge of fishing within the German three mile limit. The captain was so certain he was outside the limit that he briefed leading German counsel to defend him. There is a strong feeling at Grimsby that a British cruiser should be sent to protect fishermen, and the question is to be reviewed in Parliament.

Zis Bey, late head of the Turkish secret police, fled, like Izzet Pasha, under a false name, on receipt of the Sultan’s private advice. He admits that the police denounced many ou false reports, Orders from the palace were implicitly obeyed, and one hundred and seventy Turks, belonging to some of the best families, were removed at the bidding of his superiors.

There are disastrous floods in 'North and South Carolina. Whole districts are inundated, and operations at the cotton mills have been suspended. So far the number of persons killed is put down at forty, and the damage to property is estimated at many millions of dollars.