Evening star., 1924-08-24

mary of the most important
news of the world for the seven
L days ended August %:
The British Empire.-I have, from
time to time, quoted statistics show
| ing the steady falling off of unemploy-
ment in Great Britain since January,
| 1923. On January l, 1923, the percent
| age of unemployment among regis
| tered trade union members was 1877;
on January /, 1924, it was 81; in May,
1924, it had fallen to 7.s. The high
est percentage was in May, 1922,
namely, II.
Seven and eight -tenths per cent rep
resents about million persons, not
| far from the normal percentage. 1t
is interesting to note that no share
| of the improvement may be credited
to revival of trade with Russia, where
from SO much was promised to result
| from" the trade agreement. In 1923
| Britain's exports to Russia were
valued at about f4,500,000, being ap-
proximately one-half of l per cent of
the total value of British exports and
one eighth taking account of exchange)
Of the value Of Britain's exports to Rus
sia before the great war.
Imports from Russia tell the same
story.
| Princess Mary of Great Britain,
/
| other son.
| Released from prison, De Valera has
at once begun to agitate for a re-
public.
| The Australian government is TAX
ing self-defense measures. The gov
eminent small arms and machine gun
factory is to be enlarged.
Australia will hereafter construct
her own military airplanes at a plant
near Sydney. The Royal Australian
Air Force is efficient and enterprising.
A four-year naval building program is
in contemplation, to include two cruis-
ers and two large submarines; one Of
| the cruisers to be built on Cocatoo Is
land, in Sydney Harbor, the other in
Britain. The cost of the Australian
built cruiser would be twice that Of a
British built one, and it would take
| twice as long to build, but the addi-
tional cost would be MANIFOLD COM
pensated by the training to Austral-
ians in warship construction.
Germany.-On August Is, the pro-
| tocol, with its annexes embodying the
agreements Of the London conference,
| was initiated by the representatives
of the governments concerned. The
| formal signing will take place in
| London on August 80. provided that
prior to that date the Reischstag, the
| French Parliament, etc, have ratified.
For some days the issue of the con-
ference (for fixing the procedure for
putting the Dawes plan into effect)
had been waiting upon agreement be-
tween the Germans on the one part
| and the French and Belgians on the
| other. AS to the limiting date for
| Franco-Belgian military evacuation of
the Ruhr, the matter was at last set
tied by exchange of letters between
| the French and Belgian (writing
jointly and the German chief dele
gates. Messrs. Herriot and Theunis
declared that, provided it should
| appear that the London agreements
were being Loyalty executed on the
German part, the French and Belgian
| troops would be evacuated from the
Ruhr not later than August Is, 1925.
They further declared that in order to
| show Franco-Belgian good will, they
| would order evacuation by their
| troops on the day following definite
signature of the London agreement"
La. e., August 31) Of the sDortmund
! zone and certain other districts out