Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-01

and the expenditure $500 ss 10d. the
balance to the good being G7.734 lis 91ad
The party Is thus in strong position
financially. and could maintain many more
labor NJ. P.'s if seats in parliament were
to be found for them. An interesting
summary of the work done or attempted
i'm the last session of parliament Is given :;
and. in the absence of Kerr Hardie. II
is signed by II. j. Shackleton. who ac-
centuates the influence of the young
party in parliament by the remark that
mo industrial measure has left the house
of commons without being substantially
amended by the la Dor party.
Diamond Market Troubles
A severe blow has been dealt the South
African market by the announcement that
the recently declared Premier Diamond
dividend Of los per share. involving
G1GO.OO0. cannot be paid. owing to the
critical state of the diamond market. es-
pecially in America. l understand that A
certain member of the acknowledging
syndicate with remarka BILE foresight,
started some time go selling his De Beers
shares, after having seen them hoisted to
about ESQ. The former market value ap-
rroximated E3O.0O0.0O0, so that there has
been shrinkage OF over 9l1.HOop.
which must have severely hit buyers at
the higher prices.
In the city people think Mr.. "Solly" Joel
and Barnato Brothers have been dealing
freely in De Beers and that they have not
scored brilliant success. 1t Is even
whispered that the great Wernher-BeI 1t
firm very willing to part with its
shares at the high prices. and it is posi-
BILE that the Barnatos were trying 10 wrest
from them the control of this great dia-
mond monopoly. The present trouble
with the Premier may. perhaps. be due TO
the fact that during these times OF Crisis
II. ,o,ty ,nv,y ha
interests of the two enterprises. which
recently made working arrangement,
are not easy to establish.
AS usual too. troubles never come
singly The De Beers Company. having
lost it's case regarding tine payment of In
come tax in England has had to pay out
a very heavy sum. The panic S3J con-
sequent depression In America wire also
adverse factors. for they have eralyzed
the best diamond market In the world
Finally Sir Julius Wernher's experiments
in the artificial diamond trade with the
Frenchman Lemoine. whom he has now
had arrested. have not exactly enhanced
the prestige OF the diamond magnates as
hard headed business men or proved a
bull point for De Beers. hitherto re-
garded az one of the most prosperous,
best-managed Industrial enterprises in the
world.
Sir julius Wernher.
Indeed it has come as a shock to South
African business men to read that Sir
Juliu. Nernher has been concerned in a
diamond manufacturing enterprise. Sir
Julius is very old. His first appearance in
Kimberley was shortly after the discovery
of the diamond fields. as buyer for a Ger
man firm. In those days Sir julius was
very Inexperienced young German. Dut
he saw the possibilities Of the country.
and persuaded his employers 10 see them,
too Mr.. Albert Belt was on the >neids
in those days In an exactly similar ca
pacity to Sir Julius. and the firm THESE
two founded in South Africa STANDS TO-
day for all that is shrewd. capable, TAR
seeing and cautious. No business error
has ever been attributed to the mouse
of Wernher. Belt & Co. Sir Julius is a
calm, leve-headed man. always unruf-
fled Mr. Belt. on the other hand, was
. mass of nerves. and expended much
more brain issue than Sir Julius over a
knotty business problem. Everybody IN
the diamond industry will admit that Sill
Julius Wernher is the best judge of dia-
mond in the world. -~--e-- ...--..-
Heligoland Valuable.
A deep impression has been produced
in naval circles here by the news that
the German reichstag has voted mil
lion and a half sterling for the fortifica-
ton of Heligoland and it's conversion into
a naval base. This is understood to be
in renlv TO Englands new departure al
Rosyth. In the naval race. or. at least,
rivalry between England and Germany.
which has now become more intense than
ever, this Heligoland vote Is an ihcioehe
which deserves illustration. When III
1850 Great Britain surrendered this de-
spisea patch of rocky isiet to Germany
iii
in exchange for LahZloaI puo . farnr-
in that country was by no means favor
able to the deal-the less so as Blrmarck
pronounced it to be most one-siued al
fair. all the advantage Deins Win Ens
land. He bitterly blamed the emperor
for giving away SO mn mnI the IA kaiser s knew
his own mind and resolved to bide ms
time. 49,, l., $50.
with the inauguration OF the halser NJ
helm canal connecting hael WIZ
nouth of the Elbe. thus giving great
strategical value to Helisoland. In lne
hands of a naval adversary OF Germany
Heligoland would now De INV aiua ps
while in the keeping of Germany II u
fers a decided. almost an lnsupeIapie, ~ -.
ltao,e to the blockading of the EIDE
,ontb undertaken with view TO pre-
vanting a junction between a SQUADRON
from J<iel and another from Nliheiis-
haven. Heligoland is some Twelve Vi
fourteen miles only from the shorc. 80
tb.,t with seven mile range guns OF me
type mounted OF the isie'
and on land it would be Impossible tor
. ana ~ of an enemy to get through.
That The German authorities at least nave
come to the conclusion that itehs"lan',
ch'. =; vowed nv their decision to fortifN
', war n Is very expensive manner; and II it
- strategical Importance for them IL
,nnst equally now have come l" nav ="
mol n III