, 1909-03-24

received, and final action was not taken, but
it is believed the strike has broken.
A st. Petersburg telegram announces the
death of Prince Hikoff; he was seized with a
fainting attack at the inaugural meeting Of
the Russo-B British Chamber Of Commerce,
from which he did not recover.
The Gar has decorated General Poririo
Diaz, the President Of Mexico.
1t is reported that the Gar has held a
council to consider a Russo-British political
and financial alliance.
New Yosk March 22nd-VenezueIa has
asked Argentina to invite Doctor Drago to
accept the appointment of Arbitrator in the
dispute with the United States TO be sub
mitted to the Hague Tribunal.
At Princeton, New Jersey, the United
Universities of the United States have de-
feated Oxford and Cambridge at chess by
four to one.
Sir Andrew Fraser, formerly Lieutenant
Governor of Bengal, has arrived, and will be
received by President Taft on Wednesday.
He will then tour the United States, lecturlng
upon conditions in India. He says rebellion
is absurd aud the ~attrition is to be attributed
to the Indians educated in Japan.
Tariff talk is endless, and daily fresh discov-
cries are made among details, for example
spices Will pay thirty per cent instead of be-
ing free. SO many nations have granted
favours not granted to the United States
that the majority Of foreign trade under the
maximum schedules will be higher than
at present. A clause prohibiting the
application of the maximum schedules
to dependencies favOurlng mother coun-
tries exempts Canada, but not mother
countries which reciprocate preference by
their Colonies. South America and Cuba
are antagonized equally with Europe.
Ecuador protests that the duty upon cocoa
will be disastrous and intensity the present
over production, making q condition like that
Of Brazil regarding coffee,
Jamaica, 22nd-Foot and mouth iseaso
has broken out amongst stock in the parish
Of st. Mary. Stringent measures are being
adopted to stamp it out.
London, March 23rd-In the House of
Commons Mr.. Asquith, replying to questions,
said that a reduction of Naval expenditures
had II peatedly been the subject of informal
communications between England and Ger
many with the intention Of ascertalnln9
whether Germany would entertain formal
proposals, bat the latter had not been made
because it was intimatad that Germauy's
programme was fixed by law independently
of anything England did. He denounced
the agitation a8 artificial, unpatrlotic, I'M
scrupulOus ana misrepresentation OF the ST.
%tuation, there was no friction, suspicion nor
unfriendliness with Germany, but a mutual
sense of what was due to two great peoples
and recognition that each would consult
their own interests He appealed to the
country to believe hat he was resolved to
maintain unchallenged and unassailable
England's naval supremacy. BY next
New Year England will have seven Dread
noughts, Germany two, and in 1912 Eng
land will have forty first class battleships
with a total of 585, 900 tons, exclusive of the
Dreadnoughts, Germany twenty four with a
total of All, 600 tons, England thirty five
cruisers, Germany eight.
Mr., Mckenna denied the report that the
Government were considering the p~urchlse
of the three Brazilian Drea thoughts.
Mr.. BAlfour will move his vote Of cen8ure
on the twenty-ninth.
The Foreign Office denies the reported
Russo-British alliance.
Berlin dispatches state that the budget
committee of the Roichstag have postponed
the naval estimates until the Chancellery
credits have been considered, that is, pres
sure is brought upon Prime Won Bulow